I miss about home:
- My husband, cats, parents, and friends. (Duh.)
- Sweating actually meaning something.
- The drivers. No, really. Colorado, I learned that I was so wrong to think you have terrible drivers. Compared to Houston, you’re like angels on four wheels. I suppose my standards were just far too high, or I had no idea just what sort of mental deficients they’ll allow to drive in other states.
- Tokyo Joe’s. I’m once again fighting to keep my meat intake from going through the roof because I lack a decent source of vegetarian lunch food. I also miss it as a gathering of tattooed freaks. And I miss Sam, the awesome manager at the store in Boulder, because he’s just too cute.
- Not being constantly covered with bug bites. The mosquitoes here are like fucking ninja.
- Landscape relief. Though I suppose once I’m back in Colorado and biking, I’ll probably change my mind about that. I’ve been telling everyone here that hills are Good For You and a Character Building Exercise, but we all know that I’m lying. I do, however, honestly miss how a topographically wrinkly landscape looks. Mountains. Yeah, those things.
- My bookshelves. I brought some books with me to Houston, but of course, they’re not the ones I want to read now. Because that’s never how it works. That would be way too convenient.
- Desert sunrises and sunsets. Being able to actually look at the sun when it’s low on the horizon without burning out my retinas still freaks my shit out. It’s just not natural.
- Trivia night. I want my beer, sammich, and bitching about the awfulness of the audio round.
- My hair not looking like an orange fright wig. That was an awesome time in my life.
I will miss about Houston:
- Those awesome comedy road signs that urge people to drive friendly because it’s the Texas way… wait, those aren’t supposed to be funny? Shit.
- The really awesome people from Come Ride With Us! They got me out and biking in the sweltering heat and I had a heck of a lot of fun.
- My skin not trying to peel off constantly. I was able to almost stop using lotion entirely. It’s crazy. Unheard of. Normally in Colorado I’m like a snake trying to molt.
- Chuy’s. I love that place. Maybe too much. They know me by name. And the host has started asking me about the different books I read.
- Road biking on easy mode. Hills? What are those?
- My coworkers from the URC. I got to work with Tim Demko, Kevin Bohacs, and Joe Macquaker. If you don’t know who they are, that’s probably because you’re not a sedimentary geologist. I just about crapped my pants when I found out who I’d be working for because I’ve read so many of their papers in class. And they’re all really amazing, nice people.
- The awesome bowties that Kevin Bohacs wears.
- Everyone saying “y’all” even more than I do.
- Not having a car. I know that’s strange to say, but it actually helped me a lot to be compelled to ride my bike everywhere. I’m kind of worried that when I get back to Colorado I’m going to settle very quickly back into being lazy and driving all over.
- The millipedes. So many adorable little millipedes.