At anchor in historic Baltimore harbor

05/13/14

I moved to Baltimore two years ago this month to begin a new life.  After losing my vision, and deciding to leave the military, it was in a small apartment in the Federal Hill area on the west side of Baltimore harbor that I was released into the wild again after nearly half a year in the hospital.  I came here specifically to figure out how to gain back my independence despite my newfound limitations, and to figure out how to redefine my career projections and goals.  When I moved here, I expected to leave at some point after six to twelve months, opting for either a beach house in Florida, or a glitzy yet small condo in DC or New York.

Little by little, the Baltimore stereotypes eroded, and I must admit that before long, I in fact discovered this area to be quite charming!

From the perspective of a blind individual, the downtown area of Baltimore has everything that I might need on a day to day basis, and with the help of my guide dog Gizzy, all these resources are accessible to me!  Baltimore as a whole is undergoing an exciting period of growth and re-gentrificaition, and new and exciting developments are popping up everywhere!  In addition, my brother Russell moved here a year and a half ago, and it’s been awesome to have him as a roommate!  Considering all of this, I decided to drop an anchor and make a new home in Baltimore.  My brother and I fell in love with the second place we looked at, and one thing after another began to fall into place.  We closed at the end of March, and I’m happy to say that we’re now very near to being fully settled in!

This has been a very exciting process, and it’s been cathartic to build a home that I can faintly call my own.  While my desire to travel has not be reduced in the least, it’s comforting to hit the road knowing that my house will be there for me, warm and welcoming upon my return.

I say all of this to offer an excuse for the two months it has taken me to return to blogging.  Now that this transition is nearing completion, I feel like I now have the mental capacity to get back to musing about beavers and owls.  At any rate, I hope you are well, and I look forward to getting back to you soon!

Best wishes from Baltimore,

Brad