Sorry Tom

So there I was, minding my own business at work when I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. It was from Levi: "Guess what love". "What" "We drive around without our GPS anymore". Everyday since we've been here, I've been taking my new best friend, TomTom, with me everywhere. This morning when I left for work, I left him on the kitchen counter, on purpose. My job, since I have first shift when everybody is away at summer school, is to basically run errands. I run to the grocery store to fill up the house for the week, I run to their schools to drop off their meds, I run to Walgreens to drop up and pick up their prescriptions, I run to McDonalds because sometimes teenage boys just want McDonalds. (All in that sexy van, btw). Before I run an errand my boss always verbally gives me instructions then tells me to come back to the house to run the next errand. She herself moved to Florida when she was younger from Ohio, so she understands I'm learning my way around. She told me that when she first moved here she accepted the same job I was now working and that she had learned her way around Tampa by running all the errands that I am now running. She's right. I'm getting used to driving that huge van, I'm getting used to the horrible driving they have in Florida, (she also asked me if I was scared of Florida drivers, because in Ohio they drive normal too and she was petrified), and I'm getting used to the layout of at least our small part of the city. I must admit though, one time I did get a little lost and had to use the navigator on my phone.

Tonight, Grandma, I made Levi supper. Nothing big, just spaghetti and meatballs and corn. I felt just like you though because Levi said "This is the best corn ever", and I know I tell you that every time you make it for me.

Then after supper we went for a nice swim. The water is so warm you don't even have to get in slowly or jump in right away to get used to the water. You can just get in and it is the perfect temperature. Everybody will have to come visit us and go swimming. Having the beach a few miles away is amazing, but sometimes like tonight it's just as nice to have a (warm!) pool right in your own backyard. It's a nice pool too, not like a crappy little hotel pool. It's large and funny shaped so groups of people can be in the pool at the same time, yet you still feel like you are the only ones in there. Plus they are deep, the pool we like to go to goes to 6 ft deep, while the other and usually more busy pool in our complex goes to 6.5 feet.

Going swimming as much as I have lately makes me remember why Mom had to buy Julyn and I a summer pass to the local pool every summer. I love swimming. I think I had forgotten how much I enjoy it. This may sound weird, but I feel like...me again. Maybe because I hated high school and hated Cornell, but I just feel...happy. A kind of happy I don't remember feeling since I was a carefree kid. Don't get me wrong, I miss everybody back home in Iowa, but I do not miss Iowa. I love Florida. I love swimming everyday. I love been tan again and having the sun lighten my hair (for that matter, i actually love my blonde hair again), I love the weather here and knowing I'll never have to be freezing cold again. I love looking out my window and seeing palm trees, that I can go around town and not know every.single.person. I love knowing that there's almost anything I could ever want to do within a short driving distance from me. I was worried about the people not being "midwest nice", but after running errands for two days straight I have started many random conversations with strangers and only one person has been a snot to me. I would recommend Florida to anybody (especially you, Kait!).