I'm a bad Washingtonian. Please don't disown me!

So, its been a bit rainy this week.

Wait, let me rephrase that... it's been a lot rainy this week.

And, don't get me wrong, I love it.  I love rain, and it soothes my homesickness for Washington while I'm here.  But in Southern California, when it rains, it pours.  And in Southern California, since it rarely rains, they don't design the infrastructure to remove rain from surfaces.  Streets and sidewalks don't drain.  Big puddles rule the land.

This is why I bothered to buy rainboots.  That, and I needed some good footwear for snow at home (rainboots are amazing for a good Seattle slush).  I bought rainboots and I wear them.  This, as someone from Seattle and a lover of rain, is something I never thought I'd do.  And I swear I'll still never be caught wearing rainboots for a Washington rain, but when you can't get from your room to the dining hall without stepping in a puddle, rainboots are nice.

What I'm really ashamed of though?  Using an umbrella.  I mean, more people use umbrellas than rainboots in the Northwest, as far as I can tell.  And it makes sense too - no matter how well the streets drain, you can still get wet from above when its raining.

It's not the umbrella usage that bothers me, it's the fact that I've gone from someone who will run outside (barefoot, even) in the rain because I'm that excited and I love it that much to someone who hides from it.  Whenever anyone suggests I came to California for the beautiful weather, I have to tell them that no, I much prefer the rain.  But just a couple days ago, I grumbled that I was sick of the rain and didn't want to get wet and would rather just use an umbrella... and then I continued to use it when the heavy rain stopped and it was hardly a light drizzle.

I thought I loved the rain.  Apparently I only love it when I don't have to go outside to get through my day and to eat.  I love rain when I can spend the day lying on my bed reading and staring at the droplets on my window.  I love rain when I can laugh about how I had to use all 10 wiper settings in my Ford explorer during an hour long drive.

I don't love rain when it gets my bike seat wet, when I have a plethora of classes, meetings and meals to go to.  I don't love rain when it makes me remember how far I am from home.  I especially don't love rain when its heavy enough to make me want to use an umbrella.