One of those weeks

I've been having one of those weeks. One of those weeks when life just seems to suck. A lot. I hate weeks like this week. But I suppose if you didn't have weeks like this week has been for me, you wouldn't appreciate all the good weeks or the awesome weeks or even just the weeks that passed thankfully fast and uneventful. I'd love one of those weeks right now.

My grandpa's funeral was today. I didn't get to attend, which was okay, but not because I didn't want to try. Other things got in the way. My mom said it was a good funeral and it was a rare chance for her to be with her family since they don't often get together. I have mixed feelings about funerals in general--not that I've attended a great many--but I do tend to cry a lot, even I didn't know the person that well. Sometimes it seems so weird to memorialize a person after they've died and it seems like a weird ritual, but I understand that oftentimes a funeral is more beneficial for the people left behind to deal with their grief and sadness than to honor the person who has passed away. Even though I do think they hear what's being said about them. I hope I have a good funeral. I hope they sing I Know That My Redeemer Lives. It's my favorite hymn. And even though it's a bit trite, I hope they sing Nearer My God to Thee. Now I'm getting morbid--which I didn't intend--so let's just move along.

I got an infection earlier this week and have therefore been in a lot of pain. A lot. To the point where I've decided that I no longer want to birth a child because I hear that's a painful thing and I'd like to eradicate any potential pain I might possibly experience in the future. The problem with pain is that you forget the intensity of the pain once it's passed. I remember it hurting when I broke my wrist, I remember thinking getting my wisdom teeth pulled was pretty dang awful, but even though I remember "pain," I can't recall how much it actually hurt. So the pain fades. But right now, in the midst of a lot of pain, I can say that labor is out of the question for at least the next three months until I've forgotten about the pain I'm currently experiencing. Good thing it takes nine months to grow a baby. (I'm not having a baby. Just thought I should clarify.)

In any case, I've been unsuccessfully dealing with pain but David has been very nice to me and very understanding. So that's something. I hope by next week, the pain will be gone. Or, at the very least, subsided.

I went to a training meeting for my part-time job yesterday. It wasn't so bad but I've been waiting nearly a month to actually get started at this job so it's been a little discouraging. I'll just leave it at that because I really don't want to get into it.

But since I can't end a whole post on a really sad, painful, or sour note, I have to post these photographs of my niece and nephew in their Halloween costumes. Because I'm obsessed with them and their sheer cuteness.

Still doesn't make me want to give birth though.

And I Told You To Be Fine

I was all set to post about seeing Les Miserables last night and how, even though it was a community theater production, it was still amazingly awesome and I how much I loved it and how I might have even cried a few times, but then I got a call from my mom this morning so I guess the Les Mis post can wait. My grandfather (Mom's dad) passed away last night. Normally, I would be quite upset about the passing of a grandparent. It is, after all, the first grandparent I've lost. Here I am, 25, and I've had two sets of intact grandparents, both married for well over sixty years, around for my entire life. I've been very lucky that way. I wasn't particularly close to my mother's parents because they lived in a tiny little town in the eastern part of Utah and we saw them maybe once a year growing up. Even when I lived in Utah, I hardly ever saw them, though they were only a two hour drive away. (Yes, I feel guilty about that.) My grandparents were such stubborn old people, I'd thought they'd be alive forever. The number of illness, falls, spills, and hospitalizations amongst the two of them, I was pretty sure they were never going to die. I don't mean that to sound cavalier or flippant but seriously, if you'd battled leukemia, breast cancer, two broken hips and no longer had a functioning jaw, wouldn't you be about ready to call it quits? And that's just my grandmother we're talking about.

My sister Bobbi, the aforementioned grandmother, me, and my sister Cassy, last March.

My grandfather had been deteriorating the last few years so the news of his passing isn't unexpected. I find that it's actually a welcome relief. He'd starting experiencing dementia a little while ago and it became rather difficult for my 80+ year old grandmother to take care of him on her own so my family made the hard decision to put him in a assisted living facility. The last time I saw my grandpa was this past March, and he barely recognized who any of us were and you could tell he was just miserable. He didn't want to eat. He didn't want to lie in bed. He just wanted to go home. I can't say I blame him.

My grandfather was born into a large Polish Catholic family (100% Polish) and grew up in Gary, Indiana (I dare you to not think of the song from the Music Man) before he wandered into Utah during the latter half of the Great Depression. He met my grandmother, a young Mormon girl of 17, married her, settled in Eastern Utah, and became a coal miner. (He wanted to join the military during World War II but a medical condition and the need for coal kept him where he was.) They've lived in the same tiny little home in the same tiny little mining town for 60 years. My grandfather joined the church about 18 years ago (I was probably 7 or 8 at the time) and my grandparents were later sealed in the temple.

