My Week.5 at Home

I have been home since the 20th of December, a 7.5 hour turbulent cold flight from Boston on United...not fun!

Then I got back to Atherton and got right back into the old living here routine. Had some doctors appointments to get out of the way before seeing friends and hanging with the fam. Callan was so excited for me to be home, every other sentence was Love you Dev! It was cute, I think he misses having siblings around, he is getting so much bigger now, 10 and in 5th grade! The day after I got home, Tuesday, I took Bart up to the city headed to Global Exchange my old job. I felt like I was right back in the commute, about an hour usually more, there and back everyday. It was so great to see my old coworkers- everything was the same. I missed them but it made me glad to have chosen to go to school and keep learning. I had Mexican food with Beth, a good friend from DC who did grad school like me a couple years ago- it was great to hear office chit chat and talk about my experience in grad school. Then I saw some friends and had dinner on Divisidero at Little Star a yummy pizza place. Throughout the week I ate at my favorite places: the Cheese House (possibly the best sandwiches in CA!), Applewood with Lenore a family friend, and of course cooking at home in a real person's kitchen is great. I made stir fry for my family christmas eve, though I don't think they were too fond of the vegetarian tofu I put in. Christmas eve was traditional as always. We went to the our old neighbors and childhood best friend's house the Hohls. After the party with amazing appetizers and the same families each year, we catch up, they go to church, and then come back to their house and the mom of the family always reads The Night Before Christmas, even though us kids are now 27, 23, 22, and 18. Love the traditions. Christmas morning was great, we enjoyed our tree (that callan waited to decorate with me for when I was home), and did gifts with just the four of us, MJ, Dad, Cal and myself.

I also went out for drinks for the first time in Redwood city with my friend Heather, it was fun but no San Francisco, and I saw my good friend Ryan at her new apartment in San Jose. After Xmas I did some exchanging of gifts and got some cute summer tops for the GALAPAGOS! Change of plans, I couldn't get a Brazilian Visa in time for my trip so I had to change my flight and go to Quito earlier. It will still be good, but so now I will be in Quito for 5 days then to the islands for 10, then back to boston on the 16th!

You will be seeing pictures!