Hi! I'm Square Peg.

And meet Raleigh, my round hole.
I've been in Raleigh for three and a half years. I've been in the Triangle for a total of almost 10. Raleigh has been my most difficult fit since living here in NC. I'm not saying that I went into the experience of living in Raleigh with some great expectations and Raleigh fell short. I'm just saying I've lived here for some time now and Raleigh doesn't do it for me. And it's not to say that I haven't tried to plug into something in this city to make our relationship better. I've tried churches here, I've tried school here, I've tried neighborhoods here, and it might be me, but I do not seem to able to wear this city well. When I was saying this stuff outloud to a great friend, this friend said something great to me. It went like this, "I hate to break it to you, but you are not going to fit into Raleigh. You can stop trying. You are going to be uncomfortable. You don't have to beat your head against the wall to make this city and you work. So in the meantime, look at it this way. It's an interim place, just temporary. Invite your friends over. Go out to eat at your favorite restaurants. Enjoy the people you know. And don't worry, you've got time to plan to move, and move wisely. No need to panic."
These words were like giving a captive woman freedom. It felt so good to realize I didn't have to make Raleigh happen. I didn't have to like it. You kinda feel like, "Well, we bought a home here, of course, we like it!" But, honestly, we weren't thinking of getting outta here when we bought it, we were just so stoked to have purchased a home. We weren't thinking we were going to be a 15 minutes or more (lots more) drive to any place worth driving to. We weren't thinking we would want to be closer to the mountains, like way closer, but we do.
Anyways, the moral of the story is, not that we shouldn't find contentment and thanksgiving for the things we are given, but not everybody is going to be your best friend, not everybody is going to like you, or you them. Some things can be left alone. In a way, that gives you a peace to live where you are and a direction to where you're going.