San Diego Zoo

This morning, we finally decided to venture out of the house and do something fun. As it is Labor Day weekend, we knew we wouldn't be able to go to the beach because it was also a really warm day. We decided to buy a dual membership pass to The San Diego Zoo. It was only $89, last a year, and includes 2 free guest passes. What a deal! It's also tax deductible, for any of you who itemize:) Here are just a few pictures and videos from our day. Enjoy!

After about 5-10 minutes after starting with a blank canvas...

We ate dinner in this beautiful cafe at the zoo:)

So Far...

Yay! I got the pictures to upload. I had some problems earlier getting them on to the computer, but finally worked my way around the technical issues ... here are a few pictures of our house pre- all decorations (which we still haven't gotten up) and ... excuse some boxes/trash here and there:) Otherwise .... here is the photo story of our life in SD .... SO FAR ....

View from just inside the front door

Just inside the front door, to the left

Just past the stairs, looking into the living room

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking into the living room

Standing in the corner by the dining table

Sitting in the corner of the couch

Sitting in the corner of the couch

My huge kitchen :)

Tiny stove + refrigerator but LOTS of counterspace

View from kitchen window

Looking out from kitchen

The vanity area outside the bathroom... to the left is the bathroom

Standing by the outer vanity area looking into the bathroom

Bathroom vanity

The original toilet seat ... why anyone would want a clear top on their toilet seat with aquarium style, I do NOT know....

... so we bought a toilet seat cover and we think it looks much better.

View out the bathroom window

Sitting on the toilet... LOL

The bathroom (and kitchen) flooring! Love it!!

Opposite side of room from bathroom, looking into bedroom.... basically standing immediately above where you'd come in the front door (forgot to take picture of bedroom coming from stairs. oh well guess everyone will just have to visit to see it for themselves?!!!)

Not a good picture, but this is the new dresser we bought at Ikea yesterday, or the day before, I can't keep these things straight .... what day is it?

Here you can see that I have white sheer behind the blue silk curtains:) ... It's prettier in person.

Our upstairs balcony where I am excited to sit all the time.

Sitting in the chair - view

Looking west in the balcony

Looking east in the balcony

Coming in from the balcony

"Storage" closet .... it's actually another door to the upstairs hallway, but we're allowed to just block off the door with our junk and make it look however we want :) Our landlord actually gave us the idea.

Yep. The SECOND thing I ate here in SD was Pho Noodle Soup.... (The FIRST thing was Filippi's Pizza ... but that only means anything to you if you're related to me on the Clark side.)

Nice Pho restaurant.

YUMMMMMMYYYYY in my TUMMMMMYYYYYY!

Pho Viet in Modesto is actually better but I think with time I'll get used to it. It's like leaving your mom's home cooked meals, but eventually you find a new taste bud in there somewheres;)

So, there ya have it ... so far. More to be added later:) Let me know if there is any other thing I should take a picture of! 

Wedding Dress

I bought my wedding dress today! I just wanted to post a few pictures of it so everyone can get an idea what it looks like, although the pictures don't do it justice. I was so excited; it was the second dress I tried on and exactly what I wanted. It was $640 at the time, but the lady gave me 100 off... which was still about $50 out of my price range, but oh well=]

A Few Exciting Things

Rexburg has its perks. I've only recently discovered my favorite one -- the cheap theatre!

With the rising prices of gas, movies, food -- everything!!! -- it's nice to sometimes be able to go out an enjoy yourself for a reasonable dollar or two. There are two options for movie theatres here in Rexburg- The Rex (which is equal to a regular theatre in California, only a little cheaper... a matinee is I believe 6, and a regular movie is 8.50... and I've heard California is about two dollars more expensive now) and the Cheap Theatre (it used to be called the dollar theatre, but like everything else, has gone up.)

Tonight, some friends and I are going to go to a regular movie time for only three dollars! PLUS Wednesdays are "free popcorn day!" I'm serious, kids, this is a real savings. Also, Indiana Jones is finally in the cheap theatre. I've wanted to see this movie since March!! Now, Paul and I get to go tomorrow night .... and tomorrow night at the cheap theatre is "buy one movie ticket, get one free." THREE BUCKS FOR BOTH OF US!!

