Hello everyone- I'm Baaaaaaaaack!!!!

Back in Utah for a month! Who would have thought I'll be back so fast? But I drove cross-country for 3 days to surprise one sister for graduation, and then stay on for a month to do research. It was a VERY tiring and boring drive, but it has been really fun to see friends and family again.

Highlights of my trip so far?

#1 Surprising my sister for graduation- her one second 0.5 second look of surprise on her face, before she raced to me and said...

"Can you hold my jacket? I'm so hot" as she pulls off her graduation gown.

Seriously?! I grumbled, "I drove all the way here, and the first thing you say is 'Can you hold my jacket?'" To which she replied, "Actually I suspected you were coming. You kept asking me questions about my graduation, so I suspected it." I really didn't ask that many questions!

*Slap forehead*

Surprise fail. Sort-of.

Sisters Re-united!

It was still great to see friends and family. We had dinner last Sunday night with some family friends, and I sat with two of the grandchildren, who are 8 and 11 respectively. They asked me how old I was, and if I had a boyfriend, and then

"Are you going to get married?"

Point blank straight up, no holds barred. Highlight #2. I was cracking up inside. I replied, "Uh... I hope so." Next they asked me how old I was. Er... pretty old.
"How old?"
"Older than you by... a lot"
"Are you... twenty?"
"Nope, older."
On and on till they got my age (which, sorry, I'm not revealing on a blog)

And then, they proceeded to talk between themselves and list all the men they could potentially set me up with, such as...

"How about (insert in some random male name)?."
"He's too young."
"No he isn't."
"I think he's 17."
"Oh, that might be too young."

I was dying inside from laughing, and I am highly flattered. At least 2 people think I'm a pretty good candidate for marriage.

Other than that, I've been running around getting my car checked (my poor car... it's such a good sport!), helping one sister pack all her stuff up before she flies back to Singapore, visiting friends, and starting some preliminary research. Oh yes, and moving into my apartment. It's been a while since I've had a room-roommate (she is super nice), and lived in student housing, but rent was cheap, flexible and furnished- what more can a poor graduate research studen ask for?!  It's been fun, though I miss my apartment and friends in Ohio.