[New] Home.

I am no longer a California resident.  Alan and I have been here for...a week and a half now.  The trip up was uneventful [besides a little "can't back up with the trailer" incident in an In N' Out parking lot...yes, we were still in California].  Thus far we have been applying for jobs, spending time with family and most of all, exploring.  While this city is so different from what I have grown up in and around, I am really enjoying the beauty of it all.  It has started to really set in that this is not just an extended trip, but a real life change.  Wow, I am a Washingtonian...a Washingtanger...a Washingtan? I live in Washington and, this will surprise you, I love it.

Perhaps my favorite part of this entire experience has been being able to spend time with my family. I have never lived near any extended family, so being able to just stop by for a visit on my way home each day has been incredible.  I absolutely love having them so close, and cannot wait for big family holidays, birthdays, etc.

Speaking of birthdays, Alan turned 23 on Saturday.  My grandparents decided that, rather than give him a "thing," they would give him a memory.  So, on Monday, Granny drove Alan and I to Montana [which is only a two and a half, three hour trip], rented us bikes and waited while we biked The Hiawatha Trail.  This 15 mile ride starts in Montana and continues through the Bitterroot Mountains into Idaho along the route of the Milwaukee Railroad.  Dude, it was incredible.  We got to ride across trestles and through pitch black tunnels using only a little light on the handlebars [the longest was 1.7 miles]. Seriously, if you ever get the chance - do this!  The ride was not difficult, the scenery was breathtaking and the memory is priceless.  Come visit and we'll do it together.

Today Keenan, Alan and I went to Pig Out in the Park, one of Spokane's festival type things.  Although it was overcast, we got to eat some yummy food [I had a chicken artichoke crepe] and enjoy Riverside Park [I chased some geese].  

Overall, we like it here and have been really enjoying our "time off." Oh hey, if you need more incentive to come visit, this area is home to the infamous lingerie espresso bars.  Seriously. They even have drive-thrus.  And here I thought I was moving to a more conservative part of the country...