Living away from Michigan

Many people may wonder: "What is it like to live hours and hours away from best friends, family and everything that I know!" WELL, let me give you the experience I have had in just three weeks.

From being a resident assistant I know that there is about a month or so "honeymoon" period when you move in somewhere. This is a time when everything seems fabulous, wonderful, new, fun, and definitely the opposite of scary. Everything is exciting and because it is new it is always a new adventure...including driving to the grocery store. This is what I experienced when I came here every other weekend for the past 9 months...and still a little bit now..but way less than two weeks ago.

Everything is still new but it is less sparkly, if you will. I still only know how to get to about five different places and those include, Walmart, tanning, Schnuck's (grocery store), Lowe's, and the Dollar Tree. I am capable of going other places, but only with the assistance of Garmina (my GPS). The good thing is, is that these are all essential places to go to in my life! AND if I really wanted to go anywhere else, as I said, I would be completely capable of it!

NOW, knowing how to get to the essentials (like tanning, groceries..etc) is the most important thing and after the excitement and sparkly effect of living in a new place wears off, you definitely begin to think about everything you left behind. Today was my really first day of REAL realization. Although I have had a few internal breakdowns or "oh mans I want to go skiing" or "WHERE IS THIS PLACE...AHHHHH" today was the day that I really just wanted to go to the mitten. My best friend had surgery to remove her thyroid and lymph-nodes and other tumors...all which are cancerous. This is the one time I should have been there, sitting with everyone waiting for the surgery to be over and to be in the recovery room hanging out. Obviously it is very difficult to travel 800 miles at the drop of a hat, and my only

I love where we live, I love our home and I love being where Bryan is...but sometimes I really miss real snow and skiing and people who can drive in inclement weather.