My grandfather was a rather large and imposing man, with the most massive hands I think I've ever seen. His life was not easy, but he worked hard and I've always been proud of the fact that he was a coal miner. But most of all, without him, I wouldn't have my mother, the oftentime kooky lady that she is, but she's my mother and she's the smartest woman I know and the first person in her entire family to earn a college degree and do something with her life, like giving birth to me. (My mom rocks, y'all and not just because she gave birth to me.) And for that very reason alone, I love my grandfather. The hardest part of losing him is not the grief I personally feel but the pain and concern I feel for my mother, who just lost a parent. Sure, my mom and her dad had a rocky relationship, but he was still her father and I have a pretty good idea of how much that must suck. Even if you are nearly 60 years old, and your father lived a good long life, and it was his time to go. It still has to hurt.

Mom, Cassy, James, Grandpa, me, Bobbi, Jeremy, March 2008

I don't know if I'll be able to make it out to Utah to attend the funeral because airfare is not cheap, especially to and from Hawaii, but I hope that something will work out. But before you start feeling all sad for me or start missing your family members, it's time to point out that even though I've lost one grandparent, I've still got these people:

And they are my three remaining grandparents (at my wedding reception in June) and I expect them to live a long time still. Especially because if either of my dad's parents pass away, I'll be a blubbery mess because I am VERY close with them. How cute is my grandpa in his bow tie?!? And my other grandma is pretty much the coolest grandma ever. No joke.

But if that's not enough to convince you that there's hope in this world, then you have to remember that this little girl just came into our lives (and okay, maybe she belongs to my sister but I think she might share her) and she's tiny and perfect...

...and that her older brother might just be the cutest kid ever. See? Look at him wear his daddy's combat boots!!!

And if that's still not enough to convince you, then I'll just mention that there will be another baby in May because my other sister just announced that she's pregnant with her first and you can be sure that that baby will be just as special. And you can also be sure that my husband will come home from a long day at work and give me a big hug and not even care that I didn't clean the house (which is a mess) or make the bed or fold the laundry (which has been in its basket for nearly three weeks) and that I'm currently wearing a blanket like a dress. And until he comes home, I'll go eat some chocolate and listen to good music (the title of this post comes from my new favorite song, "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver) and I'll remember that life goes on and life is good. Especially when there's chocolate. And babies and husbands. But mostly because there's chocolate.

Superhero Fun

David and I went to a two year old's Superhero birthday party on Saturday. There were several children there. But really, it was far more of a party for the adults. And I'm okay with that. Especially since none of the kids were mine.

David went as Clark Kent. He didn't have a lot of time to put together a costume so this is what we came up with.

I was Catwoman. I spent a week putting together my costume. The little kids kept calling me a kitty. There was an obstacle course and a tug of war for the kids. The parents played Hot Hands to determine who had the fastest superhuman reflexes (wouldn't you know it, but Clark Kent won!) and we also played charades. Which was a lot more fun than I expected.

Aren't we a cute couple? Unfortunately, Lex Luthor was also there and he kept taunting my husband with his jar of kypronite. But my favorite Superhero present that day was Johnny Appleseed....that's right. He's an American Hero. He also had a knacksap full of apples, apple juice, and applesauce. But as with any good birthday party, there were many presents to be had for the birthday boy (who was dresses as Spiderman). He likes swords and weapons of any sort.

And this is what happens when you take your husband to a two year old's birthday party. Eventually it was him against six kids.

Better him than me. Children are exhausting. But birthday parties are still fun. And I forgot how much fun it is to dress up. Now we just need to figure out what we're going to dress up as for Halloween. We want to go as a couple and we need to be dead. (It's a Dead Man's Party.) Any suggestions?

The School of Rock

It was our senior year of high school--right around the time that the Beatles' collection of number one hits, 1, was released--and my best friend Kara and I were sitting in her beloved Camry named Bob in the senior's parking lot. She turned to me and said, "I think I love the Beatles." (Something to that affect. It's been eight years now and my memory isn't worth beans. Let's just play along. Is that cool Kara?) Anyway, so there we were, sitting in Bob before another rousing day of classes began when Kara announced her newfound love for the Beatles. Sure, I knew who the Beatles were, I'd heard their music, but I don't think I could have named any song titles or have recognized any songs written after 1965. I knew my mom even owned some of their albums on record. (I should see if she still has those and steal them from her. Not that I have a record player but it'd be cool to have them nonetheless.) But to put it bluntly, I only knew the Beatles upbeat "I wanna hold your hand" type tunes from their Ed Sullivan days. And then Kara played my "Eleanor Rigby."

