Hidden Treasures

In the last year of us living in Ohio...one of the places we've enjoyed visiting very much is Pittsburgh. We first visited not because we knew anything about; but because it was the closest big city, and we were dying for some city adventures. On our first trip we found the hidden treasure, Beleza, a cute little coffee shop in the Mexican War Street District on the North Shore of Pittsburgh. It reminds us of Beacon Hill, but currently this neighborhood is a mix between run down and historic beauty. I love that kind of mix - where people from all walks of life converge in one beautiful mess.

When I'm feeling restless, which happens quite often in the country, Pittsburgh is the first place I think of going. So I was thrilled when I found out one of my closest girls from college was going to be there for the weekend! This was a perfect reason for me to spend time with her and for me and Dave to get away for a night! Dave had an idea of spending the night in a new neighborhood. That destination became South Side, which turned out to be a very good choice indeed!

First we met at a Japanese restaurant, which was in a charming neighborhood in Mt. Lebanon, to meet up with Kim and to celebrate a college friend's birthday. I love neighborhoods where everyone is out walking at night - that alone says a lot about a neighborhood. It was a fun time of re-connecting with old friends, some I hadn't seen in over 6 years, and well it's always a blast being with Kim.







Then we headed over to our B&B (Morning Glory Inn) on the South Side, an older three story row house just one block south of Carson. Our little Garden room was quaint and had a very interesting bathroom setup. We discovered they converted one of the closets into a room with a toilet and the other closet on the other side of the room was converted into a shower stall. These are some creative owners.

At breakfast this morning Dave and I were discussing why I like to stay at B&Bs so much. We've really only been to a handful in our time of being together, but I always do gravitate toward them. As I sat gazing up at the chandelier in the Garden Room, I realized how much of an illusion it all is- these places that usually have an elaborate or ornate theme or period of decor, and they take you to a different place. I equated it to acting, which I love; it's like trying on a new person for the day, maybe one that's more fun and or just different than your normal self. Is it o.k. to indulge every once in a while and enter into another illusion?

This led into a discussion about what it means to live a simple life, is indulging ever good, perspective, etc... For example I know the way we live, compared to many Americans, is simple: we live in the basement of my in-laws home, with all the items we own in the world stored under the staircase and in our room. Yet to others, those in third world nations, we live a life of luxury, of excess...we are rich! I know Ang and Jon experienced this when they were in Kenya. People assumed because they were American they were rich. And the truth is, that to many of their Kenyan friends, they probably were.

Should we feel guilty for staying at that B&B? Is indulging once in a while o.k.? I think it wouldn't be o.k. if I was indulging every time of something that I knew I didn't need, but just wanted to have. That is a path that leads to only wanting more...newer and nicer things, where it is never enough. I think it's good to take practical steps to remind ourselves about how people in many places of the world are living, without basic necessities. One of the things I've done in the last year is reduce the amount of showers I take. At first I wasn't sure why I was doing it...I was just trying to make the most of the time I had with JJ in the morning. But then I consciously thought about it and intentionally stopped showering for 3 days. On that 4th day, I appreciated the water so much more than I had before and realized I had been taking it for granted. Is it o.k. to take advantage of something just because it is always available to us?

After our breakfast, we headed out into the South Side neighborhood. The building structure reminded me a lot of Europe, actually. It reminded me of a recent show Dave and I were watching about (the general) European reaction to American culture. Many French and English people interviewed commented on how Americans like their space and they like everything big, from their big hamburgers to their big cars and yards. Dave and I instantly thought of our neighborhood in Ohio and how everyone around us has these huge sprawling yards, but the majority of these yards aren't actually being "used." Our big back yard even caught the eye of recent French visitors to our home. What do Americans need with all this space?

So, as we strolled through this neighborhood with much character, we were thrilled to stumble upon another hidden treasure...Big Dog Coffee Shop. It's only been open 1 month and is owned by the daughter and son in-law of the owners of the B&B we stayed at. So, o.k. we didn't exactly "stumble" upon it; we told the owners we would check it out, but we were so thrilled we did. Dave was happy to experience a familiar standard of coffee he doesn't often see. The cappuccinos we sipped were "almost" as good as his old shop, he confessed, which is saying a lot.

The hidden treasure we enjoyed the most was Nikolay, a Bulgarian man, we sat and chatted with for about 1 hour. I spoke the 2 Bulgarian words, I remembered, to him, to which I was relieved to see a smile come over his face. This told me I had not butchered his language. We sat and chatted about his life in Bulgaria, about politics, how he and his wife came to open this gem of a coffee shop and about Southeast Europe in general. We weren't in a hurry, had meaningful conversation over great coffee... Europeans would be proud!