California Girl

This afternoon, while half-watching a show on MSNBC about people who steal bodies for cash (Body Snatchers of New York, for those of you with DVRs), my mind started musing about all the ways that life is different now that I am a "California girl." We've been living in this eternally sunny state for about four months now, but it seems like a lot longer than that. I can barely remember you, silly Dayton, Ohio, with your frequent precipitation and high concentration of obnoxious Ohio State Buckeye fans. Life has a way of changing quickly and drastically, before you even realize it's happening.

So here's the list:

1) I am no longer an albino, and my hair touches my shoulders.
Growing up on the tundras of Minnesota, I long ago came to terms with my pale porcelain complexion. I've always found tanning a little shallow (and unhealthy), and since moving to a place where the UV levels are off the charts, I'm an avid sunscreen wearer. Even so, I looked in the mirror the other day and discovered I'm brown! I'm fairly certain even basement hermits get a tan here. Hopefully my tan is the charming "I'm sporty and outdoorsy" kind, instead of the citrusy "channeling Matthew McConaughey" kind. Also, I have always always always had really short hair. I can't remember the last time I could get it up in a ponytail. Mostly I'm lazy, and like to just wake up in the morning and go. Usually I don't even bother to blow dry. Now I'm letting it grow, but for basically the same reason - I'm lazy. The only hair salon within 20 miles is a Super Cuts, and it's too much work to have to plan a drive into town, and find someone I can trust not to butcher it. So, long hair here I come! Hopefully I'll be able to braid it and use it to climb hills and rappel out of castles (there are so many around here, you know) like Rapunzel.

2) I eat lettuce?!
I've always looked down on people who order salads in restaurants, let's be real about it. You're basically ordering grass, and paying ridiculously inflated amounts of money for it. Get serious, and order yourself some chicken tenders. As you may have guessed, I have never been a fan of the leafy and green. Enter our local CSA program, where we get weekly boxes of local produce from organic farms. Every Saturday I get a new head of beautiful purple and green lettuce, fresh and crisp, and I find myself surprisingly smitten. I can't begin to explain it - but it tastes better than any lettuce I've ever had. The flavor is just amazing! I eat salads almost daily now for lunch. One week when I didn't get a box due to a vacation trip, I got some pre-bagged lettuce from the store to get me through the week. I fixed myself a portion for lunch, and promptly wanted to throw it all up. The grocery store stuff tasted like plastic. Leafy plastic. I don't know what I will do when we move away from here, but it is likely that lettuce and I will become foes once more.

3) I'm embracing my inner "officer's wife"
This is our first assignment where my husband has not been attending school. Now that he's working and is a part of a specific unit, there are built-in social organizations for the womenfolk. I was lucky enough to befriend some great ladies early on, and was encouraged to join the Officer Spouses Club on base. At first I was a little concerned that I was rushing a sorority or becoming a debutante or something, but thankfully there are no "coming out" balls, Greek letters, or hazing involved. They do a lot of good work for the base community, but also just have a good time. I'm serving as a welfare treasurer this year on their board. I'm not really entirely sure what this means yet, except that I am likely going to have to brush up on my Accounting 101 skills. I'm excited because it is going to be a fun opportunity to learn more about the Air Force, and meet new people.

4) I want to be a nurse.
I haven't worked in a few years. I dealt with some health issues, and moved cross-country twice in a short time span. Now I'm actually in a place where I'd enjoy working at least part-time, but the Antelope Valley is not exactly a source of economic prosperity. My undergrad business degree doesn't really get me far in a place with only retail sales opportunities. I've been thinking about going back to school for a while, and have always had a slightly morbid obsession with everything medical (I am a huge fan of such fine television programming as "Dr. G - Medical Examiner"). Also, it seems that nursing is a fairly portable and lucrative career path. Thankfully, California makes public education very accessible and affordable, so I am taking full advantage of it and heading back to the classroom. I'm going to be working on the science prerequisites I need in order to apply to a nursing program. I'm taking biology and chemistry this semester. God help me.

5) I am blessed.
Moving to the high desert has forced us to adapt to a slower paced lifestyle. We go out to eat less, shop less, and spend most of our nights and weekends at home. As a "domestic goddess," I have had to find new and inventive ways to fill my days. It was an adjustment, but also a gift. I am so lucky that I get to spend so much quality time with my husband. We have a beautiful home with a large yard for our energetic puppies to zoom around, and endless desert trails right outside our door to explore. I have had the time to improve my culinary skills, and have discovered I love to cook and bake. When we got married, I didn't even know how to use a can opener. Seriously. We have great friends, and there always seems to be some fun social gathering coming up. Today I'm enjoying a low-key Sunday close to home. We took the dogs for a walk up in the hills this morning. When we reached high ground we paused to enjoy the view of the Antelope Valley down below us. It looked almost picturesque from all the way up there :).The weather was perfect, not too hot yet with a pleasant breeze. It was one of those moments when everything seemed right with the world. Contentment swept over me. Today is a good day. Wishing you and yours that same feeling wherever today finds you.