Another exciting thing -- this 4th of July looks like it may beat out to win over my favorite 4th of July since, which was the year I went to my friend's house for his block party, and we all swam all day and watched three different cities' fireworks displays from his rooftop. I think this year may be even better. Paul and I are going to barbeque some chicken early in the morning before he goes to work until 2. Then we are going to borrow a friend's intertubes and go float the Snake River! Sometime during this, we are going to eat our bbq chicken, mashed potatoes, and bbq chips, then finish up the river before heading to the Sand Dunes with some friends from home that are up here. There, we are going to shoot off some lovely (illegal) Mexican fireworks:)

I'm pretty excited for this week. Plus, school is almost out, then I'll have an apartment to myself for a month before coming home to California. It's looking to be a good rest of the summer:)

Cooking

Idaho has been useful in a couple of ways. I have learned a lot about my likes and dislikes and also about a few basic skills.

Obviously, I've learned that I love California a lot more than I thought I did, so rather than beat a dead horse, I'll skip that point. As far as basic skills, I have learned so much about cooking! It's been a lot of fun actually, especially since having Paul up here has forced me to need to cook real meals as opposed to the normal college meals of top ramen and granola bars (not that I don't eat a lot of granola bars!)

I think my favorite thing that I have learned to cook lately has been potatoes. Of course, right, coming from Idaho, I have to learn how to cook potatoes correctly. I taught myself how to cook baked potatoes and mashed potatoes so far, both of which, happily, turned out better than I even expected them to. In fact, I thought they were rather amazing, and so did Paul:)

I've also enjoyed learning how to make enchiladas, which is a recipe I got from my mom. Unfortunately, they are a little out of our budget (with the ridiculous price of chicken lately) but I really like making them. Eating them is also enjoyable but the making of them is a lot of fun actually.

I've also just learned how to plan meals in general, which is going to be incredibly helpful once I'm married... actually, it's already necessary now, as Paul and I are on a pretty tight budget. I make lists for each week of what we're going to eat then a subsequent grocery list.

Earlier this week, Paul and I went to the church-run thrift store (pretty much everything is really nice still but really inexpensive) and got what is likely to be our most favorite appliance ever. We bought this very new looking smoothie maker for only 8 dollars. It's basically a blender, only with a little nozzle at the bottom that conveniently pours into your cup at the flip of a switch. The cleaning took us about 30 minutes though. It looked clean on the outside, but it certainly wasn't on the inside. We had to use qtips and take the entire thing apart (luckily it really is pretty compartmentalized) and scrape out all of the dried fruit stuff. Our first smoothie was incredible! It has already, this week, paid for itself. We just have to make sure we take it all apart each time so that nasty dried, crusty fruit doesn't happen all over again:)

Just a Few, Random, Insomniac Thoughts

So, as you can probably see from the post time, it is 5:11 my time. That's A.M. by the way. You're probably wondering what I am doing up this early! Does she have some exciting event like a trip to Disneyland planned?? Oh wait, I'm not in California.... Ok, then maybe a trip to Yellowstone? Nope, I've got school all day. Ok, then it must be lots of homework. No... not that, either.

I'm turning into an insomniac again! Twice this week; which really is lame, since for the past two and a half months I have been sleeping wonderfully! I fall asleep 15 minutes after I fall into bed, and I wake up 10 minutes after my alarm originally goes off in the morning. Of course, apparently that is a thing of the past, again.

This morning, I actually laid here for two hours before finally deciding I might as well do something productive with my time, and write senseless blogs on blogspot! And I really refuse to take those sleeping pills again. Way too expensive for my budget...

All right, so off the insomnia, a few new and exciting things. The one I can't contain my excitement about (the most) is ....

