Ready or Not, Welcome Back to California

Moving back to California has been something I wasn't wanting to do when we first moved away, but as the years went by and especially after Clark joined our family, I am very happy that we are back. Over the last couple of days I've been stressing about the adjustments I will be making. Going from having basically 2 jobs, (teacher and mommy) well 3 if you count being a wife :) to no longer having a boss. Many parts of not having a boss is WONDERFUL and I certainly won't miss it.

Also the adjustments of going to a new church building and meeting new friends. When I move somewhere I dig my heals in and stake my claim to it, adapting to everything that I like about our new surroundings. I did this when we moved to Manhattan. I enjoyed the slower pace of life, feeling like I don't have to keep up with the Joneses and just enjoying a different atmosphere.

As part of the welcoming me back, my dad and I went to our street's block party. I thought it would be good to get to know some of our neighbors and get me out of my shell I like to hide in.

Man was I in for a shock.

Shock 1: I was talking to the woman who was hosting the party and she said, "How old are you, like 30?" I very quickly corrected her with 29! Yes, I realize that I am going to be 30 this year, but I don't have to admit it and the fact that I look it to someone, was even more shocking. I hope it was the fact that my dad is getting a few grey hairs and is a grandpa. :) It's official, I'm going to be 29 for the REST OF MY LIFE!

Shock 2: The prices of housing. Not that I am oblivious to how much houses cost in the "O.C." but we don't need to go bragging about it! One of the newest neighbors on our street bought a house kitty corner from my parents. The house use to be very similar to theirs with nice red wood on the outside and big windows on the inside. (My parents' neighborhood isn't cookie cutter housing so each house is unique, but this other house was similar to ours.)
This new family bought the house and turned it into a "Tuscan/Greek" house. "It's all metal and adobe on the inside" is what she told us. Then also told us that she wanted to buy the other house kitty corner form my parents but didn't because the owner wanted $930,000 and she won't accept her $900,000 offer. The same house ended up selling 2 years later for $600,000. Did I mention that she wanted to by the two houses simultaneously?

Shock # 3 the biggest for me! The hostest and another wacky lady were talking and turned to me and asked if I read much. This lead into a conversation about them being part of a book club. I though, oh great, I need to find a new book club because I had so much fun in Manhattan. I then asked, "Do you get book club kits from the library?" I got two very confused looks from the two of them and then the replied with, "No! [you fool] We get them from Amazon!"
I must have had a shocked look on my face because they then said, "Oh, well we get them used, so their only like 6 bucks."

I do have to say I had to keep from laughing at them. What happens if you don't like the book? Or maybe their just a bunch of stuck up yuppies who all like to read the same thing and they have money coming out of their ears, so it doesn't matter if they have a few unwanted book. Who knows. Either way, I had only been back for less then 12 hours and I was slammed with a giant "WELCOME BACK TO YUPPIE VILLE, JEN WAYLAND."

Funny how I've become so use to the ways things are and the way things look that even though I am from this exact neighborhood, I found myself staring at the people thinking they looked so strange. I not trying to judge them, and maybe other people do the same thing, but it was a little bit of a culture shock for me I think. I did the same thing in Manhattan because their clothing styles haven't kept up with L.A. the same way O.C. has. I'll get use to it and in a few years, will have been assimilated.

Here's to change!