Life in the PGH so far......

So, I have been getting settled into life here in Pittsburgh for about two weeks and for the most part: I LOVE IT.
This is a great little town with sooo much to do, it never gets dull.  For those of you who may be following my FB posts, you know that for the most part this has been a smooth transition and it may seem that I do not miss Virginia at all.  I'm sure that I sound like a infomerical  so far so I will pause and talk about the things that are driving me batty:
 - NO PARKING in the city for much of anything.  This may not matter to some, but to someone with a disability, parking is imperative.  There are some places that I must say I have yet to venture to alone because there is no close parking.
 - Lack of parking has caused me to have to venture off the beaten path for certain things.  I have been spending a lot of time at The WaterFront and in Tarrentum, PA.  Why?  Stores/Places that I am used to with AMPLE PARKING (are we seeing a theme here)?  The WaterFront is super close to the city and has most of the comforts of home (great grocery shopping, Target, movies and good food).  Tarrentum, PA is a hidden gem.  It is about a half an hour outside the city but it has all you need (Wal-Mart, JC Penny, etc.)
 - PA Drivers are crazy!  I apologize to anyone who reads this who learned to drive in PA, but your driver's ed course taught you only two things: Drive Fast and cut everyone off.  There is such a thing as the PGH left, which is cutting off cars going straight in traffic to make your left turn whenever and however you please.  I have literally thought that I was going to loose my front bumper more than once so now, I just wait.  I usually get honked at, or glared at or even yelled at through the window - but its okay.  My car is STILL registered in good 'ol VA so folks just think I don't know where I'm going! ;)
 - I can't read a bus schedule or figure out the route map so I'm just flying by the seat of my pants on that one.  However, I have yet to get on the wrong bus or miss my stop.  But, I'm totally certain that the drivers are already tired of me and my 20 questions EVERYTIME I ride.
 - TRAFFIC.  I could say more on this issue but that may cause me to loose every bit of Jesus that I have, so I'm just going to leave it at UGH!!! :(
 - CITY AT NIGHT.  I couldn't sleep for the first two nights because of all of the night noises.  Yes, I know that we have country night noise, but that mostly consists of bugs, chirping or mooing.  This noise consists of loud voices, honking, car alarms, yelling, etc.  I have begun to adjust which is a blessing; for a minute or two, I thought I was going to have to invest in ear plugs!

Enough of the bad, let's move onto the good:
 - MY ROOMIES.  Elizabeth and Marie are the greatest.  They have made me feel like I have been a part of the quasi-family from the beginning.  Their boyfriends, Joe and Drew, have also been lifesavers.  It has been so nice to have people around to help me move heavy objects, keep me from getting lost and to just have someone to come home to.  Living alone in a strange, new city would have been so lonely.  I am so thankful that God brought us together.
 - MY NEW CHURCH.  Let me begin by saying that no one or nothing could ever replace my First Church family but Covenant Church of Pittsburgh is running a very close second.  The ministries and the people are so loving and welcoming.  Again, I just feel like I belong.  Services (including the teaching and the music) are AMAZING.  They do many of the same worship songs that we do at First Church but because the majority of the musicians are African-American, they have more of a gospel feel.  CCOP is the home church to the wife of Israel Houghton - yes, it is true.  So, the Houghton's come to town fairly regularly.  All of my musician friends just took a deep sigh - needless to say, the Sunday's that he leads worship are simply priceless.  I will begin attending rehearsals with the choir in a few weeks, can't wait to be singing again.
 - MY ADVISORS.  Ronald and Mary Zboray are angels sent from God.  Since I first visited the department (back in November), they have worked tirelessly to make me feel at home.  They take such good care of all of their advisees, they are almost like parents in the field of Communication Studies.  Again, they are another example of God's favor during this time.
So, as you can see - things are going according to God's plan.  This was a tough choice to make to leave a great job and my family and friends but God is providing in so many ways - I can see how He orchestrated this so well.
Life in PGH has its issues but so does life everywhere.  All I can do at this point is be thankful.
So much more to say, I save it for another day.
Hugs and love to all of you!
Erica