Oneonta NY
Well our time here in Indiana is coming to an end. It has been a wonderful first assignment. We met many interesting new people and found a lot of pretty fun and different places to eat. The beer and food here has far exceeded any expectations we might have had about the Midwest.
We had a fabulous time running with the Wabash River Runners Club. The Farmer’s Market 5Ks that they held were a great way to get some speed work in during the summer. Everyone was so welcoming and really gave us a lot of ideas as far as things to do, places to visit and food to eat. We were very fortunate to find them when we first arrived in Indiana. I did not get to run with them as much as I would have liked once I started working weekends but I did enjoy the short time I had with them.
I will also miss the great local running store that we found, Tri-N-Run. They helped both Jesse and I with new shoes and also introduced us to the joys of trail running. The people were helpful and fun, what more could you ask for.
The trails are also something we will miss about Lafayette. The Wabash Heritage trail is wonderful for long runs with varied terrain. Turkey Run State Park was like nothing we have ever seen with the streams running through these huge rock formations. Eagle Creek Park where we ran our first trail race was also pretty amazing. This area has a lot to offer runners and hikers alike.
We will miss many great restaurants, Lafayette Brewing Company, Adelinos, La Scala, Bistro 501, Professor Joe’s, Ichiban, Pepe’s, and of course the best dive bar we found D.T. Kirby’s. We will also miss People’s Brewing company and Avidity where we had some excellent drinks.
I will miss my first assignment as a Traveling CLS as well. The hospital I worked in was small but left a very big impression. They have some exciting instrumentation coming into that lab and I was excited to be there to see it arrive. The people were so kind and made me feel like I was one of them, not some outsider. I was invited and included on a retirement party and face party where I learned about some new beauty treatments. Each technologist went out of their way to teach me and help me learn so I can do as much as I could while I was there. It was a benefit to them as well as to me since I can add all that new knowledge to my resume. I am going to miss the big chemistry instruments that facilitated my coming to the Midwest. I know a lot about them and that was what my first assignment needed. After 6 years of familiar instruments I get to learn about some new ones. I will miss the Vitros 5600 and all their quirks. Once you get to know them and they get to know you they are truly amazing analyzers. Other assignments will have a lot to live up too. I have some high expectations about how I hope to be treated as I work and learn at each new laboratory.
I am so excited to be heading back to the state of NY, my true home state. I will be closer to family than I have been in a decade. Although I am not very excited about the time of year that I will be there, at least I can be close to home for the holidays.
After some research we had decided that Oneonta will also have a lot to offer. There are state parks like the Gilbert Lake State Park, the Robert V. Riddell State Park, and the Susquehanna River Park Trail. There are also theaters and museums if we don’t want to brave the outdoors. There are shops along Main Street and even a brewery that has Game of Thrones themed beer. We can’t wait to try that! Jesse and I have even talked about taking up skiing for me and snowboarding for him. Oneonta is known as the “City of Hills” so no more flat land for us. Yay! We will embrace the hills for better running, hill training and winter sports. I guess I should have some positive thoughts about the winter. I will feel pretty hard core running in a foot or two of snow and skiing will be great cross training… as long as I don’t break anything. I will be sure to take a refresher lesson or two.
We have a hunch it will be a lot like Lafayette. A college town with a great main street with a lot to offer, we just have to keep our eyes open and be ready to try anything. That is how will try to approach everything. There is good everywhere you just have to find it. Sometimes the people that live there take for granted all the area has to offer. We have the opportunity to visit each area and find what hidden gems we can find. And we are looking forward to this next adventure.
If you have any suggestions or ideas please let us know! We would love to hear them!
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