And thus began the days when Kara schooled me in all things Beatles.

The rest of our senior year was spent tracking down every single studio album the Beatles ever produced which Kara dutifully bought. I purchased several myself but never had the balls to buy The White Album or Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Call me a pansy, it's okay. I can take it. Kara burned me CDs of all the good songs I didn't have anyway. We spent hours riding around in Bob, listening to Revolver and Rubber Soul or watching Help! in Kara's room. And if you've never seen this delightfully absurd film, you don't know what you're missing. It's, in a word, awesome. Kara would play new finds for me in her car and tell me Beatles history and about the lives of the four members of the band. If Kara had done nothing else in our 16+ years of friendship (and she's done lots) than to school me in all things Beatles related, she would have left a pretty good legacy. I can't look at a Beatles photograph or hear the name John Lennon or Paul McCartney without thinking about Kara and how she helped me love the Beatles and ultimately made me an all-around better person.

So, when David and I were in a store the other day and "Norwegian Wood" (one of my favorite Beatles songs) came on over the store's radio and David admitted to not knowing that it was sung by the Beatles , I was appalled. How could I tell my best friend and die-hard Beatles fan that the husband of her best friend didn't even know who sung "Norwegian Wood"? It was downright shameful. He at least knew the song but he didn't know it was the Beatles. Then, later that night, David randomly started whistling "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da" and I turned to him and said, very pointedly, "You do know who wrote that song, right? Right?" And he just grinned sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. After informing him that it was also by the Beatles, I decided that it was time that I school my husband in all things Beatles.

That night, I played him song after song: "You've Got to Give Your Love Away" (still one of my favorite Beatles songs to this day) and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Come Together" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "When I'm 64." He knew quite a few, but didn't recognize quite a number. I gave him my copy of 1 and told him to listen to it in his car. Today, as we were driving around, David and I sang along to Beatles songs and I had never been prouder. Next, I think I'll give him Rubber Soul and maybe I'll track down a copy of Help! I won't rest until he's been properly educated.

It's all about helping my husband grow as a person, folks. I'm just that kind of a wife.

Tag Stealing

I got these two tags from my friend Christa's blog and since I wasn't sure if she tagged me or a different Liz and since I'm a notorious tag stealer, I'm doing it anyway. Because I can.

The Eights

8 Favorite TV shows (I have a bad, bad television addiction....I'm only listing my favorite shows that are currently on TV. I'd have a much bigger list if I included those that have been cancelled.) In no particular order....

1. How I Met Your Mother (The funniest half hour sitcom since Friends. Seriously.)
2. Heroes
3. Project Runway/Top Chef (I couldn't pick! It's basically the same show but one has fashion and the other has food.)
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. Pushing Daises
6. Ugly Betty
7. Chuck
8. Eli Stone

8 Favorite Restaurants... (I'm not going with fast food type establishments....)
1. Mimi's Cafe
2. Cheesecake Factory
3. Fidel's (Mexican restaurant in Solana Beach, CA)
4. Olive Garden
5. Roy's
6. pretty much any Thai restaurant that makes good pad thai
7. California Pizza Kitchen
8. P.F. Changs

8 things that happened yesterday...
1. I slept in late (as usual), had very strange and vivid dreams (which has been happening to me A LOT lately), and got my requisite nine hours of sleep. Yes, sometimes it's nice to be unemployed.
2. I made my almost daily trek to Wal-Mart to purchase a few items including more chapstick and a first aid kit for our emergency preparedness bucket. Every Sunday, a sister in my Relief Society gets up to talk about emergency preparedness, food storage, 72 hour kits and natural disasters and the like and I've suddenly found myself on a huge emergency planning kick. The other day I bought powdered milk. For some reason, it felt really urgent that I have instant milk on hand. That and 5 boxes of Cinnamon Life cereal.
3. I made (from scratch) pizza dough and garlic tomato sauce to create a delicious homemade pizza with pepperoni and fresh pineapple (David and my preferred version of Hawaiian pizza). I love my pizza stone. We eat pizza almost once a week because pizza dough is so quick and easy to make (minus the hour it needs to rise) and you can pile anything and everything on top of it. Pizza is seriously the most awesome food ever.
4. I tried on my new Halloween costume. David approved.
5. I went to the Post Office to FINALLY mail a cute little onesie with pumpkins on it that I bought almost two months ago for my new niece. I hope she can get some use out of it before pumpkin wearing season is over or she gets too big. (Knowing my sister's children, her month old is probably already in 6 month clothing.)
6. Only four months after my wedding, I finally stamped and addressed about half of the billion thank you cards I need to send. These cards have been haunting me for months now and I've been slowly writing them at a pace of about one a week. I really want to be the type of person who writes nice thank you cards and expresses her sincere gratitude, but I've found the task to be very difficult. Normally, I would do things like this when bored in class or riding the bus home, but since I have all the time in the world and absolutely nothing to do but sit on my butt, I've found that I simply don't have the time to be bored enough to actually write my thank yous. But I'm very proud that at least some people will be getting them. Four months later. I hope they still remember me.
7. I played Super Mario Brothers 3. The only video game system we ever had as a child was the first version of Nintendo and Super Mario 3 was my absolute favorite game. You can download classic Nintendo games to your Wii console and ever since buying Super Mario 3, I've been on a quest to beat the game, which I never achieved as a child. The best part about having this game on the Wii is that you can save the game to return to it later (which wasn't an option with the old Nintendo system) and I've been playing this game for almost a month now. I'm one fortress away from the castle in World 7 (there are only 8 worlds) and it's killing me! I've lost about 20 lives just trying to beat the dang fortress but soon I will prevail!
8. I washed dishes. Both yesterday's dinner dishes and the dishes from the night before. Normally, I ignore the dishes after dinner and wash them in the morning but last night I was uncharacteristically productive and did them already. I wonder what I'll do with all my extra time today. Maybe I'll actually fold the laundry.

