Sigma Tau Delta/le futur proche

Earlier today was the third annual Black & White Party hosted by Sigma Tau Delta. Our baby was a success! So much fun to hang out with other English major types, eating delicious black and white food, wearing black and white garb, and laughing about everything under the sun. Delightful. :)

I had to leave a bit early--not too long after the induction ceremony of new members--and booked it back to Kirkland for work. I wasn’t late at all--praise the Lord!--but then the other turndown lady couldn’t make it tonight, so I was on my own. Surprisingly, I ended up with a lot of time on my hands, so I started brainstorming a pros/cons list for staying here in Washington/moving to California after grad and India. Oh wait...I haven’t blogged about California yet, have I...?

So on to the list:

Washington~
++friends
-[almost] no family [except for hermits and distant Mormons]
+possibly decent job market (?)
-church uncertainty (Stay at SJ? Go elsewhere? If so, where...?!)
+emotional support (from ++friends)
-pay for housing/utilities/etc. on my own (as in, not with my parents’ help)
+beautiful nature everywhere!
-certain people I could do without
+Seattle! (It’s irreplaceable in my book.)
-messy roommate (?)
+close to Canadia
-school debt will be hard to pay off with your basic job
+live w/ good friends (?)
-relatively high cost of living (seeing as I want to stay on the Eastside)

California~
+family
--no friends
+free rent (my grandma has offered to let me live with her)
-church uncertainty (I have options down there of churches that I have been to, and I like them, just...don’t know.)
+possibly decent job market (?)
-moving costs (?)
+Gimli! (my furry feline lover)
-loss of autonomy (?)
+stable support system
-shallow/superficial culture of Southern California
+GREAT weather
-Grandma could die on me and the whole family would hate me...
BUT
+then I would get both the cats...
ONLY
-then I wouldn’t have a place to live...
+the beach
+close to Mexico
+pay off loans quicker (since I wouldn’t be paying rent/utilities--or not much, anyway--I could put more of my money towards school debt)
+feel like adult (?)
-bigger cell phone bill from calling all my friends in Washington (?)
+I would KNOW my family before being gone the rest of my life doing missions!!!
-expensive cost of living


So I don’t know...I’m not really sure how this is going to play out after graduation/India. Could be that I end up in Washington. Could be that I end up in California. Could be that I move elsewhere across the country. Louisiana would be nice for a change, don’t you think? ACK! Ok, I really don’t have a clue. Feedback? Anyone?