Hello from Austin, TX

Hello, everyone

How's San Diego? I made it to Austin, TX safe and sound. Right now, it's 75 degrees and 70% humidity. I arrived here on Friday the 5th, and have been going through orientation since Saturday. A lot of online and paper tests to be done before I started on Monday, however I didn't finish it all until monday night. This is going to be a challenging assignment filled with a lot of experiences and opportunities.

Now for Austin... Oh my. If their motto, "Keep Austin Wierd" gives you an idea how Austin is, I'll send you a few pics later that explains how wierd they can be. I found a lot of coffee shops to go to with free wifi, so I 'm happy. Also, driving into Austin I've seen more Dairy Queens than Starbucks, Ford F150's and Chevy trucks in almost every garage, and Univ of Texas students and alums that are hardcore fans. I haven't made a list of things to visit yet, but I do want to check out their hiking trails around my area. Good exercise. During the holidays, I gained a lot of weight. My mom is a great cook, and I was crazy to ask her to teach me how to cook a lot of the dishes she makes. That meant we had to eat it all afterwards. Sacrificing my waistline to learn to cook. ;-)

Well, as soon as I can tour Austin, I'll send you pics of my adventures. Until then, have a blessed new year!!

Leona