8 things to look forward to..
1. Moving to Korea with David. Though we don't have our official orders yet, we've been "selected" for a spot in Korea so barring any unforeseen complications, we'll be living in Korea in about ten months time. I really looking forward to exploring all of Asia. Good things David speaks Korean and Chinese...
2. Meeting my new niece in person. David is hoping to attend language training in Ogden, Utah next year (around March/April and Conference weekend) and I'm hoping that I can spend a few days in Utah with him, hit a few temples (David's only experience with Utah was at the MTC) and visit my sister in Provo. I'd really love to go back to the Salt Lake temple. It's absolutely breathtaking inside.
3. Having my parents come visit us in Hawaii. They're still looking for a good time to come but I'd love to have some visitors! And we'll possibly go to Maui for a few days which should be fun.
4. Attending a two year old's Superhero themed birthday party on Saturday. David and I have approximately two couple friends, both of whom have two children apiece. We've been invited to the birthday party of one of the kids (their daughter had a Peter Pan themed birthday party two weeks ago) and because David and I were losers and didn't dress up for that one, I've spent a lot of time putting together my costume. I haven't dressed up for a party and/or Halloween in probably 5-6 years and I'm actually REALLY excited about getting all gussied up. I'm going as Catwoman. It seemed appropriate. David is still undecided.
5. Finally starting my new job and earning some money. My bank account has been dry for quite some time now. I don't like it.
6. Buying a FoodSaver. This might relate back to that whole food storage kick I've been on recently, but for the last few months, I have been positively lusting after a FoodSaver. And in this month's book of coupons, Costco had a $35 off coupon for the aforementioned FoodSaver. I can't wait for it to be mine! That, and the blender/food processor I've been eyeing as well.
7. Les Miserables. A local theater in Honolulu is currently putting on a production of Les Miserables this month and I convinced David that we need to go. Les Mis is my favorite musical, which I've loved ever since my parents took my whole family to see it in Los Angeles when I was eight. I've also saw it in London on my post high school graduation trip. Even though this isn't a big Broadway production, I'm still so excited to go. We got a pair of good seats and David has never been to a live play, musical, and/or opera in his life. I hope he loves it as much as I do because I love the theater. Plus, it'll be my first opportunity to wear my new black dress from Banana Republic.
8. Having babies. No, I'm not announcing anything and no, I don't want babies RIGHT now. I'd still like to get used to this whole married thing first and wait at least another year. But, for the first time since reaching puberty, I'm truly getting excited about the prospect of starting a family. Just don't tell my parents. They're grandbaby hungry.

