Florida, the sunshine state.

Being from the Great Northwest I do need brag a little. It is October 16th and it's 80 degrees here in Ormond Beach, Florida. Ian and I have officially moved into our home for the next few years (?) and by the way, we're ten minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. Whoa.

Ok, done bragging because we certainly have our work cut out for us.

Due to the incredibly awesome chaos that has been the last six months of my life, this story begins at the end. But what is an end, but the next beginning?

So we enter Florida:

After a long adventure with a weekend pit stop in New Orleans, Ian and I arrived in Florida; welcomed by rain that reminded me of Costa Rica. The scenery was new and very green. Seeing the wetlands was comforting after living in Northern Texas for a month. While the views were refreshing, the road was very bland. Very flat. I mean, flat, forever. The only elevation changes happened because that's how they had to build the bridges to get over the water.

It took us nine hours from New Orleans to Nana and Papa's in Titusville. Not having met them yet I was a little nervous. Ian rightfully rolled his eyes at my ridiculous paranoia. His grandparents are wonderful.

Nana is a Boston babe with a thick accent. And Papa is a marine who says exactly what's on his mind. They have great stories. They also have four cats and a schnauzer-ish pup named Bou. Our second day there, Nana gave me an Italian meatballs and spaghetti sauce lesson and then we went to a Jazzercise class. I had never tried it before.

For those who do not know, Jazzercise is a kind of choreographed aerobic workout. So, if you're like me and you do not have a whole lot of dance experience, you will probably look and feel as good as a cow dancing on ice. But it was fun overall and I would totally do it again. Nana goes three times a week!

Our third or fourth day, Uncle Rick took Ian and I to the house we'd be moving into:

Welcome to Pine Cone Lane -- a humid home away from home, an automobile graveyard, a swampy sanctuary... I absolutely love it.

This place belonged to Ian's uncle, Bill, before he passed away. The more I learn about Bill, the more I like him. He'd buy cars for parts, or just for fun, and Frankenstein motors together. He collected beautiful pieces of furniture and one-of-a-kind storage-unit treasures. He valued a good deal and, I'm sure, a good time.

We've been working on organizing the house, boxing up like-items and such. It's not a bad spot to be in. Everything we accomplish right now feels like a huge step forward. As a bonus, my amazing brother, sent me a Wii and a Nintendo 64, plus games. It did not take us long to set those things up and yes, we've been playing Super Mario ever since. I'm not even embarrassed, it's awesome. In short, things could be worse.  :)

So here we are. The east coast:

This is proof that I've made it across country. A boy who loves me brought me here -- to a place where thunder rolls in around us and then out over the ocean, creating orange, gold and grey light shows above the water, a friendly place were starfruit is just two for a dollar, and it almost always smells like rain.

But the real story is never in the success or failure at the ending, it's in the adventure on the way. And quite the adventure it was.

Missing my family and friends, but having a wonderful time. Hope you are too.

All the love,

Sky