I haven't written for a while because I haven't really been inspired to. Life is becoming more normal, if you can call it that, and I'm adjusting to the differences pretty well, I think. However, one of the areas that does cause some disappointment and frustration is the weather.
Weather in Texas is unpredictable, to say the least. It could be snowing in the morning and then in the low 60s by afternoon with tornadoes popping up that night. I'm used to not really knowing what's going to happen with the weather hour by hour and day by day. That's not really the problem here. The problem is, what many of you have probably already guessed - the rain.
My friends from the Pacific Northwest will know what I'm talking about for sure (and maybe have some suggestions as to how to deal with it). Coming from Texas, where we've been in a drought since becoming a state (it seems), having to deal with so many days of rain is quite a new experience for me. I have always liked the rain - the sound of it, the act of cozying up on the sofa during it, falling asleep to it - but here it's a little different. There ARE those times when it's a steady pitter-patter, but for the most part it's just drizzle or sprinkles, which is just annoying. It's not really enough to use an umbrella, but if you're out in it too long, you do get soaked. Plus, when it's in the 30s and 40s, you feel like you might just die.
Then there's the wind that comes with it. No matter how hard it's falling, when the wind is involved, it's completely miserable. You can't hide yourself anywhere to avoid the wind and your umbrella ends up getting turned inside out, which is truly the worst. Needless to say, my love of rain is waning (no pun intended).
Now, let's talk about how this effects the public transportation systems. You would think that a country that has been dealing with this weather since it's creation would have a better system of how to deal with it. There have been numerous times when Caleb and I have been on the train into Guildford and it's delayed or slowed because of a landslide. Why hasn't this been addressed YEARS before now? Surely they have civil engineers in this country that can shore up the areas around the tracks to make sure that there isn't erosion that causes landslides. And don't get me started on my 30 minute train delay yesterday because a train crew employee was late to work "due to the weather". Come on!
To be fair, I have been told that we moved here at the worst time of the year, and I've been here in the summer many time,s so I know that there is hope of less rain. I just need that hope to hurry up and become a reality.
