Where I have been, you ask? School, work, San Francisco - and of the three, I think I would choose SF. Despite the 10 hour (10 hour!) four-city stop (Tampa, Austin, LA, Oakland), highly uncomfortable flight there, I was so so happy to be thwew. Like I've never been happy to be there before.
"Look, buildings!" I would cry aloud.
"Food! Delicious food!"
"People walking around!"
"Neighborhoods!"
Never have these things seemed as precious as they from the vantage of North Carolina. Also, SF is toying with me because when I was there in early April and this past weekend, the sun was just shine shine shining and the skies were blue. This is a trick, I know. But I fell for it. Hard.

I ate well, I walked miles, I drank a glass of wine (call the pregnancy police!) I hung out with excellent people, I shopped...good times. The wedding was fun, as fun as remaining dead sober at an open bar free for all can be for a girl - casual and elegant all at once. They had dim sum as the drinks menu and then used their favourite taqueria to cater the main event - genius! - and It's It ice cream sandwiches in every flavor instead of cake. People were in various states of costume - I finally demurred, wearing flashy accessories in lieu of "rockness" and the music was fun. Plus, I got to leave early when the boozing got crazy and walk myself through the Tenderloin in my flashy fake jewels and red patent shoes as kind men told me "Be alert, honey". I like the rough edges of cities, I do.

The Bay Bridge was also closed all weekend which almost caused us to have to reschedule our tickets to the tune of $500 because we couldn't get a shuttle or a cab to take us to Oakland airport. But luckily the BART ran some extra hours and lo, 'twas the first I have been on the BART before 6 am, with bunches of East Bay drunkards. Just the joy of being on public transit made up for it.

So, a not very interesting retelling of my trip. But a solid reminder, smack between the eyes, that polite pretty towns/cities are of no interest to us. We want grit and goodness, neighborhoods and non-cookie cutter buildings, and food food food. Which pretty much means we'll be leaving the minute I graduate, I'm gathering.