TWO MORE MONTHS AND I'M OUT OF HERE!!! (What does she mean by that?) Oh, shh, I'll tell you. Paul and I have decided that... Idaho just is not the place for us. For goodness sake, it's June and I have worn a huge jacket every day!! (Maybe you should get your iron checked?) No, I'm sure with all the tests at the doctors' (yes that is doctors plural possessive) offices, they would have found something. But anyway, back to leaving Idaho. So, I finish school July 18 (but that's only 5 weeks....) I know, I know, but Paul's job lasts until the end of August, so we'll be here until about the 20th (don't worry, Mom, I should be home for your birthday...) and then, in the beautiful, timeless words of Paul, "we'll leave and we'll never come back!" (Or maybe that last part was Gollum... I'm really not sure; life is such a blur this morning!)

(So where are you going then, hmm?) We're thinking somewhere about two hours south of our hometown, M, which would be about F. (I'm sure if you know me, you can figure out those keywords, ok?) Anyway, besides the weather, there are a few other reasons for that... Because you miss me right? Well, yes... that's part of it... but there are a few other reasons.

Ok, honestly, I'm not trying to hit on Idaho for the second time (or is it third) this year since I've been here. So I'm going to try (keyword: try) to be objective here, which supposedly is unbiased, but my opinion is that everyone has a bias based on word choice... but wow, that's another tangent I could save for another time (although it really is a fun tangent -- don't you love the word, "tangent"?) (Wait, what's going on here??) All right, so anyway, now that you've lost your train of thought, but I haven't, I'll get back to the point. Idaho.

Ok, hello, we don't have a beach. Anywhere. And if you start telling me we have a lake, I will laugh at you. We learned in my geography class about "Lake Rigby." Believe you me, anyone from California, and definitely any of my have-been-to or have-lived-in Minnesota readers would call this a pond. But I digress. (Ok, but is a beach really a good reason to leave a state?) You're right, it is just a silly reason; both sound and valid, but silly. Ok, next.

No, but really, the weather here is terrible. (That, again? Get off it...) No, but I'm serious. The warmest it has been since I've been here is, I think... 70? (Sounds good to me...) No, come on, really? That was one day. Every other day, it's been rainy. It's been windy. It's freaking been snowing!! (No way.) Yes, way. I believe the last time we had traces of snow was May 29? Somewhere around there. I'm probably making up the exact date, but, really, it was that recent.

Now, what happens when the weather is this bad? (You... go snowboarding in June?) No, it's too cold for that. If you can't warm up, don't get cold. Anyway, no it's called S.A.D. and believe me, baby, it doesn't go away if the sun never comes up! (Aww you're sad. That's cute.) No, dear, Seasonal Affective Disorder aka (maybe you'll know this one) "depression." So, yeah, that's getting old. That one didn't seem to affect me while in California.

(But what about me? I thought you said you missed me. Were you lying?) No, I wasn't. You're the other reason. I miss family. While we don't want to actually live in the same city (though we might) when we first get married, Paul and I want weekly or bi-monthly visits to at least be possible. (Anything is possible, even from Idaho!) Look, I thought you wanted me to miss you? Sure, it's possible, if you have 1000 extra greenbacks to spend every two weeks.

Ok, and really, life isn't that much more expensive in California. It may even be cheaper. (Yeah, right. What planet did you get your information from?) Well, actually, let me put it this way. Our apartment here was going to be $550 a month, about 500 sq. ft. and surrounded on every side by thin walls and other newlyweds. (Ok, ew.) Yeah that was my thought too. But, we checked out some apartments in F and found a gated community, with single-story separated apartments (does that even make sense?) two pools, barbecue pits, huge laws, a basketball court, and even a jungle gym for the kids (please no one over the age of 30 allowed) (aw, darn). Plus, let me remind the reader that minimum wage in Idaho is a lousy 5.25, while we are at 8 currently in California; I believe that number is going up in January '09 as it has the past who knows how many past Januarys.

So, anyway, I'll leave my schizophrenic thoughts to rest now. As much as I'd love to keep rambling, I'm sure you're growing sores in your eyes from staring at the same colors on this computer screen for so long. Besides, I'm hungry, and really I can't write when my stomach is screaming. It's just so distracting.

A Fun Activity

So I'm home sick (again) today and was working on some homework. One of the resources for our creative writing class includes a webpage filled with writing experiments. I did one that is called an Acrostic Poem. What you do is pick a random book and take the title. For each letter in each word, go to the page number in the book that corresponds (a=1, z=26) and copy as a line the first word that begins with that letter to the end of the phrase or sentence. It was a lot of fun!!

