Duarte, California, Duarte, California, not Louisiana, Paris, France, New York, or Rooome...

There are times, after I move, that I long for something familiar. Even when I'm only ten minutes away in the ghettos of Azusa, there are moments of doubt, of wishing for something or someone from good ole Duarte to remind me where I came from, and where my heart will always call home. The past few days have been terribly hard. I'm starting to crave the comforts of home. I'd like to sleep in my old room, hear the fervent gnawing of my rat, laugh with Chelsea over something one of her co-workers did, or just hang out in my living room watching whatever happens to be on TV at the time. Sure, I have my old bed, but it's still not the same one. I have Sawyer, but he hardly wants anything to do with me, I have Crysta, who's basically saving my life without knowing it (til now, I suppose), I have a living room. I have a TV that doesn't really get channels. I have the internet, I have Facebook, but none of it can exactly replace what I left behind 2,000 miles ago.

I know that soon school will start, and my volunteer work, and then hopefully a job... and I'll make new friends (God willing), and have people to hang out with, and start wishing for more alone time that I get too much of now. That still doesn't change my evenings of staring at photos with tears in my eyes, or watching TV shows that make me cry because that character is so much like Miles, or Jess, or anyone else. I miss my dad, my brother, my nephew... and no one here is going to fill those positions. Yes, I have Mom and both sides of Crysta's family, but I want my own, too.

I apologize if this sounds like whining, but it kind of is. I plan on sharing all my experiences in Michigan on this blog, not just what I did today, but also how I feel about it. And right now I feel lonely. I'm nearly overwhelmed with things to do here, but I'm lonely for home.

I -really- want my dog. A lot.

Other than that, things have been kind of boring. My school adventures yielded me two classes and a lab- English, a writing course; and Psych 101 plus its lab. It's a shortened semester, kind of like taking summer classes, so 6 units is about all anyone does, and I've got 7. Whee, lookit me, over-achieving like that. :/ But I go to school Tuesdays and Thursdays, the weirdest schedule I've ever had, but it leaves me with a LOT of time to work.

Although no one is hiring me. But I have faith in God that he'll provide.

I will also be attending my new church tomorrow for the first time. It's not a moment too soon. I really need some Christian friends. Which is not meant to offend my non-Christian roommate and friends, of course. I love them dearly, but I need people who share my faith, too. I'm not a very strong Christian when made to stand by myself. I like having the backup and talking to people who share my faith and worldview. Everyone needs people like that. I hope I can find some at the Ann Arbor Vineyard. I'm really excited to go. I've missed Worshiping more than I can express. I have a feeling my loneliness will wane once I have something to look forward to every Sunday morning.

Ugh, I'm gonna go watch Scrubs and knit my troubles away.

In which there weren't actually any dinosaurs...

I have never had such a busy Easter! That was more family seen in one day in Michigan than I see in a week in California. Crysta and I went to Kzoo Saturday night after she got off of work. It would've been horrific to wake up early to make it to church and breakfast on Sunday morning. The night was uneventful, and I was really just happy to see dogs again. It really sucks finding out how much of a dog person I am now that I have two cats. I have a feeling I'll be at mom's house a lot to get my puppy fix. Labs are so much fun!

Anyhoo, the next morning mom, Crys and I were up suuuper early to get to church. That we couldn't find. Apparently Portage/Kalamazoo like sunrise services and late morning services, but 8 am? Nothin'. We and mom's friend Sandy drove all around looking for a church service. I've never gone church-hunting before. It was... strange. I realised how similar Christianity is between the denominations. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I guess I take for granted not only knowing the different traditions, but being part of a specific denomination. Things like Easter are easy- service is a 9:30. Dress a tad nicer than normal. We'll take communion and it'll be great. Driving around made me a little homesick. I really miss my church.

It was my first time at a Methodist church, however, and even though the service was traditional, it was great! I will never be able to think of Jesus again without the theme from 2001 playing in my head. The pastor was a great and really funny guy. I'm sad we had to leave early, but breakfast called! That was pretty fantastic as well. I got to see a lot of Crysta's family that I hadn't seen since October. Thankfully this meeting was on a happier note than the last. It was relatively short, but very nice to be out with family.

After a bit of rest, Crysta, Jay and I ran off to see their cousin and her kids and a lot of other peoples' kids hunt for eggs at a really pretty park. Those kids hit those eggs like wildfire. I blinked and they were done! But they were all so adorable doing it. <3

What came next..? Oh! Dinner! That was awkward. For reasons I can't give out here it was awkward. And hilarious. And everything I'd never had in a family dinner before. I love open people. And I love snarky uncles.

I also got to be Ran last night, a good friend of Crysta's. He's a super fun guy. All that's left is to meet Derek and I think I've got my bingo card filled.

Phew! That was a long Easter, not including the drive home. And this is a long blog, so I think I'll save the Detroit Zoo for tomorrow. What I can tell you, however, is that I GOT CLASSES. I'll be taking a psych class and an English class this quarter. There are only 7.5 weeks to it, so they don't recommend taking more than 6 credits. Not a problem for me since I'm still trying to find a job. But I've got my ID, my classes and parking pass. School starts May 3rd, and I cannot WAIT!

Now, to figure out where my classes are...

Goths just wanna have fu-un...

I'll talk about Easter tomorrow, for now this is still fresh and I want to make sure I get it down.

I love Midwestern Goths. Especially when they only have one club to go to within thirty miles. Tonight, Crysta, her boyfriend and I went to Factory at Necto, a little club in downtown Ann Arbor. It's a little hole in the wall (well, by my standards as an LA Goth) with an average-sized dance floor, and a bar upstairs. There's a smoke machine and a little stage with two poles for the braver patrons. It was not the layout that caught my attention, however.

