Place-Sick.

Is it possible to be place-sick? Whatever. I am.

30 Things I Have been Missing Lately, about the Berkshires:

1) The way a face looks outside at night. Smoke, laughter, stars.
2) The Tanglewood lawn, in ways other than talking about it on the phone
3) Eating food outside. Wooden tables.
4) Albert's. Nothing like it.
5) The glint of a lake.
6) Hot pavement and SoCo on Railroad St.
7) Anne's car with tons of musical theatre CDs everywhere
8) The Pittsfield Museum foreign films
9) Sitting around a table getting shit-faced with awesome creative people
10) Porch swings
11) The sound of the door snapping shut in Lavan (annoyed the fuck out of me while I was there)
12) STOCKBRIDGE COFFEE.
13) Michael's Karaoke
14) The Countess and Rumpy's. The popcorn there.
15) Siam Lotus and "TAAAAAHHHH FOOODD!!"
16) Sunny freedom Sunday drives to NYC
17) Mountains
18) Baba Louie's barbequed chicken pizza
19) Pie Heaven from Stew
20) The shower next door to my room
21) The sombrero on the wall of the Unicorn box office
22) Tons of free cheese all the time/ARRANGING
23) Acoustic night at the Lion's Den (haha).
24) Scene-It
25) Kegs of Berkshire Brewery Pale Ale
26) Hearing the song "Beautiful Dreamer" from onstage in LVC while in the box
27) Beethoven House Music
28) Riding in golf carts all over Berkshire School
29) Rolling down hills with Patrick and Dan and then eating Loafs.
30) Pretty much everyone I met there, ever.

Today at work, the BSO did "Discover the Berkshires" downstairs in another part of the building. When Theresa and Michael returned, I asked if BTF was there. They said yes, and I kind of hesitated because I wasn't sure if I could even emotionally handle the whole thing, but my desire to see the lovely Ryan Chittaphong right downstairs in my place of work kind of cancelled that out. So down I went, and there he was, surrounded by the posters and logos I was used to looking at non-stop, looking spiffy and representing the festival. So funny to think I met him as Jeremy's roommate, the development intern with whom Stew used to play badminton. It was awesome to see him, and we chatted a little bit about what's up at BTF, and he suggested I call Pete to inquire after the status of ADing and such things. So, I just did that in order to leave a message right now, and not catch him off guard if he wasn't ready to deal with my wheedlings. I feel a sense of closure now, because I doubt he will reply and exclaim, "OMG, I totally forgot. Here's a job!" But maybe, something .... I don't know.

It's tougher to deal with than I imagined; the potentiality of being seperated from this place in which I spent the last two summers, unquestionably the best two summers of my life. I feel the way about the Berkshires that most people feel about their hometowns, summer camps or about somewhere iconic like New York City or San Francisco. I know that most of my fondness for them has to do with what I did while I was there, and yes in my opinion, there is no better place to be creative in the summer months than out there, BUT .... I also crave its degree of non-chain-driven authenticity, its subtle but amazing little bits of nature hanging right over the main road ... even the bizarre, back road bit of Pittsfield with its funny little pawn shops and soft serve shacks. Knowing things about it. It being small enough to sort of hold in my hand. Coming back to things, things changing, things staying the same, clear nights and being inspired.

They say a place like that has charm, and I guess it has charmed me, quite literally.

What to do ....