Growing up in the neighborhood

Its been about 7 yrs since I moved to this neighborhood. I want to say ours is a growing suburb. As in, since its wedged between two bigger and older suburbs in the area, it was a late starter. Businesses and civic amenities trundled along slowly but surely, much like the hare and the tortoise story. Thus I feel a sense of 'growing up' along with the community. When I moved, my only incentive to look for housing in this area was to be able to have a short commute. Ever since I moved out of NJ-NY, I had vowed to never have a 1.5 hr commute one way, ever again in my life.

My apartment at that time was small and cute and belonged to a newly built community. Everything from the appliances to the environs was new and shiny. What was even better was the fact that roads leading to and around this community was just beginning to grow. I still remember construction for one particular road that connects to Walmart began just weeks after I had moved in. I remember the many times I have 'walked' on this road before it was opened to automobile traffic.

The day it was officially launched, there was a certain thrill in using it. I felt like it had been laid out just for my benefit, much like a red carpet.

Many months and years hence, there have been innumerable new restaurants, stores and roads that have slowly sprung around the area and its amazing that the thrill persists to this date. The thrill of 'checking out' the latest store or restaurant, the thrill of having something so close by, that which was two or three suburbs away.

The latest development has been this new intersection(which is being made traffic-light free) that connects the area to a major state route in this county. Construction has been ongoing for more than a year now and we have since grown used to seeing the orange cones and diversions permanently parked along the merge-ways while the overhead bridge and jug-handle has been in the works. Just this past Monday, they opened one section of the jughandle.
(For those that are wondering about a jug and a handle and how it relates to roads, please refer to the attached pic. Image courtsey : here).

The sight of a freshly built road and the thrill of going on (relatively)uncharted territory, for the likes of me, is unparalleled. Regardless of the fact that taking the steep curve to joins the main artery doesn't really lead to anything new or unexpected. Its just a new means to the old end. But new it is. Perhaps its the smell of fresh asphalt akin to a new car scent. Perhaps its the kid in me dreaming of being in Star Trek and launching forth into the final frontier. I don't know. All I know is it feels good and I feel included in this new development, one way or the other.

And thus we grow old together...me and my surroundings.