I decided I would try this experiment with The Scarlet Pimpernel. Here is what I came up with:

“The Scarlet Pimpernel”

Take up arms, because one set of Frenchmen chose to murder another
Horror for the loathsome malady—
Express contempt for the comrade’s stupidity.

Smugglers brought snatches of news from over the water—
Catching an aristo in the very act of trying to flee.
A surging, seething murmuring crowd of beings that are only human in name
Round the corners of thin lips
Looking cheerful and cozy in the extreme
Express contempt for the comrade’s stupidity—
Take up arms, because one set of Frenchmen chose to murder another.

Pardon me
In a corner—
Moisture trickling down the windowpanes—
Pardon me—
Express contempt for the comrade’s stupidity,
Round the corners of thin lips:
Now one of these persons I shall see
Express contempt for their comrade’s stupidity—
Looking cheerful and cozy in the extreme.

These experiments are fun to do:) I even get to turn it in for credit! If you're ever bored, or just feel like being creative, this is a fun way to cheat:) I also was inspired as I looked at other assignments I could do with this class and decided to try to write a sonnet.

In our sonnet assignment, we had to follow the traditional rules of 14 lines, strict rhyming scheme, iambic pentameter (look it up on wikipedia if you don't know what that is -- I had to), and a volta (or turn). After looking up some of Emily Dickinson's poems for fun, I came up with the topic of mermaids for some reason and this is my first draft of my sonnet:

“Mermaid’s Jewels”
I stare at the glassy sea in the morn
In the summer sun’s sil’vry daybreak rise
Shimmering jewels to be all adorned—
Mermaids shall find their vanity’s demise.
In a world of watery, shallow lies,
In hope to build trivial self-esteem,
Hidden in sunlight’s clever, cru’el guise,
Perhaps they shall reach out to touch a dream—
Only to find beauty not quite as it seemed .
But as I look down, upon all of this
Perchance it is I, who needs be redeemed.
For with mine eye I regard Mermaid’s bliss,
Hands gracefully reaching t’ward the sun,
Her enjoyment, fulfillment ever won.

Anyway, let me know what you think -- if you like it, hate it, love it... whatever:)

A Rough Draft

I know that I said in my last post's comment that I don't enjoy writing poetry... However, after spending the last ... oh 7 or 8 hours on this poem, I've come to the conclusion that it can be enjoyable. Something I've learned from a book I've been reading lately is that when you write, write for yourself. Your biggest reward in writing isn't what others think, good or bad, but what you yourself think of it. This poem, I really like. I hope you do as well:)

(Criticism and thoughts gladly accepted.... IF you're not anonymous!)

“Convert’s Song”


Damp the air
With golden globes of summer’s soft sun rays,
Clutching crucifix on breast
The man cried convert’s song


Holding my conch I called
The whale
To open wide
His mouth,
To take me, save me
Belly deep-
Redeem my solemn soul.


But then I saw another sight
A beauty tempting me
Soft white upon the shore, the lace-
Mistress’ sheer gown


I nearly turned away from truth,
My back to ward the sun,
Yet reason came within the wind,
My mind then wondered again.


Once more I looked upon that man
Mysterious and strange was he,
Yet somehow I knew he held the truth
A solution, this could be.


“Dear man,” I called
My heart raced quick
“What is this song you sing?”
With trepidation in my step,
I tread to hear his cause.


A smile danced upon his lips,
Resounding words he spoke,
Carried unto my spirit’s core,
They pierced my fragile heart.


He told me how to rid my soul
Of all my life long pains
He said I could have peace in Christ
And eternities pure and full.


With resolve, I bowed my head
I never questioned him,
I was assured it was the way-
The way that I must go.


And now I cry a grateful tune,
Of my redeemer’s love,
That joy I shall forever sing
That hymn called Convert’s Song.

