So now, after three months of living in a new state and being incredibly delinquent in my writing, this is what I've learned about Spokane.
1. Once you figure out the major streets, you can't get lost. Since it's a block system out here and all the streets are laid out in a grid, you can follow a road through all of Spokane. Figure out which ones are the more important roads and which way they run, and you cannot get lost. At one point or another you'll run into them and you can figure out where you are from there.
2. It doesn't matter if there's snow on the road or if there's a blizzard out, people will still be driving. It can get really cold here, too.
3. Everyone here is inexplicably nice.
4. Speed limits are at least 5 mph above what everyone drives.
5. One-way streets are very popular.
6. People are really big on the outdoors here. Huge, even.
7. Once you get used to the grey, it's really pretty here. The hills and evergreens and snowy mountains are very nice to look at.
What I've learned in general:
1. Taxes are way too complex and take up a lot of time.
2. Libraries are fantastic, they give you books for free.
3. Exercise alleviates all manner of problems.
4. Jobs are hard to find but it can be done.
What I've done:
1. Survived more snow than I've seen in my entire life. (You don't get snow in North Carolina. Ever.)
2. Gotten purposefully lost just to see what's around town.
3. Ran around a park and climbed trees like a crazy person.
4. Found a library and a job (not in the same place, sadly).
What I have yet to do:
1. Go to Seattle.
2. Go to Canada.
3. Go to Glacier National Park.
4. Take part in local activities and figure out what life here is really like.
And, now that I'm moving back across the country in a month, the clock is ticking on the amount of time I have left to do fun things. As it turns out, six months is not a very long time, especially when three of those months are spent in snow. I'll be sad to leave because there's so much I'll be missing.
