home

For this East Coast transplant, being anywhere besides New Hampshire during the holidays has taken a lot of getting used to. We eschewed our usual Thanksgiving trek to Arizona this year in favor of a visit with David's sisters in southern California. We had a lovely time with my sister-in-laws and their families, especially Stella, who was at her prima's side every waking moment, but the cultural differences between the northern and southern parts of California had me wanting to stay under the covers all day (the comfy covers my sister-in-law Cecilia provided). At the holidays you can really feel how far you are from where you came from, and being in the O.C. can put a pretty fine point on that.

David's sister Monica and her husband Chris took us to Laguna Beach, where they live, on Friday. This was a real treat. We got some good air and some good lunch, and rested up for the return home.

Which was a breeze. David had us in the car by 5:45 a.m. and walking in our front door at 12:30 p.m. Nice. I spent the car ride reflecting on the obvious, overt cultural differences between what I've seen in southern California and the bubble of the Bay Area. Honestly, I'm sort of shocked. I try very hard to leave little impact on our environment, but I falter, often. I look like (insert name of a champion for the environment here, I can't think of one right now) compared to what I saw there. Between this and all of the news regarding holiday shopping yesterday, I feel like I'm gasping for air. 

Happy to be home.