What I'll Miss About Baltimore
 
As much as it does pale in comparison to other East Coast cities, I'll miss living Baltimore.  It has a very identifiable character that a city like DC doesn't possess.  "Making it" in a city like Baltimore seems much more manageable due to its size and how centralized all the power and influence is.  If you exert the effort, you'll get to know the city fairly well and the city will get to know you rather quickly.
 
I'll miss my favorite places such as the Brewer's Art - a bar where the atmosphere is vibrant but at the same time, conducive to conversation and mingling with no impediment from loud music, smokiness, or large crowds.  It is one of the rare bars where they have every type of drink I could possibly want - good wines, whiskeys, and even grappa.  Of course their beers! Goodbye, Ozzy.  Goodbye, Festivus.  And most of all, goodbye, Resurrection!  Some of the best beers I've ever had. 
 
I'll miss going to Wine Underground where as soon as I walk in, they greet me with a glass and have me try something they know that I'll like.  I'll miss Craig Salemi, the wine manager who knows my taste so well that he'll enthusiastically point out any new wines that I absolutely need to try and has never missed the mark.
 
I'll miss going to Bird of a Feather where they have a revolving stock of 150 different single malts.  Again, a place without loud music and obnoxious jocks, frat boys and bar sluts.  I'll miss both drinking and eating at Blue Agave where their 70+ tequilas and their margaritas can hold their own against best whiskeys and brandies, and martinis around.  I'll miss eating at some of my favorite restaurants such as the Helmand, a delightful Afghan restaurant; Bocaccio - a high-end Northern Italian restaurant with a wonderfully pretentious waitstaff; Abacrombie - five star food at obscenely low prices; Monday nights at Mick O'shea's where we can get a great burger and a beer(always Resurrection) for $5.99.
 
What I Won't Miss About Baltimore
 
I won't miss seeing parts of the city that belong in a war-torn Third-World country.  I'm certainly not going to miss walking 2-3 blocks in a nice neighborhood and suddenly fearing for my life.  I certainly won't miss the sloppy and mean service I get in most restaurants here(the ones listed above excepted, of course).  Food shopping in a major city like Baltimore should not have to mean a trip into the suburbs for decent produce and prices - that's embarassing.  I will be relieved to be no longer living in the STD, TB, and heroin capital of the US.  I will no longer have to watch in horror as  the city officials continue to shun education and drug rehabilitation as realistic means of reviving the city for business and real estate ventures which will only benefit the few that don't need the help.

Conclusion

It's way too fucking cheesy to say, "Most of all, I'll miss my friends", but let's explore that.  The people I'm proud to have called my friends are all ambitious and talented and not all of them were musicians, mind you.  We connected through respect for culture, our passions and our drive.  It didn't matter that we love or strive for the same thing.  Only the fact that we had these strong inclinations within us mattered - That's all it took for us to relate to each other.  Baltimore seems to be a pit stop for such people.  We are all grateful for what this city can offer us right now, but we must be honest to ourselves and acknowledge the possibility of a better future elsewhere, as comfortable as Baltimore has made us feel.

I never settled in socialy so easily as I have here.  I can walk behind a fellow reed player, hum a few bars of "Giant Steps" and have him turn around and finish the chorus.  We can crowd into a friend's apartment to drink beer and watch conducting videos.  I can have people over for dinner, talk about world politics, sustainable development, and have an animated discussion about santorum.  Here's hoping that I am as lucky in Urbana.

Yes, I will miss much of Baltimore while at the same time feeling that by moving, I will have been absolved of many of the worries and frustrations I had about living here.  Knowing that I need to take this opportunity in the Midwest keeps me from being too sad about letting go all the wonderful experiences I had here.  I will certainly entertain the idea of coming back in the future not because of some silly yearning for my soon-to-be past but because I feel that I can lead a successful and fulfilling life here someday.