Home and Back Home

I first off want to apologize for my blogging... or lack therof I guess. But I did warn beforehand that with school starting up again this semester that the continual blogging would diminish. That being said, I would have to admit I have really missed blogging and reading everyone else's blogs.

I went home this past weekend to smalltown, Iowa. I was supposed to leave Thursday afternoon since I don't have classes on Fridays, but the huge snowstorm kept me inside. It snowed a lot in Iowa, but the storm must have shifted, because we pretty much just got lots of rain. (I'm not a snow person, so I am not complaining.) So I made the usually-5-hour-drive on Friday instead, and finally understood this "cold" the Iowans were complaining about. It was so bitter cold. When I called Josiah from Iowa and told him it was -7 degrees that evening, he told me that Chicago was still pretty nice, in the 20s/30s still.

Of all the things I planned to do while at home, I accomplished relatively little.

Original plan:
shoot 4-5 rolls of film, including 2 rolls of portraits; get my federal and state taxes done and my FAFSA started; spend the night with Haleigh Saturday and go to church with her Sunday; have a relaxing weekend at home; get my sketchbook assignment done for drawing class. Ambitious huh?

Here's what actually happened:

Babysat Bill & Nat's kids and failed to use that opportunity to take pictures. And to do my sketches. I had hours. But I just chilled while the kids slept. At least I got to see the kids and Bill and Nat and my good friend Megs. I did relax though, overnight got to use the marvelous sleep number bed. My sleep number is 25. Or was for that night, anyway.

Shopped at Goodwill with Mom. I don't think she fully understood that I take hours to shop there because I try a million things on out of hope for a steal. She had wanted to go so that she could look at all the house stuff like cups/dishes/etc. I bought 7 awesome skirts and two short dresses to wear over jeans. I was pleased. But we were there for probably 2-1/2 hours at least.

Went to dinner with the fam, got to ride in the new family vehicle. Wow, we have never owned something so nice. Good job, Dad. I'm impressed. Leather interior and everything. We ate at Pizza Hut, which was fun, I still get my employee discount because I'm technically still on the payroll. (I never officially quit, I may work there some in the summer.)

Tried to do taxes, but Dad had chores after dinner and I was so tired, I gave up before he could really help me. I went to bed, my federal taxes are maybe half done. Haven't even touched Iowa taxes, and I may have to file in Illinois also, I haven't figured it out for sure yet. And FAFSA? Ugh. Not now. Maybe next weekend.

Drove to Ames Sunday morning, saw Haleigh, went to church. Had a great time, ate a good and cheap lunch, shopped at Target. Proved my theory that if I go into Target for 3 things, I will always find more that I "need" and end up spending $50 or more.

Drove back to Chicago. It was the longest drive of my life, I felt. Highway 80 is quite... non-exciting. I had real issues with trying to find a good place to fuel up and use the restroom, the places I pulled off ended up being either way out-of-the-way or closed. Let me tell you, when I saw my Chicago skyline, I got very excited, and got that feeling of, "thank God, I'm home" that I would normally get coming back to Iowa. I love being at home in Iowa, but there's something about this city that feels so familiar, so comfortable to me. But sometimes I feel as if I don't fully belong in Waverly or in Chicago. I think a part of me has to have both to feel satisfied.


Pepper spray in my pocket, and boyfriend 15 minutes away again, I am at ease.