64 West

So...we have almost been in St. Louis for a whole month. I think it is finally starting to sink in that we are not on vacation...we are not on assignment...we actually live (and will live) here in St. Louis for the next 4-ish years of our lives. I will start my 30's in St. Louis. We might start our family in St. Louis. Our life is here in the 7th largest city in the U.S. of A. It's not a troublesome realization at all--just a strange one. Peter and Jess Speropulos--St. Lousians (confirmed Lousians). So, I thought, since I really live here in St. Louis now, I should share some of the things I have learned since the move to the Mid-West:

• People here are very proud of STL and likewise proud of their particular township (Creve Coeur, Tower Grove, University City...etc).
• This city loves to abbreviate (yay)! U-City (our township), Wash U, SLEW (St. Louis U), MoBap (Missouri Baptist Hospital), SLAM (St. Louis Art Museum)...I love it!
• I apparently pronounce all street names in STL incorrectly. Gravois Ave is not pronounced, as one would assume with it's French origins-- Grav-Wah. Instead, it is pronounced Grav-OY!...Oy indeed!
• There is a city wide conspiracy to randomly open and close the entrance ramps onto 64 West (the interstate that takes me home from work) to consistently keep me lost and angry whilst trying to get home after a long day of "Barista-ing".
• Only Italians work at the Fed in STL--and they all order Doppio Espressos several times a day at my Starbucks.
• You can spot a frappacino drinker a mile away. Likewise, you can always spot a "dry" cappuccino drinker as well.
• Ted Drewe's frozen custard really is better than all of those other impostor custards out there. Seriously, it's delish!
• Free stuff is not always chintzy! The free attractions in Forest Park (The Zoo, The Muny, The History Museum, The World's Fair Pavilion...etc) are all fantastic!
• Hipsters are alive and well on The Loop.
• Trader Joe's is going to save us from starvation.
• Although there is no beauty like the beauty of the mountains, there is something quite nice--even pretty about the prairie.
• I will always be a Highlander at heart, but I think we are really going to like it here.

In other news, we have found a church that we really like. It's called Memorial Presbyterian ( http://www.memorialpca.org/ ), and it is right on Forest Park beside Washington University's campus. The music director stood up on Sunday morning and said, "I am about to ask for something that I have never had to ask in my 30 years of working with this church...We need Sopranos!" Well, I took that as my cue, and we are going back for our second visit this Sunday. 

Peter's classes begin August 28th, and I have never seen him so excited. He has been longing for this opportunity since he finished his undergrad, and I am so thankful that his dream is finally being realized. We are heading to our first event with the seminary tonight--a picnic. Let's all hope we can keep our awkwardness at bay. We haven't met a lot of people yet, so we tend to be a little...well...enthusiastic...when we do meet folks. Here's hoping for normalcy--unlikely as that may be.