(May 5, 2008)

Something Different

Something I am not quite accustomed to has been happening lately. I've been taking a creative writing class, something I thought I would enjoy, and yet so far I have been confused the past few classes. Throughout my career as a student with writing assignments, since fifth grade in fact, teachers and peers alike have praised my work as "very accomplished". Lately I have been almost annoyed and hurt, yet, to my benefit, humbled somewhat.

Today we did what is called a poem imitation. We had to imitate this poem in every way we could besides using all of the actual words:

This Is Just To Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast.

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold.

   -- William Carlos Williams

This was my version...

I have questioned
the thoughts
that were in
your black eyes

and which
you had probably
never
meant to share

Forgive me
you are intriguing
so sweet
yet so cold


My teacher said to me, "It's ok... it's kind of too abstract... and not enough sensory images. You need to add more..."

Well, I'm sorry I like to write about emotion rather than "the tree is green."

Here is another example that I'm slightly confused about because I've never had this reaction after I read something in class:

*shrug of the shoulders* "Yeah.... ok... pretty good.... Any other volunteers?"

Now it's not that the teacher is unresponsive. Shortly after my apparently pathetic offering, someone else will raise their hand. In my opinion, their work is not much greater than mine, and yet the teacher laughs and praises them with much enjoyment.

I honestly don't get it -- partly because, in my last class, my college level teacher thought I was 100% material. She found my writing extremely creative and poetic, and told me so many times. In contrast, I feel as though I am completely uninteresting to this teacher. I feel as though he thinks I am bottom-rung fish-food as far as the world of writing goes. I also don't understand because, in his syllabus, my teacher wrote, "There is no right or wrong way to be a writer. If it is structured well, and it is creative, you will receive credit." I have never, before these past two weeks, had anyone who found me completely uncreative and boring.

I suppose everyone has a nemesis that can help you be stronger someday.


Something positive -- I have been tutoring for the American Heritage class. So far this week, I have tutored around 14 people.. and it is the most rewarding job I have ever had! I love being able to help students understand the material -- and it isn't boring to me at all. Some may think that hearing 14 - 20 hours a week of the same history may seem monotonous and repetitious, but I have found it interesting and stimulating. I also love being able to see the light come on in students' eyes as they begin to understand more and more what they need to and want to know. It has convinced me that I definitely want to teach.

However, if I can't pass my creative writing class with a more than satisfactory grade....

Wedding Date and Website

Well, we've set a date! Check out our website for all the details:)

It's still in the works, so it may take some tweaking here and there in the future:)

A Few Things

I'm sure that it's well known, but I am engaged now! Paul and I have been trying to figure out exactly when to set the date, but we're a little stuck. Because of school starting soon after Christmas, and certain family members that won't be in California at the time we want to get married, we are considering having our wedding and reception different weeks. The direction we are kind of heading for now is our wedding being December 6, having our honeymoon the next week, then moving everything up to our new home in Idaho and getting settled there, then coming home for Christmas with our families and having our reception sometime within that time frame. That will take the stress off of us as school starts because we will already be settled in our new life together:)

My second semester has started this week. So far, I have really been enjoying most of my classes. I have to be honest, however, that my geography class, though easy, shall be the bane of my existence. I have never been subjected to anything more boring. However, the teacher seems very lenient, and the course itself isn't that hard...just, as I said, ridiculously boring. However, I so far LOVE my Creative Writing class. The first day, we received a taste of what the semester will be like as we were all asked to take a scrap of paper and write one line of poetry on it. Our teacher collected our words and then copied them all onto the computer screen and asked us to rearrange the random lines into a coherent and interesting poem. It was a wonderful and exciting exercise that has made the class seem great already.

Unfortunately, though Monday and Tuesday were warm and beautiful, the green grass reflecting the soft sunlight, today proved cold and gray, and as I was dismissed from my Eternal Marriage Prep class, I walked outside to find that it was... SNOWING! Shall I ever be granted a reprieve? While the snow did come later, this seemed to be the cause for the depressed and annoyed mood I felt this morning. How interesting it is that my mood be so affected by the sun! I've asked Paul already if it is possible for us to live somewhere warmer when we get married. I don't care where, as long as the sun shines a majority of days.

