California

I have wanderlust. As a child, I traveled regularly, and I believe it is what started my wanderlust. I would like to visit other places in the States, but mainly, I want to travel outside of the States. Of all the places I'd like to visit, California has never been on my list. Yet that is where I'm going to spend my summer. Tomorrow morning I leave to live in the desert for 11 weeks.

I've never wanted to visit California because of all the hype people make about it. I have this attitude, no attitudes not the right word. Let's see what's the right word? Desire, that's it. I've this desire to not like what everyone else likes. For instance, I don't like warm chocolate chip cookies (actually I've never liked warm chocolate chip cookies), I'm a closet chocolate lover because I don't want to be stereotyped as a girl who loves chocolate (I'm picky about my chocolate too), I preferred glasses over contacts long before glasses were popular to wear (they were more comfortable, and I thought they made me look studious), and I despise Mac's (the company thinks way too much of themselves). So I've never had a desire to go to California because so many people have such a love and desire to go there. Plus the climate and region are not my type.

I prefer cool weather over heat. I also love green foliage--green grass, green trees, green leaves, green everything. When J sister and I were driving today everything was so beautifully green--I love that about my states. I also love the seasons--spring, summer, fall, and winter. I love them all; I love the changes; I love what each one brings. And I love farm country, and the people which come with it.

California has none of that. (Happy cows do not come from California!)

I'm not going to California to see celebrities or visit the beach or get famous or get a tan or surf. I'm going to work with young girls and to be completely outside of my comfort zone and to learn different activities and to be stretched and to learn and to grow in my walk with the Lord. My reasons are different than most others, and for me, the reasons behind this travel experience make a world of difference and make California bearable.