Ending summer and beginning the journey

I fit all of what has been my life in LA into my little car. Just a few boxes, duffle bags, a hamper of dirtly clothes.

I am so greatful for my summer in LALA land. I have learned that I can truly be independent. I can pay bills and work and function on my own--I am my own person. But at the same time, I wouldn't be anywhere without my friends and my family. And now I realize that they are really behind me--more than I knew.

Coming home is as surreal as living in LA on my own has been. I can always count on Los Angeles to be always moving, always changing--and living there was such a huge step for me, such a time of growth. In contrast, it is strangely comforting how little changes here at my home in Santa Cruz. It looks the same, smells the same, sounds the same. Even the family barbeques seem very much the same--even with the addition of my cousin's new baby, the different girlfriends and boyfriends that my cousins and aunts bring--even with some changing dynamics as the cousins grow up, it all rings true to the comforting constance of home in this crazy world.

I am greatful for my life and for the opportunities that I have been given. Now, more than ever, I am sure of my roots, my home, my family and friends. And with this security of knowing where I come from, I go out into the world. Finally, after a month of being in a perpetual state of "goodbye," I'm leaving, ready for what life has to throw at me on this crazy adventure!