….. one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years. – Thomas Wolfe

I’m back in Utah. After being away for only four months, I was sure the transition back would be seamless. Not so.

For those of you who have returned home from missions, try to remember how not cool that was. You leave a place you have grown to love and then you feel like you have taken one giant step backwards as soon as you get home.

Don’t get me wrong, I love being home with my family but things feel weird. Just last week I felt on top of my game in New York. For a clearer picture, please refer to the Newsies scene when they sing “I’m the King of New York” …. that’s what it’s like everyday in the Big Apple. Now I am back in Provo and I have never felt so unsure of myself in my life. Shouldn’t it be the inverse?

I figure this depression and lack of eating and constant pajama wearing should only last a month … tops. Logic: usually it takes guys about 6 months to be totally normal after their missions, or a fourth of the time on their mission. My stint in New York lasted only 4 months, so a month should do the trick.

What I miss most about New York:

Walking through Times Square at night while listening to Michael Buble on my iPod (product placement ).

Walking alone through Central Park while listening to the Amelie soundtrack. (If you are not familiar with the Amelie soundtrack, I highly recommend.)

Finding Central Park gems. (Deven knows exactly what I’m talking about)

Walking.

Knowing that I can get off at any subway stop and find something interesting.

Meeting new kinds of people that could never be found in Provo … or LA, for that matter.

Listening the gay guys critique Broadway shows as they leave the theater.

Witnessing bank robberies without even being aware of it.

Getting kicked out of McDonald’s in the middle of the night because of gas leaks and then being interviewed by a reporter while eating our food on the curb as the police and fire department show up.

Hanging with my peeps in NYC.

Friday was the last day of my internship. Reports were finished, sushi was eaten, my desk was cleaned, mugs were taken, and tears were shed. I walked through the city and rode with subway with sunglasses on to hide the evidence. We’ll see what self-control I can muster when it’s time to say goodbye to New York…..

P.S. I hope some of you caught my reference in the title.

For those of you who were not aware, Wicked is amazing. Diana and I were able to go the week she was in town and it rocked our socks right off. As a testimony of how good it is, I was possibly the one person in the world that was not a fan of the music – excluding a few songs – but I still fell in love with the show. There were parts that literally took my breath away. The singing was amazing. Glinda was so funny. And the sets were perfect. I will admit, however, that I will not be purchasing the soundtrack (and not just because I steal other people’s music in order to avoid spending money on media). This may not make sense, but I would not want to listen to the music everyday, but I would want to watch the show everyday. Without seeing the characters, the music just sounds like a bunch of crazies belting out weird songs. In conclusion, it’s an AMAZING show.

The Air Guitar Championships were in Brooklyn and Deven, Shelley, Diana, and I had the honor of attending. I have been joking for a while that I am training for the Air Guitar Championships, but you better believe this is not a joke for these people. One guy quit his job in order to train. Naturally, the best air guitarists were those who actually played guitar. Which begs the question, “If you are actually able to play the guitar, why are you spending your time air guitaring?” The answer, of course, is because it is totally awesome. Why play a real guitar, when you can rock out with just a pick and atmosphere?