We're Leavin' Miss'ippi, Y'all!

Can I please hear shouts of joy from across the country?

The Air Force Personnel Center has spoken, everyone, and we're California bound! Eventually. Once the orders come in. And they'll probably change a few different times. Because that's how the military works.

So exactly how excited am I? In the words of Rebecca Black, WE SO EXCITED!

Now I would be lying if I said Columbus was completely unbearable, because it wasn't. I'm glad I got to experience the south (so I know I never want to live here), and I met some AWESOME friends and people while here (most of them weren't locals, but still). Home truly is where the heart is. Even during Christmas, I was looking forward to coming back to Columbus, because that's where my husband, furbabies, and my bed were. (Never underestimate the awesomeness of sleeping in YOUR bed). But nevertheless, I'm looking forward to getting back to the RIGHT (well, left, but I mean the other definition of right) coast. It's home.

While roaming around on Google Earth (thank you to whoever invented that, btw), Matt and I have both realized that Beale AFB, like Columbus, is kind of in the middle of nowhere. We're still going to have to travel about thirty miles to base from town, or ten miles to a grocery store depending on where we live, BUT we'll be near an actual, real town. With multiple Starbucks (yes, I have already scouted those out). With a REAL mall. With a few bookstores. In Columbus, you have to drive about 60 miles to the nearest "real" town, and once you're there, the only thing to do really is shop. In Beale, you're forty minutes from downtown Sacramento. There's a zoo there! So it's legit! And San Fran is also within two hours with so much to do! There's skiing in the winter, all kinds of water activities at Lake Tahoe, and numerous hikes in the surrounding wilderness. I can be at the beach or in the mountains. In all the suburbs of Sacramento, the towns are full of parks literally a few blocks away from each other. As long as I take advantage of the surrounding area, this base looks SO promising.

I'm also excited about the change of weather. I just cannot adapt to this hot, humid, sticky weather. It's unbearable. The bright sun has been giving me killer migraines. Sacramento has sun for sure, but it's not humid. I do really well in desert air. Because the air is so dry, it actually makes me thirsty, so I keep hydrated. I know that sounds weird, but when it's so humid I'm breathing water, I don't drink water because I never feel thirsty. Hence, migraines. The air in Moscow was dry, and I only remember getting two debilitating migraines during all 4 years I was there. Here, it's been worse. I had 3 migraines just within the last 2 weeks. So hello, wonderfully dry desert air, I can't wait to live with you! As we speak, Sacramento is 86 degrees, 35% humidity (about what I'm used to), and a 55 dew point. I can withstand that!

Every base is what you make of it, and I gave Columbus a chance, but I'm so glad I don't have to live here. It's really boring, and even if there were activities to do, I wouldn't do them because I don't like going outside here. I plan on giving Beale a GIGANTIC chance. Hopefully I won't be disappointed, and from the looks of it, I don't think I will be. If I can't move back home to McChord, this looks like one of the next best places to be!