Home Sweet Home

After a rather lengthy lull in blogging, which coincided with my return to the United States and all the driving/flying around and visiting with friends and family, I could think of no better way to relaunch TheLatentMap than providing a brief summing-up of the good times I had back home.

1.) New York. It was fun even though it felt a little weird due to all the things that have changed since I left NYU. A few people integral to my mental concept of New Yorkness were missing, my cell phone wasn't functioning properly and no calls were coming through, and all the subway cars felt wide, metallic, and cavernous. But after a full spectrum of the various seasons' weather fanfared by in the space of a week, and after one or two nights staying out at the bar until dawn, it started to feel more like my old stomping grounds again. It was as though New York were a pair of jeans that I'd washed, dried, and put away at the bottom of the drawer--the ones that don't fit quite right until you wear them around, stretch them out a little, and accidentally spill your beer or dinner on them. After you break them in, they feel just as good as they used to.

2.) Washington, D.C. My oh my did I have fun with Sarah C. and her new city. Here I was, thinking that D.C. would probably be a little on the boring side, while Sar had actually planned out an excellent few days, packed with sightseeing, vegetarian cuisine, fun friends, and lots of drunken cab rides. The nightlife was pretty happenin', although drinks strangely cost more than in New York, and not every venue would play our obviously tasteful request list. I think this visit must have been when the seeds of the idea of living together again were planted. Here's to summer in LA!

3.) California. This is a picture of it there, if you can believe it. I called my friend Mike in Minneapolis at one point, and we had even more snow than they did. Amazing. A big storm would come through, but two or three days later everything would be melted, sunny, and beautiful. I spent a lot of time in LA and San Diego, and a lot of my family members bought me new clothes and shoes and perfume and symphony tickets and lunches, in part to tell me that they were happy to see me, and in part, I think, to subliminally coerce me to move back permanently.

4.) Alabama. It's a great place, I don't care what you say. The food is so-so and the people are Republican, but the scenery is truly beautiful, everyone is exceedingly friendly, and I got to stay in the quasi-finished house my parents are building. Our very nice neighbors, Galoria and Wayman, loaned us a canoe so that we could paddle down the river that runs across our property. I decided I needed to go swimming even though the water was icy cold, so that's where the picture is from. I learned handy skills like cement mixing, trail clearing, porch swing hanging, water fetching, and bonfire building. I felt like a real pioneer. And look at the cute little house!



So, now I'm back in London, because I play it like that. Being at home was lovely, though it does make things just that much harder when it comes to deciding where I want to "settle down." Good thing I don't have to figure that part out yet.