I Have Arrived.

Well, it was a long drive, but I'm finally here.

2,038 miles, 12 diet cokes, 2 packs of gum, and six full rotations of my California Mix CD, and I have arrived. My sublet in Berkeley is adorable. Older building, hardwood floors, huge rooms, and a great neighborhood full of little bungalow houses and jungles of unfamiliar vegetation.

Tonight I attempted a Target run (my room has no overhead light, so I need to buy a lamp) but somehow I got turned around and ended up high in the hills with the most spectacular view of the bay at sunset. Talk about a happy accident. I had been feeling a little overwhelmed and homesick (three days on the road by yourself is a bit lonely, even with the cell phone) but standing up there and looking out at the hazy sunset over the bay calmed my nerves. I remembered why I came out here, and I realized what a blank slate I have in front of me. I have no idea where I'll be living in two months, who I'll be hanging out with, or where I'll be working. And that is so exciting.

Tomorrow I'll be out exploring the new neighborhood, and then off to San Jose for the weekend to see a familiar face. Tuesday is the interview at Restoration Hardware, and then...who knows? Leslie arrives in 12 days, and Fuzz may visit in August. I hope so, because I miss her too too much.

Here we go Fuzzy, let the parallel adventures begin.

Challenge: tell me about your favorite spots in your neighborhood. Go.