polished rice

last night (my second to last here in the united states) we went out for a sushi feast at Tsunami. rachel made the reservation. robert selected the sake. les ordered the fish. ron made a special effort to escape babylandia to join us.

and together we ate and drank and drank and then we drank more.

i've been in town for a few weeks and that was one of the first times i felt like i belonged here. there was no small talk about how i like australia. there was no time pressure to make the most of scheduling. i just got to hang out with friends.

that's what i've missed most while in australia; the casual, nothing doing, no pressure, having a laugh with friends (and family).

i'm learning that these quick trips home are not conducive to fulfilling that need. no matter how long i'm back in SF for, i'll be here as a temporary visitor because now i live in australia. and while i can expect to have the stars align once or twice for an evening like last night, i can't really expect to just step back into my old life again.

before this trip, i felt like a san franciscan who was trying to live in australia. now i realize that i'm a melbournian who used to live in san francisco.

i didn't come home. i went away and tomorrow i'm going home.

maybe this shift in perception will help me invest more in my australian life? it's hard to tell with a raging sake hangover.