"Home"

I haven't been home in over 6mo... I'm not dying of homesickness. I just miss it. The longest I'd ever gone before I got married and moved my life 2,300+mi away was 3.5mo. It's just weird to think about...

I miss...

• My family - yeah, they are a phone call away, but it's not the same.
  
• My best friend & XA friends - I feel as if they truly cared about me and were my friends because of who I am, not because of who I am married too. (no offense to the ladies here...)
• My dogs- we have our sweet guinea piggies, but someday we both want Labrador Retrievers again (I've had yellow & black, he's had chocolate).
• My church- the one we go to here is great, scripture based sermons, contemporary worship, etc. But it isn't my church family. People smile and greet me, but they don't know my name.
• My parent's house- Its open layout, tiled floors, the giant 8-person dinner table (even though we only had 4 people in the family), nice covered patio, jacuzzi, large open backyard... ahhh.
• The scenery- anyone who thinks Arizona is just a whole bunch of desert sand. You are wrong. Completely. I miss the sunsets that look as if they were just painted, the beautiful red rocks in the mountains, the blooming wildflowers in spring, the endless hiking trails, the lizards & hummingbirds, rock climbing/bouldering, the lakes, trips down the river, playing in the snow up north, canyoneering, and backpacking the Grand Canyon.
• Dry Heat- what the crap is this humidity thing we've got going on? How do you people live with it?
• Yogurt-land- If you don't know what this is, it is safe to say you are missing out.
• Serrano's- or any authentic Mexican food for that matter, the stuff they try to pass off as "authentic" here makes me cringe.
• Directions- knowing where everything is. I've been here for a little over 6mo (obviously) and I'm getting pretty good with the freeways/highways, but what on earth is with giving a street a name & a # and changing that 3 times within a 5mi span? All of the roads seem to run whichever way they like, I come from normal-land... roads run E-W and N-S... none of this crazy curvy shenanigans, haha.

But for now, Maryland is my "home." However, I lay no claim to it other than this is where the military sent us. It has provided great opportunities for travel and I am grateful for that. I am still hoping to squeeze in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. We've got approx. 15mo left here (give or take a few) and then who knows where in the world we'll be headed!

PS: Come visit while we're conveniently located near so many cool places =) We've got an extra room... well, you'll have to share with the piggies, but I'm sure they won't mind!

In other AZ news... last night was a sad time to be a Zonie....

Oh my boys, did you forget how to skate. How to shoot. How to score. How to play the game you get paid for every day of your life? Where was the team that played their hearts out on Sunday? I know Doaner is hurt and not on the ice, but still, I wanted to cry... 6 to 1? It was game seven, did you just crack under the pressure? (insert memories from the Cardinals losing the Superbowl...) The price I pay being a loyal sports fan to my home state...

This man deserves an award though. He was the ONLY one who came out to play. Facing 50+ shots!Thank you Bryzgalov.

Normally you root for the team that beat you... proving they deserved to win the entire playoffs. However, rooting for the Red Wings. NEVER GONNA HAPPEN! That's like a mortal sin for a true Yotes Fan. I guess I will go back to my Cali days (pre-hockey in AZ), lets go SHARKS!