Reminiscing...

Ok so it's been a while and I should probably now change the title of my blog, or not even keep it, but as I spend my last couple of days here in the prairie I've been reflecting on what I'll miss.  I write this from my front yard at almost 9pm because not only is it 80 degrees, but it's also going to be light for at least another hour. 

Yes weather is something I'll miss.  No not the winter that lasts 6-9 months or the -20 degrees before the windchill.  I will miss the sun shining almost everyday year round, the hot summers, and being able to say "I'm so cold" and no one thinking I'm weird.  I had a revelation when I went back at Christmas time to visit.  I was freezing ALL THE TIME!! People of the Northwest- we really need to learn how to insulate and take care of drafts.  In North Dakota it may be literally colder than freezing, but at least when I get inside I'm warm.  We could save a lot of money and energy if we learned from our fellow Mid-westerners on how to insulate.

That brings me to money.  Somethings cost more here and some cost less.  It's hard to say where the cost of living is less because you have to factor in pay.  This is a common debate here as prices rise in Minot and out-of-towners keep moving in.  I will tell you that the air at gas stations is almost always free (free air, what a concept huh?) and a partial foil for my hair is HALF the price as in Tacoma and probably a third compared to a salon in downtown Seattle.  As soon as I found out we were moving I booked a hair appointment :)  I will also miss the place where I get the oil changed.  It's not cheaper but it is friendly.  The guy at the counter is always happy and wants to talk to me about Nolan.  They have free coffee (from a Kuerig, not the burned coffee that's been sitting in the pot since they opened at 7am) and chocolate chip cookies.  Seriously Jiffy Lube needs to step it up!

I'm sad we're moving at the beginning of summer just when it finally gets nice here.  When I become an addict to Tutti Frutti, the froyo place down the street and when it doesn't get dark until past 10pm.  Minot should really be in Mountain time but for some reason this portion of the state is in Central Time.  I'm not complaining because another advantage of Central Time are TV shows coming on an hour earlier.

What I'll miss most is what Minot represents to us-Firsts.  We bought our first house here, I was pregnant for the first time, had our first baby, Nolan rolled over for the first time here, first crawl, tooth, and all those other things babies do in their first year.  I'm also sad to leave behind Nolan's first room that Josh so thoughtfully planned and painted to look like the "Green Monstah" at Fenway. 

These last two weeks I've realized how many friends we've made here just by how they've rallied around and helped us quickly get ready to move back.  It will be sad to leave everything and one that we've fostered here, but it's time to go back to Washington!