My First Post!

So after finishing my first official run this evening along the Greenbelt in my new home for the next year, Boise, Idaho, I decided I should start a blog to document this experience. I think I was pretty high on endorphins because after having to choose all the colors and backgrounds I am much less excited than I was 45 minutes ago! (But still excited enough to go through with this).

In case you didn't know already, I graduated law school in May, and then studied for and took the California bar over the summer. Four days after the bar left my comfy home in So Cal to spend a year clerking for the Idaho Supreme Court in Boise, Idaho. Change has never been easy for me, but if there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I will continue to challenge myself and push my boundaries. Facing things that scare me a bit has always been tough, but more than that, it's always been incredibly rewarding. I know I will have tough times here, and lonely, homesick times, but I also know I will have some truly great experiences that I'll never forget.

So, on my inaugural post I wanted to list some of the things in my 7 short days here in Boise so far that I LOVE about Boise:

1. There is green everywhere. Boise is called the "City of Trees" and it's certainly lived up to its name. From the Greenbelt to the park near the Capitol Building, everything is lush even in this stifling summer heat.

2. Everyone smiles at you when you walk by. On a run, walking to lunch from work, or in the courthouse building, whenever someone walks by, they smile! What a concept.

3. No traffic. People here thing that a 15 minute commute is "long" and that 8 cars waiting at a light at the one congested street downtown is "rush hour traffic." It takes me 7 minutes to get to work and that is considered "far."

4. No Starbucks downtown. I know, this one seems strange! But hear me out. There are no chain coffee shops downtown, only local Boise or northwest chains. They all have a different independent feel, and so far they all make a great nonfat vanilla latte! I look forward to trying them all out.

5. Everyone has a dog. I loooooove doggies and miss my Puppy Luke back home so bad, so it's a good thing that everyone in Boise has a dog and makes sure to take it out with them! On my run tonight I ran by at least 10 doggies, each of which I called "Pup" out loud and gave a little pet if they were close enough.

I have much more to say, but I think I'll spread it out and call it quits for this first post. I'm off to watch the finale of So You Think You Can Dance! Rooting for Robert, he's from Thousand Oaks, right by my hometown of Oak Park! I'll be happy with whoever wins though, they're all great (unlike the pain I never got over that Adam Lambert did not win American Idol).