8 things I love about Fall.. (Disclaimer: Fall does not exist in Hawaii. Neither does winter, spring, or summer. They only have one season and it's called hot and sunny. Sometimes its hot, humid and rainy. But it's generally always hot. This list is what I love about fall and what I am missing tremendously right now....with a few exceptions.)
1. The changing colors of the leaves. I never fully appreciated the fall transformation until I moved to Virginia and experienced my first fall explosion. The colors were just so breathtaking, the leaves so vivid, and the foliage so dense that it was almost a sensory overload. I hope to experience another East Coast fall again soon.
2. Halloween candy. Aside from Easter (and Mini Cadbury Eggs), Halloween has my favorite holiday specific candy in the form of candy corn pumpkins. I love those little corn syrup balls of goodness. In the shape of a pumpkin! What's not to love!?!?!
3. Cooler weather. Again, this doesn't apply to Hawaii, but I love the subtle shift from summer to fall and especially the day when you realize that summer and fall are no longer flirting with each other and it's finally fall's time to shine. And then it's just cold enough to require a sweater, but not so frigid to mandate a heavy coat. Sure, it only stays that way for about two weeks but for those two weeks, it's pure bliss.
4. Fall clothing. I love sweaters and scarves and boots and cute little hats. I love wearing layers.
5. Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving meal represents the pinnacle of comfort food in my mind. There is nothing better than a big hunk of turkey, smothered in gravy and mashed potatoes, stuffing and apple pie. This Thanksgiving will mark the fourth one that I have been unable to be with family. But it is David and my first Thanksgiving together. It's seems a little pointless to cook a whole turkey for David and I. But then again, I do love leftovers....
6. The beginning. For some reason, fall has always felt like the beginning of the new year. Perhaps it's because for the last 20 years of my life, I've lived on an academic schedule that marks September as the beginning or because it's the start of a new television season (and I love my television, see above) but fall just feels like the right time to begin life again after the lazy, hazy days of summer.
7. A return to the earth. I know fall is generally harvest time but having neither lived on a farm or having actually grown anything worth harvesting, I have no true concept of the harvest bounty. But everytime I see pumpkins, Indian corn, and odd-shaped gourds in the grocery store, I feel like I'm being transported back to an earlier time when the majority of people still tilled the earth and had a deeper connection to their land. I gain a sense of what it must be like to live a life scheduled not by schools, entertainment, and a calendar, but by the land and the moon and stars. Fall just feels like the most natural season of them all. And having lived in or near large cities my whole life, I love that fall brings me a little bit closer to the country.
8. Fall foods. While Thanksgiving highlights most of them, I love the various foods that come of season during falls. I love pumpkin spiced treats like cookies and cake, apples and apple pies and grapes.

8 things on my wishlist... (Please pay attention David....I know you read this blog)
1. FoodSaver
2. blender/food processor
3. sewing machine
4. cake decorating kit/kitchen appliances and gadgets
5. every Disney/Pixar movie we don't already currently own
6. A romantic night out with my wonderful husband.
7. Pretty pretty purses and shoes.
8. A trip home to see my family.

Six Quirks

1. I hardly ever drink a tall glass of milk on its own. I can only drink plain milk with breakfast food and/or desserts. That's the only time milk seems like an appropriate drink. I love chocolate milk and would drink that all day long.
2. I cannot eat eggs of any variety unless I have some sort of bread to eat them with. I finally figured out that while I love a good omelet or scrambled eggs, the texture of eggs slightly bothers me and toast, bagels, English muffins, etc. mitigates the texture.
3. I don't know when or why I started this, but I always shave my right leg first. I can never start with the left leg. It feels wrong somehow.
4. David has this quirk where he'll only use a black pen. If he's handed a blue pen to sign a receipt with or something at a store, he'll pull his black pen out of his pocket to sign with that instead. I love pens--black ink preferably too--but what I can't stand are pencils. The only time I use pencils is when I'm doing math....which could explain my aversion to them. I really hate math. David, on the other hand, loooves math.
5. I'm a gum-aholic. I love to chew gum....any kind of gum. For some reason, I've been really enjoying Juicy Fruit and Orbit's raspberry mint and bubblemint flavors. But I'm a chain chewer. And I can never just chew one piece of gum at a time. I'll put in one piece but it never feels like a big enough wad to really enjoy, so I'll stick another piece in. And then I'll only chew it for about 5 minutes before I spit it out and put in another two pieces. I often go through a pack of gum per day. I just finished my last pack. I think I need to pick up some more.
6. I worked at the Gap for two years and I still feel the need to fold my clothing the way I was taught there. My shirts all get board folded (when I'm not being terribly lazy) and I fold and stack my pants just like the denim wall at the Gap. I'm suddenly feeling the need to re-fold my very disorganized drawer of shirts.

Since I stole these tags, I don't know if I'm obligated to pass it on to others, but interested people, please feel free to steal from me too. I love reading other people's responses. Thanks for reading!

Oh the places you'll go!

