The worst part of going home to is having to leave again. No matter how settled I feel in Philadelphia, I’ll always have a California-shaped hole in my heart. For as long as I live, I will miss fresh guacamole, my best friend’s backyard, In-N-Out cheeseburgers, dry air and sunshine, the acrid smell of pot on a wet Berkeley morning, and the best khao pad goong and sushi this country has to offer. (Apparently most of what I miss about California is the food…?)
It was so wonderful to be home on my birthday, though. Celebrating 22 in the company of my oldest and closest friends was the best gift. They came north from San Luis, south from Davis, and places in between just to see me.
I broke tons of my own rules, including:
not drinking getting drunk before breakfast,
sunbathing without sunscreen,
letting Scooter tell the story of the night we met,
letting B. show the video of me drunkenly imitating Sarah Palin,
wearing dark red lipstick,
and eating my weight in ounces of cake.
Sunbathing without sunscreen is the only thing I actually regret.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
And speaking of things I just can’t help but loving: B. asked me to marry him! On my 21st birthday he gave me an “I love you” ring and on the last day of my 21st year, he asked me to be his wife. I said yes, of course. Who wouldn’t?