I've been to LA Goth clubs, and it's all about how you look. Making a good impression is key, although I'm not sure why because they're all going to be snooty and pretentious anyway. If you look off, people notice. If you dance differently, people notice. If you try to be nice to them, or say "excuse me," or give them any kind of smile, they notice and they don't like it. Going to Goth clubs in LA isn't actually a lot of fun for me. I'm not skinny, I don't dress like a slut.. and in LA, those are problems.

Tonight, however, I was definitely not the biggest girl there. Nor was I the most conservative. Nor was I even the most under-dressed. When all you've got in a big city is one Goth club, you get all kinds. There were ravers, industrial kids, zombies, regular ole goths like me, lolitas... name it and it was there. And it was great! We all danced on the same floor, to music that cycled through to fulfill everyone's dancing needs.. and my drink was $2. You heard me right. Two #*^% dollars. For a vodka cranberry. I am blown away! I know where I'm drinking for the rest of the year. And it was goooood.

I promise, I only had one. Everything in moderation, yes?

I'm so excited about that place. I finally danced how I wanted to without having to worry about what I looked like. I even accidentally bumped into a girl, and she was totally cool about it! No dirty looks, no nothing! She smiled, even! Until now, I thought the only smiling Goths lived in the South.

And I looked GOOD tonight, let me tell you.

I make a good housewife

I have been in Michigan a week and a half, and it feels more like a lifetime. I have adjusted very well. Michigan, though I have only been here twice before, has always felt like a home. There is only one other place in the world (so far) that has felt like this- New Orleans. This is a very good sign. When a place feels like a home I can focus on more important things... like school and finding a job. I don't have to worry about making friends, or making sure I get out of the apartment enough. This might change once I actually start school, but that's a whole different can of worms.

So far I've just been cleaning, organizing and taking care of the cats. I am an excellent housewife. If only I could just keep doing this and go to school instead of getting a real job. That would be lovely.

School starts in a little over a week, and I am admittedly nervous. I still need to turn in paperwork and meet with my advisor. The paperwork would have been in already had I working printer. Her printer doesn't sync with my laptop, and my printer is completely out of ink and paper. Lovely. Financial Aid does have that paperwork in the office, however, so I'll fill it out there.

I don't get to meet with my advisor until April 28th. School starts May 2nd. This is a problem. I have a feeling my class schedule will be pretty terrible this Quarter. I don't expect any good classes, or even any classes that I actually need. I wish schools would let students plan out their own academic careers and classes. Advisors don't know much of anything about planning classes (they are just teachers themselves, not actual advisors), or take the time to learn students' individuals goals. I would much rather just plan it all myself.

I keep applying to jobs, but no prospects yet. Pray for me, people. I need one fast. I did, however, turn in my application to the volunteer writing center. I'm pretty excited to start doing that. At least I will get out of the apartment more.

Also, I adore Meijer. It is literally the BEST store I have ever been to in my life. I'm also craving DiBella's again. I could it their sandwiches until I die.

...Which they would probably be the reason for.

Long distance relationships are hard.

Hey. Hey you.

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This is April, right?

Yesterday morning I woke up to snow. I was amazed! Snow in April? Apparently Michigan hasn't gotten the memo saying it's Spring yet. I didn't mind at all, of course, but all I heard from the good people of Michigan was how terrible this was. It melted very, very quickly, so I don't see what they're complaining about. I see it as my little "welcome home!" from Michigan herself.

Sunday night was game night at Josh and Katie's house just outside Detroit. They're two of Crysta's BF's many friends who are just amazing people. Everyone is hilarious, and it was extremely comforting to get to meet soooo many good-natured geeks. The arrival was awkward, as it always is, especially because it seems I had been talked about quite a bit. I have been known for a while as the "once and future roommate," dubbed so by Crysta's boyfriend. What I did not know was that everyone else knew me by that name, too. So, the meet and greet was nerve wracking. It always is when they know all about you, and you know nothing about them. The good thing, however, is that geeks always have something to talk about. We bond incredibly quickly over our various fandoms and obsessions, and it never takes long for a group of newly introduced geeks to start up chatty, even boisterous conversations.

In a few weeks we will be starting a new game of Vampire: The Masquerade. If you've been around me long enough, you know that I used to Live Action Role Play, or LARP, Vamp: The Masq many moons ago. This time we'll be doing it table top style (ala Dungeons and Dragons), and I'm actually pretty nervous. It seems incredibly different from what I'm used to. I have a fear of making a fool of myself, and something tells me it's going to get played a LOT. On the plus side, I'm an official nerd because I have my own set of shiny new dice and some extra d10's. All I need is a pocket protector and I really can be Queen of the Nerds.

Today I turned in my application to 826michigan, a volunteer writing center and workshop in downtown A2. It's where the Robot Supply and Repair shop is. I really, really hope they accept me as a tutor. Volunteering there will help me meet a lot of new people (the guy I met at the counter is a huge Doctor Who fan, so I have a feeling I'll fit in), and if I can't find a real tutoring job, at least I have an outlet for my weird desire to teach. I'm excited to volunteer there, even if it is only a few hours a week.

Speaking of... the job hunt is slow, but sure. I've applied to several, and made my face known at a few places downtown. I'd love to work in one of the coffee shops or the comic store. Again, I'd meet new people and have a totally awesome job in a gorgeous city.

Other than that, not much has gone on. Sawyer still doesn't like Memphis very much, and Memphis still loves his new playmate more than anything. Crysta goes off to work and I play housewife, something, it turns out, I am very good at. In the next few days I hope to find a job, get fish in that fish tank and have this apartment completely clean and sparkling.

Oh, PS- UGH. The only problem I had with Eastern was getting an appointment with an adviser to get classes for this semester. My appt. is April 28th. Classes start May 2nd. This could be a problem.