What's better than exploring a new place?

Having your best friend flying out for the weekend, and exploring a new place together.

Last week, Crystal flew into Tampa to join me for the weekend.  We hit up the Wizarding world of Harry Potter, and took a couple boats to different island state parks - Caladesi state park, and Shell Key preserve.  We hung out on beaches that had very few other people on them, explored, snorkeled, and saw black tipped sharks, sting rays, a dolphin, and got attacked by some seagulls.  And now she's back in Colorado, and my hotel room is covered in sand.

It's amazing how isolating some of these rotations can be.  I'm ready for it to be over.  I miss my critters, and I want to go home - but I'm effectively homeless at this point.  The apartment isn't my home, since I moved all of my stuff into my mom's house.  My mom's house isn't home, it's the place my stuff is stored, and a convenient place to stay between rotations.  My house isn't home, it's still occupied by temporary renters.  It's an unsettling feeling, not having a place of my own to call dibs on.

I get to go back to Colorado Saturday, before I leave for my last rotation in California.  At least in California, I'll be able to hang out with some great people, and won't be as isolated.  And I'll be that much closer to once again having a home.