morleyroarly | The eagle has landed...

Yes kids, that's right, I'm back in the Bay Area! I arrived Wednesday at 2pm. I'll be leaving again next Friday the 12th on a 2 month road trip around the US.

Now that I've shown up on the maximum number of doorsteps to amplify my surprise homecoming, I figure I can tell y'all that I've returned.

Culture shock doesn't feel as broad and US-government-society based as I'd expected - for the past 8 months I've been thinking enough about the differences in municipal waste, grocery stores, vehicular traffic and urban planning that they're not a huge surprise.

The bigger surprise is *social* culture shock. Being around friends, having the rare opportunity to have a fairly removed window-view into my social life, is fascinating and not just a little disturbing. Not that y'all are disturbing people - quite the contrary, I've been impressed by how much my friends and loved ones have their shit together and are fascinating people. But.. you're so.. SAN FRANCISCAN! It's all taking quite a bit of getting used to. And just in time for me to leave again!

If you want to see me between now and Friday, the best way to do that is to ply me with a Costco membership - I need someone to accompany me to get new tires for BonBon. Any takers?

Love and kisses from Le Palace in Berkeley! (Thank you J & Z - your down comforter is the most divine blissful manifestation of western superiority that I've encountered thus far!)

PS: My previous journal entry has been made public. It explains, in part, my reasons for returning home earlier than originally planned.