There's Reason to Believe

And it's one more day up in the canyons
And it's one more night in Hollywood
If you think you might come to California
I think you should

And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last

I have officially finished the semester. And it's 2 a.m., and I can't sleep. I have no idea what my grades will look like, but I do know that I worked crazy hard (grad school is hard). I have one day to pack and breathe and answer the e-mails I've been ignoring for the past two weeks (sorry 'bout that, all), to maybe go on a celebratory shopping trip, to clean up my room, and to fit in one last trip to Coffee Bean. And then it's off to the better coast. To see pretty much everyone I care about (with a few notable exceptions) in one fell swoop. If all goes as planned, I will hit D.C., Baltimore, then the entire tri-state area (well, at least all three states).

I still feel like I'm missing all the good important things that are happening on the East Coast and all the times my friends need me, too. L.A. is still ... lonely, and I still haven't found anyone to make color meals with, but I get immense pleasure from wearing flip-flops outside in December. I am still not enamored with my roommates (one of whom seems to be doing a science experiment with some glasses of milk in the kitchen), but I should have known I could never replace my old roommates (of the dance parties and the fish and Billy). I seem to have found an L.A.-based Trivial Pursuit buddy and located fabulous frozen yogurt and I really like my fellow Ph.D. students. I am not terrified every time I get in my car, but I am still looking forward to taking the subway.

In short, L.A. is not New York. And I miss New York, though mostly I miss the people I love. But I am slowly adjusting. I have had great visitors and am looking forward to some more coming up (insert guilt trip here if that does not include you). Winter break will be fantastic, if frigid, And hopefully I'll come back to a place I call home with Trader Joe's pizza dough in my luggage, happy to be sleeping in my own bed and wearing flip-flops again, ready for a new semester of late nights and lots of reading (but no statistics!).