I'm realizing how much I am starting to Love living here in Oklahoma. Initially I was pulled into that common thought of thinking that Oklahoma is the most horrible place to live next to Kansas... Well the meaning of 'horrible' is quite subjective, but you know when people ask you where you live and when you say... "Oklahoma".. at times you are returned with this... "Ohhh, Oklahoma... what's there?" And once that is said, you kind of feel bad having said you lived in Oklahoma, and wished you had lied and said Hawaii instead. Then maybe you wouldn't feel like you have to explain why you live in Oklahoma, but instead feel like a pretty darn cool person because everyone thinks Hawaii is the most awesome place to live.
It's really hard convincing people of liking Oklahoma through words...and even through pictures. I think why I'm loving Oklahoma now than before is the cost of living, everything is so much cheaper!! With the economic situation today, every penny counts. Having lived in Seattle for so many years I had to learn how to ration my funds. Everyday I would make a deal with myself like say.. 'if I have Starbucks this morning, then I won't have money to eat lunch for a week'. That's an exaggeration. However it was truthfully a battle for me to say no to coffee as Starbucks has strategically situated itself at every corner of the street in the entire state of Washington. Thus making everyone feel that they HAVE to HAVE a cup of coffee because it's right there on their face. And to add with a passion, Starbucks coffee is way too overpriced. Which leads me to realizing how everything in Seattle/Washington/or everywhere else maybe?, is quite overpriced. For a haircut at a salon like say Gene Juarez costs about $60-$75, for the same type of service and cut here in Oklahoma you'd only have to pay about half that... $30-$40, and this including tip. You don't have to pay for parking for the first hour at the airport here, while in SeaTac you would be charge $3.00 for the first half hour. For a decent dine in restaurant, like say Earl's the tab for 5 people is about $50-$60, Seattle hmmm.. probably $20 more. Gas prices here are so much cheaper, and to add most especially that buying a property like a house is a lot less also. I'm sure the comparisons couldn't possibly be as simple as 'just because Oklahoma is a cheap place to live', but I'm sure everything has economical reasons; the perfect equation of cost of living, blah blah. But I love it here because I can make my $1.00 or even my change work as they should, and get me more than just the essentials of everyday living. And I am always greeted by the Sunrise each morning which I love love.
But I won't be here for too long. Luckily we are not yet selling this house anytime soon, and I shall be back and enjoy this priviledge another time in the future.
A random thought since it's the New Year, I have finally put together mentally a list of my New Year's resolution. These are things I have thought about doing for many years, but just never had the chance/got lazy to do/felt scared to try. So I left these things how they started as... just a thought in my head, an idea. But I think now I'm ready to make these things happen...
1) Dance; take a hip-hop class.
2) Draw; draw more, figure drawing
3) Paint; learn different techniques
4) Culture and Language; immerse myself into the European culture learn German and master French
5) Get fit; totally going to get the ABs I've dreamt about, and to get ready for a marathon
6) Skype; I want to get on Skype with my family everyday of the week to say Hi and so I won't miss them so much.
7) Cook; really got to learn how to cook
8) Career; I think i need to jump start this, and make a solid decision and not wait too long. I want to make my life as useful as possible.. sky is the limit.
I see my life as a work in progress, but I need to put in the work and the Almighty God will provide me with the rest.
