do you know the way to san jose?

I AM HERE!!! FINALLY!

i would have posted something last night if i could have been functioning.i was exhausted after the 3 hours of sleep friday night and flying all day yesterday. but now i'm rejuvinated!...or at least enough to blog for a hot minute.

obvious things that need to be addressed:

1.) the weather was actually cruddy today...not what i expected from the state of california so bad planning on its part...ya know, i expect it from st. louis but california? really? but i'll let it slide...just this once. but yeah really rainy and chilly.
2.) yes, i live in a safe (enough) neighborhood
3.) yes, i went to mass today...that one's for you grammy gram ;)

now onto some less obvious things i am learning already:

1.) there are so many different kinds of people...thankfully, the lord has blessed me with some pretty grade A people skills( or at least so i think) so i can pretty much get along with most people i meet to a certain degree. but i'm finding it's a lot harder to do when you're completely out of your comfort zone...which i am incase you're wondering. fish outta water right here...i may not, but i certainly feel like i stick out like a sore thumb. but it's probably just me...i mean being the only tall, lanky, white girl amidst a mostly mexican-american populated target isn't sticking out is it? but hopefully i'll feel less alienated in due time!

2.) how to caulk a sink...yeah. that's right. i'm pretty darn handy. i mean, i'm no professional caulk observer but let's just say i know a good caulk when i see one (wow i'm not trying to be dirty in anyway but i just saw how that looked and i apologize...but i gotta say it...that's what she said) but yeah, i think i did a pretty good job...i think sharon (the woman who runs the show here) was slightly impressed. she's really nice though so you can never tell if she actually means it or if she's just trying to make sure i don't burst into tears...which by the way, i haven't done yet. it might happen soon, but it hasn't happened yet which is impressive for me i think.

3.) i'm reading the alchemist right now and all i can say is YEAH BUDDY. i am lovin every minute of it. it's definitely a book that you need to read when you go and do something out of your element or travel or go on some sort of adventure but it's so good. really weirding me out with how parallel this little shepherd boy's life is to mine right now but also kicking my butt spiritually which is always good. have you ever noticed that the word shepherd is a perfect name for a shepherd...one who herds sheep. if that's been common knowledge to all of you and i'm just now making the connection i'm gonna be real emburrassed.

4.) i miss my family a lot. we're a lot closer than i realize and so this is going to be a lot harder than i ever thought...but it will be good. and i have them for the rest of my life so it's all good in the hood.

5.) i am actually a 75 year old woman. i'm exhausted by 8. knitting is my new favorite hobby and i'm learning how to sew this week and i couldn't be more excited...oh and i have knee arthritis. sooo yeahhh.

well that's all for now ladiez and gentz but thanks for reading and i'll be sure to update tomorrow. but for now, i will leave you with some wise words that the lovely meaghan fanning wrote on this picture she made me before i left. i read it earlier today when i was having one of my doubting thomas moments and was immediately calmed.

"it may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have found our real work. and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey."