More later when I get to my computer...

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Later...

Sun. 09.16.07 - Yes, it is official. I am staying in SoCal. For now. Mildly settled. Whatever settled means to a lady with family on both sides that is always in motion.

I have now been home from Ireland for 48 weeks and in those 48 weeks, I have searched for the right fitting corporate web jobs in the Silicon Valley & San Francisco, I lived at my brother's house for 6 months, I traveled to Austin, Raleigh, Denver, Chicago, San Francisco 3 or 4 times, I restarted my freelance business, and I moved into my own apartment in Seal Beach, Calif.

When I first moved into my new apartment in May, I perceived it as temporary as I was 1 of 2 candidates being interviewed for a web design position at a large firm up north. At the time, I decided to only move what I absolutely needed for living into my new place and keep the rest in storage and my brother's garage loft. The plan at the time was that if I received the position it would be easy enough to have movers go to the loft and the storage space to pick things up rather than having to unpack and then repack in quick order.

Well, the in-house candidate got the job. I did not. My summer got busy and I kept telling myself that when I had time I would apply for more jobs up North In The Land Of Computer Utopia or that I would go get my stuff out of my brother's loft and unpack it.

The summer came and went. While at the Rails Edge 2007, I met Jim Meyer, a delightfully bright and interesting programmer from NorCal. Jim asked me to join him in participating in the Rails Rumble. I said yes, contributed one of my application ideas, drove up to the San Francisco Bay Area, hung out with friends, drove around neighborhoods with Kelly McCarthy, and coded with Jim for 2 days.

As I drove away from the Bay Area last Sunday evening, I felt relief. Each mile that I traveled south on the 5 fwy, my spirits lifted. Rather than groaning at driving over the Grapevine and back into the LA Basin, I was darned glad. I was home.

Ok, so I probably will move to Europe again for a year or two within the next 5 or 10 years, most likely London, but I have moved away enough to know something really important deep down in my bones: Southern California, for all of its joys and flaws, is home. Deep down home. Roots home.

I may have itchy feet and traveller's blood in me from all sides, but for now I am home. To that end, I went over to my brother's garage and got a round of boxes full of books on Tues. Sept. 11th. I unpacked them and started to set up my house as I like it. With lots of books.