California

I had an epiphany today.  We were on our way to Costco and the "rattlesnake park," and realized that for better or worse, this is home.  That's an important thing for me, who is often one to live in the past or future.  Contentment and peace are not my things.  But by grace, I'm getting there.

So then I had another epiphany in Costco (it was a very enlightening day for me). The reason California has rubbed me funny is because of it's drastic take on, well, everything.  It's extremely crowded. Extremely pretty (Mountains! Beach! Citrus Groves!) and extremely dirty (smog + dessert dust).  Extremely expensive (houses cost double to 2.5x what they do in Ames). With a lot of extremely poor (can't go anywhere without seeing beggars, homeless and more). Extremely crass (the guy with small kids wearing a shirt that says "Parental Advisory: I say f#** a lot").  Extremely showy.  Be it good or bad, it's plastered across people clothes and cars- their very expensive cars.

And extreme birthday parties.  I kid you not.  You should see parks on a Sunday.  Droves of people with catering, decor, djs and bouncy houses for a toddlers birthday.

Maybe the extremes are because there's no winter here.  Nothing to slow people down.  Maybe because there are so many people, businesses and schools competing against each other.  Maybe it's because of the mix of like 500 different cultures.

Don't get me wrong, we moved here because of some of those extremes.  The extreme amount of warmth, the extreme amount local good track meets, and our extremely wonderful church. I just get overwhelmed with the others some time.

But that's ok.  Because for now, it's home.  If you're every struggling with the mundane, come see us.  We'll show you around.