At any rate, this is a small and rather poorly detailed update on my life as it is today:)

Sunshine

Music for you to enjoy while you read: (right click and open in a new tab or window)
Click here:)
Then click here:)

I am not sure when it happened, but I walked outside one day and realized the snow had melted a considerable amount. The sun is shining again, and the grass is beginning to turn from brown to green. Granted, it is still only thirty degrees right now, but the sunshine makes life feel more optimistic and hopeful.

As I have continued this past month through school, I began realizing how much I really do enjoy writing. There is comfort to me in the sound of my thoughts being expressed in the depression of the keys on my laptop. I have been thinking more and more about what direction I want to take in school, and though I definitely did not think I would be like everyone else in changing my major my first semester of college, I am considering becoming an English Education major after all. I have had six papers graded of the seven I've written so far, and five of them have come back with 100% written on the top, with a note saying, "I cannot find any weaknesses in you as a writer!" My 94% paper was written in the midst of my pneumonia, and never edited past its first draft. My friends shook their heads in disbelief and said they hardly do that well when they've spent weeks on their papers, and yet it's somehow so natural for me.

I know that you should not major in something and take a course just because you are good at it, but then again, if you have began to love what you are so innately good at, why should you not run in that direction? I do still love the idea of being a family/marriage counselor; however, I must admit that the schooling it will take to get there does not interest me. I have been thinking lately about how I would enjoy teaching English, encouraging young minds to love to read and write and take joy in their personal expression of emotion and thought. I also enjoy reading and editing my peers' papers, and giving them my input and thought.

One thing I know for sure, I am a people person. I enjoy being alone and writing down an account of my day's journeys, but I would never want to work alone. I would never want to be alone in the back room of a warehouse, sorting merchandise or pricing items. I have realized recently how much I really need people. I have realized how much I love talking to people, relating myself to them, and hearing their thoughts and stories. I think this is why I would still love being a counselor, and yet as I have listened to and watched the examples of my teachers more carefully, I have realized I do not want to sit and listen to the problems of society and individuals, but that I would rather shape and mold those who have not yet been ruined by the cold world outside.

Perhaps it sounds as if I have an unrealistic idea of the goodness of teenagers, and the morality and optimism of their minds toward learning. However, I certainly know that there are troublemakers and unwilling children in the hearts of any age of man. I suppose that my point is that I would rather deal with the occasional problem in a high school English class, rather than sign myself up for an overall group of unhappy, fighting couples and immature solutions to adult life.

On a slightly different note, I registered for my summer semester classes last week and may have overloaded myself. I suppose I feel like I will try out the classes the first week and go from there, because I am able to drop up to six credits and still be what is considered full-time at this school (which is fourteen credits). Yes, it is true; I am registered for twenty credits as of now. This next semester I have signed up for the required religion class (three credits), a "real world" math class (three credits, but which, thankfully, is the only math class required for an English major:)) an intro to geography (three credits) and its lab (one credit), an interpersonal communications class (three credits), a social problems (sociology) class (three credits), a visual arts lab (one credit, consisting of being present at various plays and concerts throughout the semester), and a creative writing class (three credits). I am especially excited about the creative writing class. I only today signed up for that class, the occasion being providential in that I signed up over a week past the last registration date (those of us with few credits are pushed to the end) and there was one opening left in a class that fit my already-full schedule.

I am also excited for the last day of school, because I am going home to California for a week during the break between semesters! I have plans already to visit the beach and go on picnics, and generally enjoy the sun. I think that I will die if it happens to be raining all that week that I am home enjoying the Golden State:)

Although I am sure I could continue writing for another hour or two, updating the world on my entire life, I will end here and attempt to finish some of my psychology homework:)



p.s. I think everyone who reads my blog reads my sister's blog and is updated by her emails as well, but this picture of Caleb is so cute that I have to post it!

I Miss California

I've posted this on my Facebook, but I thought I'd post it here again for those of you who aren't signed up for that site!

There are so many things I am starting to really miss about California. I never thought I'd miss my state, let alone my hometown, but I do. Every day as I'm walking through the snow, I ask myself, "Why would anyone want to live here?" Sure, it's not that bad but it's missing a lot...

