Goodbye South Carolina, Goodbye Alabama, the Long Trip and Getting Settled in Tempe

...Also known as the day that would never end.

Has it really been already more than a week since I updated this? It feels like one long day.  Today I will actually have a few updates, since I don't have internet at the apartment yet and tend to write here, then travel for internet.  (We are spoiled with internet in our residences, aren't we?)

But first...a random observation.
Driving in Phoenix is actually quite fun.  There are plenty of cars on the road, which could create problems if people were inconsiderate or bad drivers (though I'm sure there are plenty of those), or there were huge speed differentials like in Atlanta.  Overall, though, it seems like Phoenix-area drivers are actually observant and courteous most of the time!  That was highly surprising to me, somehow.  Generally, on the highways, it doesn't seem like people speed So much -- everyone tends to keep a similar speed throughout all lanes -- and, if you put your blinker on, people will actually adjust speed and allow you to merge if your lane is going a few mph slower than theirs.  It's quite strange and is taking some getting used to.  Then, they have lots of entrance ramps where the ramps are metered during high traffic hours. One car per green light, and each lane takes turns, with really smoothly running results.  People actually merge well here, it seems!  I felt like the out-of-place driver, actually, as I'm sure I was merging a little too close (for their comfort, not mine) behind a few people needlessly.  Good job, Phoenix.  Perhaps my first impression is incorrect, and I will let you know if that turns out to be the case -- but I am impressed with the overall quality and courteousness of driving, so far.  Even on the busy city streets, people are relatively courteous.


Moving...

The day after my last day in South Carolina, was my last day in Alabama.  I left my overnight bag in the moving van, so walked outside around 10 pm Saturday night to get it.  It started like any other necessary errand. I was tired and ready to go to sleep, and only went outside by necessity.  The air was wonderfully humid, the cicadas were yelling their funny song, and the moon was bright.  Standing in the middle of the field, I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the evening, then decided to try to memorize the sky.

I wonder if anyone has ever tried to play the sky.

Somehow, I was looking in the right place, and saw a meteorite fall.  It was quite neat, and I'm glad I could see one before I left.  It was the time with the people, though, that was most important. I didn't get to see everyone before I left, but I did get to see most of my family before leaving on the cross-country trek.  Now that I'm here in Arizona, it was strange leaving the places that I have known for my whole life to move to a place that feels like a completely alien planet.  I don't mean alien bad, by the way -- just different.  I'm excited to explore the area, if I can bring myself to spend the money on gas to actually get out and do it!  That will be the difficult part, but I'm determined to do it -- so, an in-progress list is being compiled of all the places I want to see before school starts.  I'm keeping that list short, for sure, for obvious purposes.

The cross-country trip.   Dad and I left Alabama, drove past Houston and slept. Drove past El Paso and slept again, then drove the rest of the way and arrived Tuesday, July 31, approximately 3 pm local time.  That would be currently Pacific time, since Arizona doesn't observe Daylight Savings time. We were able to get into the apartment a little bit early, and somehow unloaded everything in less than 6 hours (Why did I pack so many books?! I'm glad I put the same amount in storage!), with the wonderfully appreciated help of one of my new neighbors' hand trucks!  He was a very nice young man to allow us to borrow that.  Today (this morning), he returned to pick it up, and mentioned he was moving his girlfriend into a new place today.  I suggested he borrow our furniture movers, so he did!   I hope they helped as much as his furniture truck helped us.  The next three days were spent placing furniture, organizing kitchen and patio, and hanging pictures -- now, all that's left are the little things to unpack.  Books, organizing clothes and cleaning supplies, etc.

The only slightly scary part of the trip was unloading the car from the trailer.  I was reversing off the trailer, and then felt the entire thing lurch and heard a large banging noise.  I figured there wasn't really anything I could do about it (and Dad wasn't freaking out, he kept motioning me off the trailer), so I kept going.  Besides, I wasn't exactly sure WHAT the noise was...  Turns out, the ratcheting system on the trailer had apparently been working itself loose the entire trip and was no longer holding the trailer onto the truck!  The UHaul guy seemed to think that someone tampered with it on purpose, but we think it was probably just a gradual process.  We had been checking the trailer throughout the trip and hadn't noticed a problem, but I don't remember either of us tightening that one part to be sure it was still tight.  It was nice that the trailer waited til unloading to fall off, though the way it was designed, it wouldn't have fallen off under forward load.  Now, if we had been braking really hard and hit a huge bump, perhaps that could have caused an issue, but in the end, all was okay.   Somehow, in the end, all is always okay.

My car's AC may be on the fritz too -- it quit working for a little while, but then Dad started trying different things.  Turns out my AC will not work if the recirculation button is on, anymore.  It works most of the time otherwise.  Who knows, I will probably only be driving it to the grocery store anyway.

I have decided that all this sunshine makes me sleepy!  I haven't taken a nap in the middle of the day in forever, but I fell asleep on the couch for an hour this evening.  Of course, I'm sure my eating habits of the day could have been a factor, but I personally like "sunshine" best.  I need to avoid too many naps in the middle of these days leading up to classes, or my sleep schedule will be too strange to deal with school!

I still feel like I might be returning to South Carolina, or Alabama, any moment -- like I'm just at another short-term job, or an audition, or vacation.  It's strange to think that I will live here for at least 3 1/2 years -- but exciting at the same time.

I hope to have plenty of stories soon, as I plan to visit the Grand Canyon sometime before classes start, and perhaps Sonoma and Flagstaff too.  Or other wanderings around Phoenix metro area.  I must find good thrift stores and second hand shops soon....and maybe a dollar movie theater. ;-)
Before those things, though, I am definitely going to the Farmer's Market in town, and seeing what it has to offer.  I'm surprisingly excited about fresh produce!