Home Again, Home Again

Well, it seems we survived the drive home. I wasn't really sure, but now I am. Fairly sure, anyway. I have weird bits of soreness from being in the car for so long, and the skin on my right hip is a bit raw from the seat belt. 15 hours is a long time to be in a car, my friends.

We left the grandfolks at 4 am, partly because we couldn't sleep and partly because we just wanted to get home. Mom was supposed to drive in the morning so I could sleep, but alas, that did not happen. She has had a severe back and headache since last week and simply couldn't do it. Oh, well.

The Small One did remarkably well on the drive home. It was hard on her, poor little fidget. She is an active little baby and being strapped into a seat for that long was difficult, to say the least. Part of the reason it took so long to get home is because we stopped a lot to let her out. She kept telling me she wanted to get out and play on the grass, even when there was no grass!

I knew going into it that the worst part of the trip would be from Winnemucca to the border, and boy, was I right. Not only had we been on the road for soooooo long, but that part of the drive is so boring. There is nothing to see. However, crossing into Utah was like magic. I felt so much better, not too tired anymore, just anxious to get home. I love coming home.

Having been on the Central Coast for the week, I can tell you, I do not want to live there. It makes me uncomfortable for a number of reasons.

The sun rarely shines. Cloudy, cloudy, cloudy. I require sunshine.
It is HUMID. Oh, my gosh. I cannot bear humidity. Truth be told, I am a desert rat. I likes my dry air.
There are too many trees. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but the area in which my grandparents live is full of trees. You cannot see where you are going until you are right on top of it, and I find that annoying. Plus, the trees are weird and unfamiliar. ;) When we drove into Auburn on the way home, I breathed a sigh of relief. It is up in the mountains, so much more familiar territory. Normal trees and sunshine. Very pretty, too.

My mom loves the ocean, and my grandparents are very near. I like the ocean. I think it is pretty. But I will take my mountains ANY DAY! I love it here. I have lived a bunch of different places, but this is the place to be. One of my old roommates told me she though Utah was rather ugly because it is so bare. She is from a much more lush environment. I like it bare. It feels open and free and breathable. I love looking at the mountain outside my window and seeing the craggy, majestic rocks. And, did I mention the sunshine?

PS-Update on most recent bride. She had gone out of town suddenly and came home to a deluge of emails from me wondering what had become of her. She paid IMMEDIATELY (paypal) before she even emailed me. Then emailed, loved the dress. Whew.