puppinu's house

so i'm back from my almost-month-long trip with my parents across the u.s. though it wasn't quite a full month, about three or four days off from being exact. i'm no stranger to cross-country road trips, but this one was a bit longer than the others. and i spent maybe a good two weeks in a vehicle as opposed to the one week i was in CA. i don't want to get too much into the reasons why the road trip was so long, but here are some highlights from my trip:

i got to hold a baby pig for the very first time. it was my aunt's… she has several pigs but i think the one she let me hold is one of her favorites. its name in english is diamond eye (since its blind in one eye).

we did a lot of sightseeing and visiting family/friends. i'm only just now realizing that we visited a lot of places of worship. we saw the shri swaminarayan mandir hindu temple in chino hills, which is a very beautiful temple and i think anyone reading this should visit if they get the chance. we also went to a chinese/taiwanese buddhist temple that wasn't too far away in hacienda heights… apparently my mom ran into a celebrity there 20 or 30 years ago. and of course we went to a thai temple to get food… speaking of food of course we ate in-n-out. and del taco. and el pollo loco OF COURSE… it's not fair that there's no el pollo loco here.. T_T

stopped by rose hills to visit my grandparents' graves. i only recently learned that it's the largest cemetery in north america. and apparently grave prices increased a lot too. around the 90's/00's a plot for two was probably around $5k if you got a good deal. and now its apparently almost $20k for just one grave. i would rather be cremated and my ashes spread in the ocean… -_-

eastvale is a new city also. like, that wasn't there last time… lmao.

the transition from mountainous colorado to flat-fuck kansas is hilarious and jarring. i didn't take very many pictures of kansas because there wasn't much to capture, but imagine going from this…

to literally nothing but grass and the occasional cow herd. it's kind of scary. but there was something a little bit appealing about the vast nothingness.

by the way, st. louis, missouri is actually, legiterally so scary. and i thought people in my area were reckless drivers. i've never been to a place where running reds is something that everyone does.

i was a bit moody the entire trip (understatement) and it only got worse during the final stretch. of course, i tried not to show it but i was kinda snippy sometimes. sorry mom and dad.
since i'm home now, rather than feeling relieved i feel a bit restless and lonely. lonely especially because i was trapped in a box with my parents for about a month, i got used to it very quickly lol. and now i'm suddenly mostly by myself in my apartment save for my roommates/friends. though i hardly leave my room. T_T it is what it is.

and despite my moodiness, the trip was a lot of fun. i got to see some new places and i also got a lot of ideas on places i'd like to visit in the future. i plan on moving out west after graduating (which is soon!) and it was good to re-experience life out there.

songs i've been listening to lately:

oathbreaker - ease me
momoko kikuchi - starlight movement
JPEGMAFIA - don't rely on other men