Home Sweet...Here

Hi, world. I'm in Omaha. I wanted to avoid posting pictures of my new place until I was all unpacked and everything looked cute, but I don't see that happening for awhile. So you get what you get :)

 

This is my living room. Since taking the picture, I've added two small arm chairs in front of the partition. There's also a window with a desk under it to the right of the fireplace that you can't really see. On that desk sits a beautiful new MacBook Pro, which I'm convinced is actually the love of my life. I knew I had to go to Nebraska to find him :) 

Here's my kitchen. It's small, but let's face it--how much kitchen do I really need? You can see the Y magnet on the fridge. It literally went up before a single pan was in a cabinet or a dish unpacked. I might be in Corn Husker country, but I still have my priorities.

And speaking of priorities...

 

From the living room you go through the opening on the right of the partition into my "bedroom". Literally, room for a bed. It's cozy and I like it.  

 

Then down the hall is my closet, sink, and bathroom.

Now that you've enjoyed the grand tour, here are some updates on how things are going...

We had orientation Thursday and Friday, which actually went well. It's interesting being at a Catholic university, because it's still based on religious education, so in a sense it feels like BYU. But I'm so unfamiliar with Catholicism and the prayers are different from what I'm used to, so sometimes it seems foreign. I really appreciate the Christian values that are emphasized when people discuss what it means to be a good lawyer.

So far, my favorite things about Omaha are $0.54 32 oz. Dr. Peppers from gas stations, the fabulously easy-to-navigate road system, the helpful people in my ward and at the law school, and how curly my hair goes when I scrunch it. This brings me to my least favorite things about Omaha: the humidity makes straightening my hair quite a chore. Even after I get it straightened, it doesn't stay straight. Strands and sections just start flipping whichever way they choose. Restaurants serve Mr. Pibb and act like it's an acceptable substitution for the Doctor. Internet is freaking expensive (I miss Comcast), and groceries are too. Also, drivers here? Not so nice. They enjoy the horn and middle finger.

I find the area very pretty. Zipsie treed two squirrels this morning on our walk. Lots of trees and lots of green. Not as much as the East Coast, but definitely more than Utah. Oh! Another thing I like about this place (although it's weird) is that the mid-grade gas is cheaper than the regular because it contains ethanol. So we're going to transition my car up a notch on fuel quality and see how she likes it.

As for the school part of things, I haven't yet studied as much as I should. I just bought my computer yesterday, so most of last night (which had been set aside for studying) was instead spent getting everything set up on it. And sort of playing with it. The studying I have done has been fascinating. I don't know how I'll feel once I get into the full work load, but the reading that's been assigned for the first day has been so interesting. Let's hope my interest is sustained.

I miss everyone, but I'm doing well. My cell phone has terrible service at my apartment, so I've been a little cut off from people. But Jessica is helping me remedy that situation and I'll soon have a second phone number with *shudder* Verizon. You'll always be able to leave me messages on my T-Mobile line (the same number I've had forever) but if you want the second number in case you need to get a hold of me more quickly, just send me a text or an email and as soon as I know the number, I'll let you know as well.

I'd love updates from everyone! I know I won't be spending as much time checking blogs as I should, but let me tell you a little secret. I love mail. So much. If you and your family ever wanted to drop a quick note as to what you've been up to, I would appreciate it so much. I know it's antiquated and not everyone has stamps sitting around, but seeing a letter with a familiar postmark would do a lot to ease homesickness. You can always be more modern and stick to Twitter, email, texting, or whatever works for you.

Okay,  I think that about covers it. Love and miss you all!