> > This reaction doesn't surprise me at all. It's hard being in a strange place for the first time since leaving home in an area where the local culture is different from anything you know. Fortunately, usually this doesn't last terribly long. We're with you in spirit if not in body, and I hope it comforts you to know that you're not alone.
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> Thank you, Sam. You have no idea how much better that makes me feel to hear you say that. I think it's just the stress, and this illness I've had for the past few days, that made me so homesick for a little while there. I'm not completely over it, but I do feel better. Thanks.
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> Mia

If it makes you feel any better, you're not alone when it comes to being sick. If you had come to California, I probably would have given you the bug, too. This particular strain seemed to be extra-evil, so I'm hoping that was it for the season. Frankly, I don't have the time to be sick.

About homesickness, I understand that, too. I was born and raised in the same town all my life. When I was 10, we moved because my (ex) step-dad got a new job. It was horrible. Not only were we in a new town in the middle of the school year, but we lived in a smoggy part of Klamath Falls, Oregon. There are okay parts of Klamath Falls, but the part we were in was just not fun. We did like the house, but that was about it. My sister didn't even have windows in her first-grade classroom.

To make a long story short, my step-dad quit his job two months later and we moved back. We were in a different house than we had previously lived in, but that didn't matter too much.

And then I moved away to college. I suddenly realized that I had left the mountains, trees, quietness, and clear water behind. I no longer saw Mt. Shasta every single day, except for when it was covered with clouds (but I still knew it was there). I'm in my fourth year of college now, and I doubt that I will ever adjust to this water. After drinking fresh water off the mountain for 18 years, I am set in my ways.

Before I get you depressed, I will come to my point: The move had its good things. First of all, I met Sean. That definitely makes it all worth while. Second, I met a lot of new people, learned a lot of new things, and saw a lot of new places. I'm still learning and seeing new things every single day. Third, I've expanded my world and broadened my thinking. I've "stepped outside the box," so to speak. And last, but not least, I know that I can always go back to visit. The mountains and the trees will still be there, waiting for me. For now, I can continue to have new adventures and learn more about this amazing world that we all live in.

Ell"whimsical"myruh