where the engleHEARTs are: california trip

back where I come from...

I just got back home from a trip to California to visit friends and family. It was my first trip back to the mainland since moving to Guam. After moving out here there were quite a few things I missed and was excited to see again on my visit. It's funny though, because the whole time I was in California, I was missing Guam!

The one thing that was weird to me was the air. You would think I would be used to the dry climate, but I wasn't. Everything was so dry and dusty, I had a hard time breathing! Believe it or not, I missed the humidity! The shopping was great though. I went to Target my first day there, and I forgot how much variety there was!! At the grocery store too. So many options for cheeses, lunch meats, crackers, yogurts, snack foods, fresh fruits and veggies... it was awesome! And things had expiration dates well into the future! It's the little things you appreciate after living on an island.

I stocked up on a few things while I was there. The clothes shopping wasn't as spectacular as I remembered though, so that bummed me out a little. I was able to bring back a bunch of sauce mixes and seasoning packets that I can't find in Guam. And of course, several boxes of Walmart brand fruit snacks, which are my favorite. Ask Casey, she bought them for Cole when we lived together and I would always eat them. Woopsies.

I did get to see a lot of my friends and family. I spent quite a bit of time with some close friends and a few visits with others. I also made a trip to see my grandma while I was there. I packed in a lot of fun on my visit. I did yoga with my mom, cycling with my parents, Oktoberfest in Chico, a concert, lot of lunches and dinners with friends, lots of visits with my step-daughter Kiera and a camping trip.

It was nice to spend time with everyone, but I am so happy to be back in Guam. I feel more at home here than I did in California. The island life suits me well, and my husband is here. Plus, not being able to see the ocean every day was hard. The ocean is such a calming view for me! We'll be back to California to visit again soon, but for right now, we're loving our little island life!

Here's a few photos from my trip...