I have fleas. No, seriously.

I wish I was joking. It's gross, but I'll get to that story later.

California is awesome! Seriously, the only thing missing from this pseudo-paradise is friends, which hopefully I will have sooner rather than later. The weather is PERFECT every single day. Warm enough that you can wear shorts and a t-shirt, but not so hot that you will die if you wear a cardigan. Perfect. It's beautiful here. There are so many plants and flowers and parks to walk through. Also, my sister, brother-in-law, and my darling little niece live about 15 minutes away. It's so fun!

I got to California last Wednesday night. While I was in Utah and Canada, I thought I had housing all sorted out. An LDS girl emailed me, letting me know that she had a room available in Menlo Park. I looked up the address, and it just happened to be only a few blocks away from the office I'll be working at. In addition to a perfect location, I would have my own room, my own bathroom, my own separate entrance, and a walk-in closet all for a measly $830/month, including a parking space and utilities. I know, that doesn't sound like the cheapest rent, but for this area it's actually pretty good. There was a minor fiasco with the lease, because it's for an entire year instead of just for the summer. We worked that out, and everything seemed ready to go.

Anyway, I got the key from the girl (her name is Ngaio) and moved in that night. The next day I met with the property manager. He seemed really nice, and while we were talking he asked me if the girls had filled me in on the "situation" at the apartment. Feeling nervous, I asked him to explain further and he informed me that earlier that month they had had a flea infestation in the apartment. The source? There is a small crawl space on the back side of the apartment, and they found a dead raccoon under there. He assured me that things should be taken care of, but I just had to make sure and vacuum my room often. I trusted that things had been taken care of, and even though I was a little bit grossed out at the thought of a flea infestation, I didn't care too much. A couple of days later, I noticed that I had bites all over my stomach, ankles, and feet. They were really itchy, and after talking to my roommates that night we determined that they are flea bites. I guess they had the place sprayed a week ago, but it takes at least two weeks for it to take full effect so I just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I have now washed and dried all of my belongings, thrown out a mattress, become a pro vacuumer, and somewhat of an expert in fleas, including their life cycle, how to trap them, and how to tell the difference between fleas and bedbugs.

So yeah, the story is actually slightly more complicated because the girl who sold the the contract never informed me about the problem. I told her that I can't sign it until the bug problem is resolved, but in the meantime she is like, freaking out because she has to find someone to replace me if I end up not signing it. Also, she's kind of a stress case anyway. I feel bad, but I'm also kind of miffed that I basically walked into this trap and now I am covered in flea bites. I think everything will be sorted out eventually. In every other way my apartment is ideal. It's kind of fun to have actual neighbors. I feel like I'm experiencing real life, and it's so much fun!

Other than the flea issue, things are great with me. My roommates are both LDS and in the older singles ward (age 26+). I really, really like them. They're both super laid back and hilarious. I'm mostly just sad because I have to go to church by myself, and it's always kind of awkward to walk in for the very first time and have no one to go with you. Church went well, though, and I think I'll like the ward. I'm excited to see how the summer progresses. I start work next week and I'm really excited. Also nervous. I feel like I need to start studying everything I've ever learned in economics so I don't make a total fool of myself.

Anyway, what are all of you up to? I don't know how often anyone checks this anymore, but I'd love to hear all about your lives. I miss you all and love you more!