Out of Downtown

It has been eight months since I moved out of my little studio at 18th and Main, four and a half months since I returned from my traveling jaunt around the US and to France.

I've done a lot of readjusting in the last few months, and I don't know whether I am near finished yet.

The work that I do with the Tuesday Night Project has brought me back to Little Tokyo for various events and meetings, but I have spent precious little quality time in Downtown since the end of last year.

I wonder what happened to Rick, the man down the hall who moved back to Arkansas to be with his family. I wonder whether Julian is still the handyman there. I wonder whether the girl who emailed me about the building so long ago is still living there. I wonder whether the ratio of students to small families has changed.

I miss it. I miss the desolate corner of Washington and Main where the Da Capo buildings stand. I miss stopping in at Felipe's little store to pick up condensed milk and hearing him say "Be careful!" as I awkwardly maneuver my bicycle back out onto the sidewalk. I miss the sound of the traffic and the trains and the city at night. I miss looking at the city skyline from the rooftop.

I feel another transition coming, but I'm not sure where or when it will be. In the meantime, Downtown continues to change and grow and I can't help but want to take part in it.