I leave on Tuesday for Washington! I am super excited and so ready to not be in California-- the last vacation I took was in 2009, when I went to San Diego with some girlfriends. There was some last minute changes to my travel plans, though. Originally, I was supposed to leave tomorrow, since driving, I'd need to stop twice to sleep before arriving in Washington on the 9th, but at the last minute, my older brother and I decided he should fly in from Florida Tuesday morning, and that way we could drive straight to Washington, stopping to surprise our little brother in Santa Barbara. He saved money, and it's a winning situation for everyone involved.
Whenever I tell people it's been two years since I've seen my brother and sister, I get weird looks; I guess most people are used to living really close by to their siblings, but this is pretty normal to me at this point. They moved when I was three, and they visited twice a year, every year, until I was in junior high-- when they graduated high school, and it turned into once a year, to maybe not quite every year, and then visiting when people in the family passed away or we reached milestones. I do envy people who grew up with their siblings always on their backs, but even if had all grown up together, I think our relationships would be similar to how they are now. Being 12 and 11 years younger than your older siblings, respectively, offers interesting perspectives and relationships. I don't think I'd have it any other way, though.
My period did end up starting, which I'm thankful for-- I was worried it would start full force on my trip, or that I might have to visit the hospital before or after I got back. Only now, I'm either being afflicted by allergies (which is completely possible after spending the entire day in storage, with dust mites and general disgusting things) or I'm catching a cold. I'm hoping for the former... I'm now on Emergen-c, allergy meds, and cold medicine, just to be safe. My sister is apparently sick, which doesn't bode well for me once I get up there, since I catch colds like nobody's business.
I'm having a bit of a problems packing. All of my instincts say I should take everything I own with me, which is what I did the last time I packed and spent months living out of my suitcase... I know that there's nothing to worry about, that I have a home to come back to, but I'm panicking, no matter how irrational it might be. I'll probably end up taking more than I actually need, but on the way back from Washington, I'm spending a few days in San Francisco and will need the extra clothes. But yeah. Plus, the weather difference between California and Washington... here, I wear skirts at least three times a week and there, if I wear a skirt, I'll have to wear two pairs of tights and my heavy winter coat to deal.
But anyway.
A funny thing did happen the other day while I was at storage.
The car battery died and needed to be replaced that day, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to make it home (I was 45+ minutes away from I live now), and I had to stop at the nearest Wal-Mart. The mechanic was pretty smitten with me-- it was adorable. He was asking questions and our eyes met, and even though people were trying to get his attention, he couldn't stop staring and didn't hear anyone. Finally I looked down and he realized what was going on and tried to catch up to the conversations going on around him.
He was obviously interested, but when I came back to get the keys, I was pretty shy. I regret it now, but when it comes to men and dating and those sorts of things, I become this ridiculous withering flower. If I know a guy, I can be pretty aggressive, but if a stranger shows interest in me, I wait until they make a move. This works well at bars and at amusement parks, but apparently this guy needed a bit more from me... he was pretty cute and had a nice voice; aside from the fact that he's gainfully employed, that's all I know about him. He could be a complete creep, but I guess it doesn't much matter now, since I don't make it a habit to go into that city if I can help it.
Whenever I tell people it's been two years since I've seen my brother and sister, I get weird looks; I guess most people are used to living really close by to their siblings, but this is pretty normal to me at this point. They moved when I was three, and they visited twice a year, every year, until I was in junior high-- when they graduated high school, and it turned into once a year, to maybe not quite every year, and then visiting when people in the family passed away or we reached milestones. I do envy people who grew up with their siblings always on their backs, but even if had all grown up together, I think our relationships would be similar to how they are now. Being 12 and 11 years younger than your older siblings, respectively, offers interesting perspectives and relationships. I don't think I'd have it any other way, though.
My period did end up starting, which I'm thankful for-- I was worried it would start full force on my trip, or that I might have to visit the hospital before or after I got back. Only now, I'm either being afflicted by allergies (which is completely possible after spending the entire day in storage, with dust mites and general disgusting things) or I'm catching a cold. I'm hoping for the former... I'm now on Emergen-c, allergy meds, and cold medicine, just to be safe. My sister is apparently sick, which doesn't bode well for me once I get up there, since I catch colds like nobody's business.
I'm having a bit of a problems packing. All of my instincts say I should take everything I own with me, which is what I did the last time I packed and spent months living out of my suitcase... I know that there's nothing to worry about, that I have a home to come back to, but I'm panicking, no matter how irrational it might be. I'll probably end up taking more than I actually need, but on the way back from Washington, I'm spending a few days in San Francisco and will need the extra clothes. But yeah. Plus, the weather difference between California and Washington... here, I wear skirts at least three times a week and there, if I wear a skirt, I'll have to wear two pairs of tights and my heavy winter coat to deal.
But anyway.
A funny thing did happen the other day while I was at storage.
The car battery died and needed to be replaced that day, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to make it home (I was 45+ minutes away from I live now), and I had to stop at the nearest Wal-Mart. The mechanic was pretty smitten with me-- it was adorable. He was asking questions and our eyes met, and even though people were trying to get his attention, he couldn't stop staring and didn't hear anyone. Finally I looked down and he realized what was going on and tried to catch up to the conversations going on around him.
He was obviously interested, but when I came back to get the keys, I was pretty shy. I regret it now, but when it comes to men and dating and those sorts of things, I become this ridiculous withering flower. If I know a guy, I can be pretty aggressive, but if a stranger shows interest in me, I wait until they make a move. This works well at bars and at amusement parks, but apparently this guy needed a bit more from me... he was pretty cute and had a nice voice; aside from the fact that he's gainfully employed, that's all I know about him. He could be a complete creep, but I guess it doesn't much matter now, since I don't make it a habit to go into that city if I can help it.
But that was a particular bright spot in my week. I was beyond flattered.
Something similar happened when I was walking to my apartment last night, but it was more threatening than inspiring, considering the fact it was almost 3am.
Something similar happened when I was walking to my apartment last night, but it was more threatening than inspiring, considering the fact it was almost 3am.
This is what I looked like last night. Dark lips (courtesy of MAC's Diva) and my natural hair. Aside from lips, mascara, and a touch of eyeliner, I'm not wearing much of anything on my face. I also can't get over my hair... I can't believe I hated it growing up; it's wonderful.
<3
