The Best of Times and the Worst of Times

I knew it would be hard moving to a place where I did not have any acquaintances. It is just funny the things that I struggle with throughout the day. There is a different kind of loneliness when you are so far from anyone you know, in a place where you are not familiar. What increases that feeling of loneliness is when you have nothing to be doing, no job, no business or no school. You are just in a strange place and have no one or nothing to do to lessen that strange feeling.

The past two days, that feeling has been looming over me. But at the same time, it is just a period of transition. The people here are so kind and nice! I think they understand that I must be alone, because they invite me to come to events with them and they take on being my friend. I went to donate platelets today with a native North Carolinian who also showed me the bus system and how I would get to the UNC Hospital if I got a job there. He also got me some parking validations for when I interview there.

Apparently every Thursday here we have a "cook out". I made the mistake of calling it a barbecue and I was informed that in North Carolina, a barbecue means that you are cooking a whole pig over an open fire. :) Tonight for the cook out we grilled everything from peaches, tomatoes, mushrooms, North Carolina hot dogs which are bright red!!, EL Fudge cookies, and anything else that tastes good with grill marks.

It was a surprise to me how nice it is that there are so few members of the church out here. At every small gathering I go to, all the same people are there. It is impossible not to get to know everyone! The boys from North Carolina laugh whenever I use my southern phrases and they give me riff for being Weber State Alumni. Apparently in the NCAA tournament in 1999, Weber State beat the University of North Carolina out of the tournament in the first round, an unprecedented event. College basketball is kind of a big deal out here. :)

Things are getting better every day, I just have to remind myself that this is just a transition period and I have felt more lost than this before in my life... I just can't remember when. :) I love you all so much!