First Sunday In Baltimore

Two things I've learned today:
1) Sundays in Baltimore are nothing like Sundays in Utah.
2) Sundays in Baltimore are exactly like Sundays in Utah.

Let me explain why:

After waking up and preparing for church, I walked down the street about two blocks and stood at the bus stop. I had to wait about 10 minutes for a bus to show up. There I was standing there in my sunday best with a nice bag, while the rest of the people there were in their scrungy looking clothes and most of them were smoking and hadn't showered in what smelled like days. A drunken man even came up to me and asked if I had any money. I lied and said no, and he went on (I could have not even responed and he wouldn't have even noticed because he was so out of it...). The bus came and I was the innocent one who didn't know what to do. I paid my money, and took a seat and stared at my map. A few stops later, the bus got so full that someone had to sit next to me. Luckily it was a clean-cut younger gentlemen who looked quite freiendly, so I started a conversation with him, and asked him how to signal a stop when it was time to get off. He told me that all I had to do was pull the string. If he didn't tell me that I probably would have just passed the church. I did make it to the church though, and it was no problem at all. There's a stop right in front of the chruch. I didn't have to make any transfers or anything. The whole bus ride cost $1.60, and took about 25 or 30 minutes from the time I got on. I arrived to church 20 min early (the next bus would get me there 10 min late).

The church meeting schedule is backwards, but I like it. The ward is really really small (maybe 35-40 people max? but maybe that's an underestimate due to the holiday weekend), which makes it really friendly. I almost already know everyone's name. It's so great how nice everyone there is, too. The Relief Society Room was killer hot. Mom would have died. In Sacrament meeting, they had me join the choir, and we performed that day. It was an easy song, so that was good. The choir had six girls and one guy.

After the block, there was a "munch and mingle" (like a linger longer) and we had a picnic in the cultural hall! It seriously was sooo much fun!! I got to just talk with lots of new people in the ward and get to know people better.

I got my laptop to Page (the computer guru in the ward) while I was at the munch and mingle. He said that I might have a virus :( But hopefully he can get it fixed for me no problem. Worst case scenario I'll have to get a new hard drive. No bigie. It just sucks coming out to Baltimore and then having your computer crash like that. Oh well. Page is seriously so great. I will owe him big time for helping me out with this...

I got a ride home from church, which was great because I didn't have to ride the bus home with weirdos. I was so sleepy then. I took a nap. It ended up being a long nap.

I was then invited by another friend in the ward, Elizabeth, to go to the DC temple visitor's center to listen to a speaker on science and religion (more specifically, genetics, the plan of salvation, and faith). So I went with her, and some other people from the ward, Amber, Cristian, and Heather, to that. It was a lot of fun to spend Sunday evening driving down to the temple like I did two nights ago and seeing it again, and then listening to the speaker. We sat on the temple grounds for a while after and ate some dinner that Amber packed for us. Best way to spend a Sunday night? I think so :) I have some pics I took of the temple at night. I'll add them once I have my laptop up and running.