The Time Has Come

I have made a compromise.  I love city living.  Even though we didn't take complete advantage of the perks of the city, we have enjoyed the ability to get home at night and be able to walk to where ever we needed to go.  Italian food, mexican food, the grocery store during a blizzard, the park and a couple of great beer bars (as well as the most friendly bar I frequently went to) were all within a couple of block of our house.

But the time has come to make my fiancee happy (and a part of me happy as well).  We are buying a house in the county.  Not Baltimore County or even Carroll County, but in Pennsylvania.  I am lucky enough to still have my job in the city, and am close enough to commute to work, but there are some things that I will definitely miss.  Maybe #1 on the list is Pint Night at Max's Taphouse.  Not for the glassware (I have way too much as it is), but for the guys who I have gotten to know and the peacefulness of leaving life for a while and downing a pint.

#1a would be the great network of bloggers/twitterers that Baltimore has (Brad at BeerInBaltimore, Dan at BeersForDinner, Chuck at Belgian beer and travel, @CDoubleIPA, @jmooy, @plank10 and all the others that I didn't list).  I have loved walking into an event/random bar and seeing people I know.  The combination of knowledge and friendliness lead to great experiences throughout the past year on A Beer in Hand.  Meeting and being able to talk to some of the greatest beer minds in Baltimore couldn't have been done without this network.

#1b is the great friendships that I have gained going to McGovern's every Thursday.  From an awesome bartender in Marty (who works at the Baltimore Taphouse on the weekends) to the great crew who have welcomed us into their family, we are grateful for your friendships. (If you like boating, check out my friends blog here.)

I see moving as a challenge and adventure.  I now get to seek out new beer bars, and get to experience new atmospheres.  Hopefully, I will be able to find great new beers, as well as attend beer events that I did not know about previously.

So here is to my last week as a full-time city resident. (I may be living part-time in the city, but not sure yet.)  If you are around Wednesday, stop into Max's for a pint.