While running bunches of errands last Friday and sitting in Honolulu traffic, I got to thinking about all the places where I've lived in the course of my life. I always wanted to travel and experience lots of different places and I've had the good luck to also have lived in a variety of different cities and parts of the country. Looking back on these various places, I've tended to romanticize all the things I loved about them and to forget all the negative aspects. But since I spent way too much time in my car, I started to list all the pros and cons of each place and to rank them from least favorite to favorite. The ranking is a little arbitary, and depending on my mood, might change but for now, these are my rankings:

5. Mililani, Oahu, Hawai'i
Seems kind of sad to lump my current home in this category--especially since I've only lived here for 4 months--but life in Hawaii is not an idyllic perennial vacation filled with tropical beaches, pineapple treats, and calm, peaceful living. This might be more feasible on the other islands (smaller populations, no highways, etc.) but it's virtually nonexistent on Oahu. Is it all a myth? Certainly not...there are plenty of beautiful beaches, lots of good snorkeling, whale watching and scuba diving, hundreds of gorgeous hikes and outdoor adventures, and a small but respectable cultural center in the form of Honolulu. Sounds great, doesn't it? I thought so too. And it is great....for a week or so, while on vacation. But the reality of living in Hawaii is much different than the Hawaii most tourists see and understand.

First you have the fact that Hawaii's weak economy is built upon two industries: the military and tourism. Given the state of the economy worldwide, tourism has taken a severe nosedive and an already difficult job market has grown exponentially smaller and more and more places have begun to lay off people. Second, you have poor infrastructure. This is problematic in many places but perhaps because Oahu is small, contained island, I feel it more acutely. The streets are often bumpy and poorly laid out, traffic is always terrible. (Don't get me started on why most Hawaiians feel the need to go AT LEAST ten miles below the speed limit. We could be here all night.) Given the premium on land, houses, neighborhoods and shopping areas are rather compacted, leading to a variety of inconveniences. Third, native Hawaiians can be a relatively insular people. I'm all for embracing and recognizing one's very distinct and colorful cultural history, but I was saddened to learn that the public school curriculum focuses mostly on the history of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands and barely touches on American or world history. (Of course, this bothers me mostly because I want to teach American history.) Not to mention that aside from probably only NYC, Hawaii has the highest cost of living, rent, home prices, food prices, gas, etc. It's pretty dang ridiculous. I don't know how we'd survive without access to the commissary and a Costco membership.

But the thing I personally find so difficult about living in Hawaii is that, at the end of the day, I'm on an island. For some, island life is wonderful, but I am having a harder time than I expected adjusting to that reality. I'd really love to take a weekend roadtrip, but on an island, you only end up going in circles. Like I said, it's rather sad that Hawaii falls so low on my list but that is in part because I've only lived here 4 months and I'm still living here. I'm still dealing with the realities of island living and haven't had a chance to grow nostalgic and wistful for those few things that Hawaii has that no other place has. I'm 99% sure that once we move to Korea, I'll be dreaming of Hawaii.

4. Provo, Utah
Aside from my hometown of Poway, Provo has the distinction of being the place I lived the longest: 4 whole years. Granted, I lived in approximately 37 different apartments/condos/dorm rooms within Provo during that time so I was constantly changing my surroundings and friends. Utah sometimes get a bad rap from non-Utah Mormons because it too can be a very insular community, ridden with hypocrisy and a sense of social conformity. I certainly chafed against the predominant Mormon culture at times and was sooooo ready to graduate from BYU and hightail it out of there. But strangely enough, there are many things I've come to miss about my days in Utah including the comfort and security of a large Mormon population.

Like most multi-generation Mormons, I have a lot of family in Utah and I enjoyed the chances I had to interact with aunts, uncles, cousins, and their expanding families for Sunday dinners, holidays, and get-togethers. I miss chocolate covered cinnamon bears (a popular candy there that seems to only exist within a 40 mile radius of Salt Lake City), the BYU library, Provo's electic architectural styles, BYU Creamery chocolate milk, the BYU bookstore, being close to 25 temples and church-related materials, and the bountiful dining options. (Kneaders, J-Dawgs, Los Hermanos, Bombay House, Cafe Rio, Mimi's Cafe.....need I go on? There's no place I miss more for the food than Provo, interestingly enough.) I loved the mountains and the many outdoor options (spelunking, hiking, rock climbing, skiing, etc) and the many places close-by to visit (Park City, Salt Lake City, Zion's National Park, Moab, etc). And Provo was close enough to Salt Lake that we could go there for a night out, to a concert or club, or simply to enjoy a change of scenery. Provo was a great place to live as an undergrad, but despite all the things I miss about it, I would not want to move back there for only one reason: it's a college town swarming with a decidedly young population. I loved it when I was in that demographic, but I think now, I'd have a hard time with 30,000 18-25 year olds running about the whole place. Salt Lake City wouldn't be terrible but for me, there's just no going back to Provo (unless David wants to go BYU for law/business school there, which he tells me he doesn't).

