Sorry I’ve been so delinquent in posting! This past week has been full of preparing for my trip. A new laptop came in (Dell Inspiron 14z, I know it’s not the smallest on the market, but it came at the right price and is still pretty light!), I’ve been scrambling to pack and prepare for my trip to California, which happens before my big trip, etc. etc. And, of course, trying to spend good time with friends before I take off for a long while.

So! I’m currently in Thousand Oaks, California to meet Boris’ dad, stepmom and grandma. I’d never been to Thousand Oaks, which, depending on traffic, is about an hour from LA. The landscape here is really beautiful; their deck in the backyard looks out onto a valley with pseudo-plains and mountains. The fields are the color of straw, and in the sunset light yesterday, I couldn’t help but think of that song, “Fields of Gold,” by Sting.

I’ll try to get some photos up soon!

Tomorrow morning I’ll be flying into Oakland to meet up with my family. We’re going to be hanging out in Sonoma County, where we’ll be lounging, canoeing, birding, hiking, beaching and wine tasting. It’s gonna be pretty sweet.

In the meantime, check out this video by a dude named Matt. Matt has gone around the world dancing. This is right up my alley, and my friend Regina knew that and sent it to me. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend watching it!