"California's Been Good To Me...

...Hope it doesn't fall into the sea" - Tom Petty

So I'm super bummed that I have to leave California in about 36 hours. I'm looking forward to living in London for at least the next 9 months... but still bummed to leave!

It was 66 this evening in Auburn as I headed to the gym. I have been wearing flip-flops pretty consistently since I got here - even when most of the state was a few feet underwater and most major waterways were flooding. Was able to meet my goal of working out 10 times while I was home (including swimming!) and got to 4 Abs and back classes. Made many a spinach salad, ate a month's worth of Mexican food (guacamole, guacamole!), drank yummy soy lattes from Java Junction and Peet's in SF, shopped a lot (the dollar is so much better when you are actualy here instead of trying to exchange it for the pound - do'h!) and was able to spend some quality time with the family and friends.

Additional highlights of the break were:
*Sacramento Kings game with my dad and sisters (despite a depressing loss)
*Christmas with my mom, sisters and grandparents
*Our first Christmas with our new step-mom, step-sister and step-brother
*New Year's and about 5 days in SF with some of my favorite girls from UCSD (Anna, Kathy, Boot and Kendra - I ADORE you guys!)
*Chillin with Zack, Andrew, Rachel, David, Sarah, Andrew, Eric, Lindsey and some of my other favorite people that make it SO great to come home
*Sleeping (in and just a lot in general)
*Chillin' with Kris and Kath - damn it's trouble when you have the famous Lee sisters in town!

I had an absolute ball in San Francisco and for the first time in my life really am considering moving there in the next - oh I don't know - 5 to 10 years (unless I am working for the next Democratic administration in the White House... then I might have to push it back - ha!) Jack - your SF Guardian is on the way... (ps - he's British - insert tongue-sticking out smiley face HERE!)

Still working on my essays and trying to stay focused... though I have found it's hard to focus when everyone is in town, on vacation and wants your attention - especially cause all I want to do is hang out. I mean - Pistol Pete's is SO tempting! It's this amazing local bar that plays all the ACDC, Lynyrd Skynyrd and country you could want. Last week it was basically a high school reunion and it was Kareoke night - I mean -who can beat that?!

I think overall too I have just been kinda reveling in my own culture shock - lovin' the things I left here and just having a blast embracing them. My friends just about die when I tell them that I have a new-found love for country and I have been singin' "Mud On The Tires" by Brad Paisley for about two weeks (aww yeah Kris).

I have also taken up a new knack for jokes - especially bad ones - as I displayed when I initiated (and then won) a 'bad joke contest' on the cab ride home the other night. Even worse - Dario had to sit through them through dinner... he was laughing I could tell - though more at me then at the jokes... ah well. Kendra and Kathy's humor had been wearing off on me I guess... my favorite?

If you are American when you walk in the bathroom and American when you walk out of the bathroom.... what are you while you are in the bathroom?

EUROPEAN - ha!

All right...on that delirious note I leave all y'all to get back to my essays...