3. San Diego, California (tie)
I grew up in Poway, a suburb of San Diego, and there was, in my humble opinion, no better place to grow up in all the world. I have fond memories of my childhood and teenage years, in large part to a group of wonderful friends. Poway was far enough away from the city to feel open and small townish but close enough to all the wonders of San Diego to never grow boring. What's not to love about stretches of sandy beaches (Hawaii beaches are very rocky although the water is admittedly much nicer), the San Diego Zoo/Wild Animal Park, Balboa Park, Petco Park (home of the Padres), Mission Bay, Sea World, the Gaslamp District, downtown, good shopping, relatively good traffic flow, Old Town, and the San Diego temple. Plus, you're close enough to Los Angeles and Orange County to enjoy their perks (Disneyland, museums, concerts, etc) without having to brave the smog-ridden traffic jam that is the greater L.A. area all the time. Sure, San Diego still has an exorbitant cost of living and tends to catch on fire every other year but if you can afford it, it's one of the best places on earth. Plus, it truly does have some of the best weather in the world....a temperate climate that has mild, but discernible seasons and never gets too cold.

So why isn't San Diego higher? That's a good question. I love San Diego but there are other places which edge it out....just barely because they offer something I love which San Diego doesn't. Plus, I don't really think I'll ever end up living in San Diego as an adult with my own family. I never want my parents to leave (and believe me, they've threatened a few times) so I can come home for visits, but I've made peace with the fact that San Diego will probably never be my home again. But no matter where I might be living at the time, I always feel like I'm finally coming home everytime my plane lands at Lindbergh Field and I see San Diego Harbor. I will always be a true Californian (born and bred) and my heart will always want to return there.

3. Washington, D.C. (tie)
D.C. just barely beats out San Diego but only because I'm a history nerd and D.C. has a much (MUCH) bigger selection of historic houses, museums, agencies, and archives where an American historian like myself can never grow bored. Seriously....I was never bored a single day I lived in D.C. (okay, Alexandria, Virginia to be more exact). There's always something to see and do, tons of great weekend trips to take (one of the perks of living on the East Coast....everything is far more packed together), and lots of great sites, restaurants, concerts, plays, operas, ballets, political stuff, and lots, lots more. It really has an amazing amount to offer. Plus, D.C. itself is a very walkable town. It's a city, but not too big city....just the way I like my cities.

So yes, D.C. has a lot going for it but it also has insane traffic, convoluted roads, a cramped population and a high cost of living (but what place besides doesn't these days?.....except Utah). I certainly got tired of the long commute in and out of the city each day, the crowded streets, stores, and metro, and the way people only lived to work. Maybe it's just because traffic is so bad in and out of D.C. everyday, but it felt like everyone worked much longer hours. I always felt like I was rushing everywhere....running to catch my train, running to work, chasing after buses, trying to beat everyone else to the store. It was rather tiring at times, but now, living in such a relaxed and easy-going place like Hawaii, I've come to miss the fast-paced energy of D.C. The only downside (and there are many others I'm not mentioning) is that to live in D.C. you actually have to pay attention to what's happening in the world because people there....they know. In fact, they are probably the people who are doing something about it. It's only a little intimidating.

2. Monterey, California
Oh Monterey. When I first moved there, I was bored. There never seemed to be anything to do, the ward was tiny, and it is not--by any stretch of the imagination--a place for young, city-loving singles. But oh, how I came to adore Monterey's quiet peace, the lovely bay only two blocks from my apartment, the salty, breezy fresh air, the layers of fog each morning, the sound of the sea lions barking from their rocks, walking to the Farmer's Market every Tuesday for fresh produce and good food, volunteering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, visiting the touristy spots like Alvarado Street, Carmel, Pacific Grove and Cannery Row, and the literary works of John Steinbeck (most of his novels are set in Salinas/Monterey). Though I remember the times I did not love Monterey as I do now, Monterey now holds only the best of memories for me. But you always remember the place where you met your husband and fell in love for the first time.

There is no place I have previously lived that I want to return to (to live) as much as Monterey...and someday, when David and I are extraordinarily rich, we'll move back there. Like all places worth living, the cost of living and housing market is high. David likes to remind me the other negative aspects of Monterey: far away from any major cities, limited access roads in and out of the bay area, and it's small size. But I like to counter with the fact that Salinas (the next closest city of any real size) is not too far of a drive and has plenty of amenities. For bigger needs, Gilroy (garlic capital of the world) is about 30-45 minutes away (and full of great outlets), San Jose is an hour away and San Francisco/Oakland (and the temple) are two hours away. Plus, Big Sur (which is absolutely gorgeous!) is 30 minutes to the south. Sure, I wish these locations were a bit closer, but when you can have the beauty and peace and tranquility that Monterey can offer, wouldn't you be willing to give up a few of those conveniences? Someday I'll live there again. I will.

