Playing tourist, or is that local?

This is a big first week for a lot of us bloggers. I, too, am new. So, here's the quick and dirty background: I'm Tabitha, 26 years old. About a month ago, I moved from southern West Virginia to Baltimore so I can work towards my M.F.A. in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts. So far, I can't say enough good things.

I won't lie; the move itself had some near-disasters. We almost didn't move into the apartment at all, in fact. But, since we got settled--though, we had to sell our over sized living room furniture (and have not yet replaced it), what I have come to realize is a common experience among transplants--it has been nothing but fun. My assignments have included taking thirty minute walks every day and writing nonsense poems. They've also challenged me to call myself an artist. (Feel free to imagine me cringing at the title.) But, that is a big part of my choosing UB and this program. It combined the practical aspects of publishing with creative writing. I started out in college thinking I was going to be a biology major, so you can imagine the surprise when it was English Literature, then onto writing poetry and fiction in grad. school. College has definitely been about discovering who I am and becoming fearless enough to be that person every day.

But aside from the serious, let me just love the city for a minute. I come from a tiny town called Poca, Home of the Dots. (Yes, that is our ferocious mascot: a giant dot. He wears sunglasses.) I missed the party in Hampden but have no such intention of missing The Baltimore Book Festival (Sept. 25-27) in Mount Vernon. Books, authors, author interviews--it is so my nirvana. And it is practically in my back yard. And yours! Mount Vernon is an easy-quick walk from campus. I'm also attending the poetry reading tomorrow night at 8p.m., fifth floor of the Student Center where our adjunct professors are going to show off for awhile. (And I can ogle the city view.)

And, yes, you are reading that enthusiasm correctly. I am a little over excited at the idea of getting out of the apartment for something other than class. I have two dogs and a cat. The dogs are accustomed to a house and a fenced yard, which means roaming at will. They've had more trouble than the rest of us adjusting to the move (i.e. howling and barking whenever my boyfriend or I are not in their direct eye line). However, this week they've finally chilled. Or, so we think. No neighbors have come knocking, so I'm going to blissfully believe they are behaving after weeks of working with them. That meant we got to head down to the Inner Harbor and play tourist. We took a tour of the WWII submarine the USS Torsk. Very worth it, but packed enough that I only snagged two vital bits of information. First, the Torsk sunk the last enemy vessel of WWII. Secondly, its four engines had names (though one is missing its faceplate): Susan, Daisy Mae, and Lil Abner. We also ate at Sammy's Trattoria on Charles Street. I'm going back for the tiramisu.

Otherwise, let me just leave you with a few of my discoveries in the month that I have been here: the number three bus goes everywhere, take your student ID if you plan to write a check at the Safeway, and that beautiful building with the strange, multi-gendered statue is Penn Station. People will ask about the latter. And, if you know, they may think you're a local. (Or so I'm telling myself.) Things I still need to find: sweet tea (I am that southern cliché)--though McDonald's is sporting an okay brew, a vet., and a sign that stops bus drivers from leaving people (yes, particularly me) on the side of the road.