Southern California wants to be western New York

Before I left Provo I got my first pedicure. Enjoyable. I wish I could get them regularly.

Michelle and I performed a small miracle getting all of my stuff to fit in my Subaru with room for her suitcases. I had to sacrifice my favorite poster I've ever made (I took a picture of it that I will post later), and my metal trashcan that I've had since freshman year. I was very fond of it. The drive was good. I thought it might be awful, but it was really interesting to see the different states. Wyoming-- ugly. Every other state, beautiful, especially Iowa. Good time of year for driving across the country. Visiting Debra and her incredibly adorable baby was great. Seeing Breanne at Winter Quarters was great, and a bonding time for Michelle and me. How awkward. There was a point when they told us to sit in this room as long as we wanted, and Michelle and I, separately, were just thinking "How long do I have to sit here before it's acceptable for me to leave?!" And the sisters were bearing their testimonies every other sentence. And they made the four of us tour members sing Come Come Ye Saints. But the visitors center was very interesting. My favorite part was this little Midwife's guide, it was Awesome. Check it out when you go, it's in the display in front of the oxen (which are real by the way. Their names are Star and Bright.) I also really liked the cemetery. The country really was just beautiful. I didn't enjoy driving once it was nightime where all I could see was flood lights and neon signs with gaps of black in between. But the sunsets were golden. And our hotel right on the shores of the Mississippi was pretty awesome. Michelle and I really wished we'd had time to head down to Nauvoo, but she had a wedding to get to. It would have been gorgeous. In fact, I really wish I had some more time to drive around the East right now, because, I can't say it enough, it is BEAUTIFUL here.

Road trip music of choice: musicals. Especially Big River, that is a road trip staple.

We also listened to The Nanny Diaries. I could have done way better than that woman reading it. She drove me crazy.

Being back in the East is interesting. After spending years in the desert, except for a couple of weeks in December, you forget how Many trees there are here. It was kind of overwhelming.

I'm still not used to being here, but it is gorgeous.

Before we got home, Michelle and I went to the airport for her to rent a car, where my two worlds collided. Michelle (BYU) was in the airport with me (home). It was weird. We've never been home, and friends, together. So for each other, we're BYU people, not NY people.

What have I done since I've been home? Helped my mom with incredibly detailed Primary preparations. Visited two gyms and lied that I was still a college student. Drove around with the windows down to smell that autumn/tree/nature smell. Got sucked into the mall where there is now a Sephora! I forgot how awesome a mall Eastview is. Laid in the grass-- on the lawn, because we have a lawn! I was pretty excited to realize that I can go outside and lay in the grass of our huge lawn whenever I want. Unpacked the car. Watched some TV with mom and Meg. Played Zelda.

Tomorrow: go to the singles branch here. I hope I'll like it, I'm not holding my breath though. Take a walk through the woods. Tackle the family picture collection. Probably play more Zelda-- what?

I wish I had a picture for every thought in this post.