1. Rome, Italy
Rome may not count in this list of places I've lived even though it tops the list. I only lived in Rome for only 4 months on a study abroad with a group from BYU and therefore was not beset with the realities of everyday life. I did not have to worry about finding a job in a crazy job market, I did not have to fret about making ends meet or coughing up an exorbitant rent, I did not have serious church, social, or even educational obligations to contend with. Quite simply, Rome was a joyous, glorious, and ultimately relaxing four month vacation with a side helping of art history and Italian classes. I'm sure, had I lived there for longer, or had to actually work, I'd be singing a different tune, but my four months in Rome was magical and I'd gladly hand over my first born to be able to go there again. (Okay, maybe not a first born, but I will not rest until I've had a chance to take David to Italy.)

I don't think I need to extol Rome's great assets to anyone but if mounds of delectable gelato in all flavors, delicate and superbly cooked food, thin-crusted pizza oozing with fresh mozzarella, ancient ruins, medieval churches, history, cobblestones, and fashion/shoes is not your thing, then I'm not quite sure why we are even friends. Some of the best memories of my life were made in Rome and not a day went by when I did not appreciate my time there. Perhaps that is the reason Rome is still ranked so high on my list....I have not always appreciated the places I have lived until it was too late. I think it's time I start looking at only the positive of Hawaii and start prepping myself for two years in Korea. What an adventure that will be....

So, for those who made it to the end of this ridiculously long post, what is your favorite place you have ever lived, where would you never want to move back to, and where do you dream of living and raising a family?

For me, I'd love to go back to Monterey, but I honestly have no idea where in the world we may end up. And that, of course, is what makes life all the more exciting.

Breaking News Updates

I have another post in the works (I have a short attention span these days so I often take a looong time to write my more lengthy entries) but I had to stop and quickly mention three things unrelated to each other and the other, longer post:

1) My darling husband is very darling and sweet. On Thursday, the 2nd, I woke up to find that David had written me a very sweet note and left it for me on the bathroom mirror. And then, later that evening, I returned from my substitute teaching course to discover an empty home. David arrived shortly after with a dozen beautiful orange/peach roses and two bottles of Martinelli's and said "Happy four months!!!" And because the gesture was so sweet and the sentiment so adorable, I almost didn't have the heart to tell him that our four month anniversary is actually on Monday, the 6th. He mixed up our wedding date (June 6th) with the anniversary of our first date (May 2nd). Still, how sweet is a man who brings you flowers for putting up with you for 4 months? I say he's a keeper.

2) I got a job. Sort of. No, it's a job, but it's a part-time job. I'll be working for the Hawaii Department of Education with a new volunteers and partners program they've been piloting. I'll split my time between three schools (two elementary, one middle school) helping them keep track of their volunteers and posting volunteer opportunities through the DOE's website. It sounds like a pretty easy-going job with a set amount of hours each week (17) and it will allow me to still sub once or twice a week as well. Plus, it pays pretty well. At least, more than I've ever been paid for a job so that just working part-time, I'll be making almost as much as I made at some of my previous full-time jobs. So all in all, I think it'll be a good fit for me and I'm excited to be working with the public schools and getting more experience in an educational setting.

3) During the morning session of Conference today, President Monson announced that the Church is building a temple in Rome, Italy. Those of you who know me know that I spent a semester studying abroad in Rome four years ago and that I'm minorly obsessed with Italy. I attended a small branch on the outskirts of Rome during my months there and knew the people to be a very faithful bunch but who, like a lot of European wards/branches, needed a stronger anchor and connection to the church because their membership was so sparse. The closest temple is in Switzerland and not many members had many opportunities to attend. I hoped that someday Rome (or anywhere in Italy) would get a temple and I can't tell you how surprised and elated and grateful I am that the church will finally be building a temple there. I literally cheered out loud, screaming "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" and "Take that, Vatican!" when I heard the news. I know it'll be a few years before it's actually completed and that, more than likely, the temple will be located in the outskirts of the city, but I hope that someday I'll finally get to made a return trip to my beloved Italy and go to the Rome temple. I've been lucky to have lived close to many temples (well, at least for the next few months....the Laie temple is closing for major renovations after Christmas....it needs them too since it's the oldest temple outside of Utah but I'm sad to go so long without an operating temple close by though there is a temple on the Big Island) and I can't imagine how a temple in Italy might help the work in that area.

So lots of good news all around. Just had to share.