It's Official

I'm moving back home. My parents are driving down next Friday and by the following Monday I will officially be a resident of Washington state. I feel pretty good about this decision, even though it seems counter-intuitive. It also means just driving to the store to buy a couple more boxes or bins for packing is tinged with nostalgia. So here are the top 5 things I will miss about Salt Lake.

1. Miss Parker -- We have been roommates off and on for the last seven years and consistently for close to four. That is nearly four years of accumulated shared jokes, obsessions, adventures, disasters, and late night conversations. It will be weird not to see her everyday, to laugh or commiserate over the day's events. And I don't think instant messaging will be the same.

2. Friends -- With the exception of 3 individuals, all of my closest high school friends live between Logan and Spanish Fork. In addition, there are all the other friends I have made in my sojourn in Utah and I will miss all of them very, very much. Thank goodness for email, blogs, and cell phones to keep in touch!

3. The Salt Lake City Public Library -- I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I love this place! It has 5 floors of books and two cafes that make the whole wonderfully-designed building smell of coffee and books. I can spend hours in there and often have. I will miss it dreadfully. My mother assures me that our regional library back home now has a website and you can order lots of different books, but it just won't be the same!

4. Shopping -- I'm moving to a rural town that doesn't even have a Target. The nearest Target is 70 miles away, as is the nearest shopping mall. After living in a state where I can walk to the nearest Banana Republic and Barnes & Noble, I think I will suffer major withdrawls. Not to mention I don't even know where the nearest Apple store is. I love drooling over the MacBook Pro at the Gateway, even if I don't have a clue as to when I'll be able to afford one.

5. Control Over the Remote -- I know I wrote about trying to cut back on TV watching, but now I have to give way to my parents' viewing choices. Luckily my mother and I enjoy much of the same programs, but I think I might have to give up House since my dad watches something else in that time slot. Also, everything comes on an hour later in the Pacific time zone. Which means Conan doesn't end till after 1am there. I'm too old to stay up that late!