REMIND ME . . .

There are, shamefully, times when I forget how vast and varied and gorgeous this country of mine is.

Leaving for L.A., I was so exhausted that I fell asleep as soon as I buckled myself into my window seat, a good twenty minutes before takeoff. I didn't even feel the plane leave the tarmac. I missed the first and second beverage service, although my seatmate had kindly saved me a snack-pak (I love the crackers and faux cheese -- how did he know?) and a small bottle of water. I didn't watch "March of the Penguins." I didn't go to the bathroom, not once.

I didn't open my eyes until the jet's wheels hit the landing strip as we arrived at the airport at Salt Lake City. What a sight to behold! Mountains -- snow-capped -- all around, in every direction I turned my head. Clouds and fog and snowflakes fluttering about. Sunlight streaming in ribbons through slender openings in the sky. Crystal blue heavens peeking through wider openings. I had initially been thankful to God for giving me much-needed rest. My thanksgiving turned to praise upon viewing clear and convincing evidence of the beauty and wonder and breath-taking reality of Creation.

My need for sleep was not yet sated; I fell asleep again at the gate as soon as I buckled myself in for the leg to Los Angeles. Again, I felt nothing, knew nothing, ate nothing, spoke nothing. Again, my eyes snapped open as soon as the plane -- very violently, by the way, and that totally freaked my freak, you know what I'm saying, Ellen Degeneres? -- landed at LAX. And again, I peered out the window and this time ... different mountains, different sun, more trees, same glory, same thanksgiving, same praise, same wondering, "how do I forget that this exists? How do I forget that this too is my country? How do I forget that He made this also and this also is good?"

I need to not forget so much. I need to travel more. I need to travel to my sister more. Dang, this place is starting to grow on me. Too bad it's 3000 miles away from my life ... and too bad about the three-day state Bar exam.

***

I'M IN . . .

My first meal upon landing in Los Angeles -- within an HOUR of landing in Los Angeles -- was In-n-Out Burger, natch.

Our order was messed up, but that did not lessen the beauty of the In-n-Out Burger experience. YUM-O-LA.

If future employment opportunities don't work out, I might have to be the first franchisee to bring this wonderment to New York.

***

FROM "LOST" TO L.A. . . .

It wasn't until she told me that someone pointed it out to her that it hit me: my sister looks like Sun, the Korean female character from "Lost."

Resolved: always leery of using people's real names on this big bad place known as the Internet, I shall now refer to my sister as Sun, her husband as Mr. Sun, and the ladies as ... I dunno. The ladies, for now. For that is what they are quickly -- far too quickly, for our taste -- becoming. Sigh.