i went coastal.

i'm here! i finally arrived in california 2 days ago after a week long drive across the country. i am going to write all about my trip here soon, but figured i should at least update the blog to say that i'm here.

i have gotten so out of the habit with blogging lately, and since this is sure to be such a wild time in california, i really want to get back into it. so i'm making myself blog even though it really bothers me to not write about things sequentially. someone give me a medal for using the word sequentially. is sequentially even a word. now i am unsure.

moving on.

i have been to california to visit my mom's family a bunch of times, but this is obviously the first time i will have lived in california. which means it is also the first time i have driven in california and done normal things like go to the grocery store. despite only being here for a few days, i feel like i'm already noticing things that are different from kansas or the midwest in general. i'm sure this list is only going to get longer (i'm literally keeping a list on my phone), but i thought i'd post some now.

DRIVING.
y'all. the speed limit in california is merely a suggestion. i am sure of it. this was also true of arizona. i used to be a speeder, but then i got pulled over on the way to school one year for going 10 over (oh hey mom, never told you about that...) and changed my ways. i didn't even get a ticket, just a verbal warning, but i decided that it wasn't really worth it and you don't even get there that much faster unless you're really hauling. but here, that is not an option. going 10 over is barely keeping up with the flow of traffic. everyone is angry at you. people do not let you over. people laugh at you when you are about to ram into a median because they will not let you over. everyone is a hurry to get somewhere. and you have to take the freeway everywhere. BUT NO ONE USES CRUISE CONTROL. this may be the end of me. i use cruise control in the city sometimes. because hello, why should i have to be in charge of remembering not to speed. and you can't talk on your phone here. what do you want from me california. why are you doing this to me.

GOING OUT.
you're probably thinking, wow, she's been in california for 2 days and she is already going out? oh no, do not be confused. i am not going out to parties or fancy dinners. no, i am just going to the grocery store and to target and ikea. did you know that in california you may as well call a trip to the grocery store "going out" because you must in fact dress up as if you were "going out." i've gone to stores on 2 different days and both times i just felt so out of place. i felt like everyone was staring at me. this was unusual because i so do not care what strangers think. but suddenly on the second day, it finally occurred to me: no one else is wearing nike shorts, a baggy tshirt and chacos. everyone has nice clothes on. even the children. leaving your house is an occasion to put real clothes on for. waking up, in fact, might be a occasion to put real clothes on for. who knew!

GO GREEN.
the recycling bins that everyone puts at the end of their driveway is twice as big as the trash can. there are no stores that will give you plastic bags. everyone brings their own bags unless you want to pay 10 cents for every paper bag you use. i kind of like this because sometimes i'm sad about how mean we are to the earth, but also who in the world can remember to take reusable bags to target?? i don't even have any reusable bags.

BLUETOOTH.
so many people here talk to themselves. at least it looks that way until you realize they are actually just having loud conversations in the aisles of safeway with their bluetooth. because you have to be handsfree with your devices while driving, i guess most people here are just used to talking on a bluetooth, so they just take them into the grocery store. i hate talking on headsets, but you know, when in rome.... on second thought, think of how easy it would be to shop with two hands!

thats all i've noticed so far. there will be more i'm sure. i can't wait to tell you all about the house we're staying in and how close the beach is and how many amazing stores there are everywhere. and of course about my trip here. it was a good one.

until then.
ko.