*California has real produce! The apples are crunchy and juicy! The vegetables are fresh and from a nearby field, oftentimes. The strawberries are naturally red, and you can buy them at a roadside stand.

*Springtime in California! I miss it so much! I miss the smell in the air, the warmth in the air, and the general feeling I always get. I used to associate the sound of planes with sitting in the warm, spring sunshine, but this morning, I heard a plane and looked outside... to find that it had snowed.

*I miss the general acceptance of California; I miss people not staring just because you're wearing a style you like. Here in Idaho, it is generally acceptable to just stare at someone.

*Drivers are terrible here! Maybe not all of you, and that's not to say we're all amazing in California, but, generally speaking, people in Idaho not only drive really slow, but they don't know how to park. I miss the state of going at least 5-10 miles over the speed limit, and knowing how to park at the beach between two cars that are so close to each other that you have to crawl out of your own.

*Speaking of the beach, I miss knowing it's there! I can't just drive an hour to Santa Cruz to see the waves and sand. I'm landlocked... And also, California is amazing because you can go surfing in the morning, and snowboarding in the afternoon, in the same day if you wanted to.

*Snowboarding. I've heard the snow is great here in Idaho, and I complained often enough in California about the snow, but now... I'm cold so often that I don't even want to go snowboarding. I've been here nearly two months and I haven't even attempted to go; in California, I used to drive two hours to get somewhere to board at least three times a winter. Plus, you can go snowboarding in a thermal and a t-shirt in California... Here, I don't know how many layers I'd have to wear because I'm not sure if I'd get too hot, or if I'd be too cold...

*I miss the trees in my hometown! R* is sparse. The trees we do have aren't very pretty, and they're rare.

*I also miss the Mexican food! I work at a Mexican restaurant, but it's just not California-Mexican. For one thing, you don't go to a nice (non-fast food restaurant) in California and get ground beef on your taco or burrito. That's just... lame. And not Mexican. I've also had people ask me what a quesadilla is! I was hoping she was joking, but when she asked me again, and then another person asked me a few days later, I realized that people really are that uneducated.

*I miss real Californians. There are poser-Californians here, people that just want to be Californians. There are so many girls that talk about "Cali" and wear Hollister sweatshirts that say California on them.. and yet they've never even been to California, let alone lived there!

*It's also so isolated here in R* (we have a Walmart and a Taco Bell), and I don't think it gets much better anywhere in Idaho. Sure, Idaho Falls has a little mall, but it's not like even my hometown. When my computer broke, there was no Mac store for more than 250 miles (in Salt Lake City or Boise!)... and my phone is breaking, and there isn't a AT&T store, either.

*I miss being able to go to San Francisco, the real "city." I've heard people talk about "the city" being Idaho Falls, which is roughly the size of Turlock.

*I miss the chicness of California, also. People are just... more cool... somehow. This one is hard for me to describe because it's subjective, in a way, but when you see everyone around you pretending they're from California, you know you're from the cooler state.

*Last of all, I think I miss the economy of California. I make 3.75 an hour, and most people here are really cheap when they tip. 8-10% is not acceptable in California.


Idaho isn't all bad, of course; I've made a few friends and school is going really well. But I miss California so much more than I ever thought I would! I miss my family (well, some of them:)), and I miss my friends. I miss Paul, and I miss being able to hang out with everyone. (There's nothing really to do here besides build igloos.) I miss the things that I had available, even if I didn't use, in California.

Finally, this song from Sixpence None the Richer describes my life near perfectly right now.

"A Million Parachutes":

Like a million parachutes the snow’s coming down
I’ll lock up the front door and turn the lights down
In the glow of the street lights, i see them descend
Like a million parachutes, small men on a mission

I miss the warm, i miss the sun
I miss the ocean, i miss everyone
I miss the bridges that span across the bay
Tonight it seems like ages ago

Like a million parachutes the snow still falls
The dogs are asleep now, there’s no one to call
I’ll put on some records and wait for the light
All those million parachutes, now a blanket of white

I miss the warm, i miss the sun
I miss the ocean, i miss everyone
I miss the bridges that span across the bay
Tonight it seems like ages ago