I've Got Friends in Low Places (don't worry, I don't really like Garth Brooks)

As we get older, it definitely gets harder to make friends.  When we're young, we're thrown together in a big playpen called "school."  We're forced to share with others; we learn how to communicate; we loosen up at parties.  We work in restaurants and at the mall together.  We sit next to each other in classes.

While living in Korea, we gelled with each other because we were foreigners in a foreign land.  Our glue is the strangeness and our loneliness.  It took me a long time to remind myself not to make friends with people whom I wouldn't befriend in my home country.

And when I moved to San Diego, I was so worried that I wouldn't make any friends.  I know, I know...it does seem ridiculous.  But I didn't know how or what or where or when to do that.  I felt awkward.  Uncomfortable.  Afraid.

However, during the past few days, I've realized how lucky I am to have met the few people here that I have.  Of course, my old friends will always hold a special place in my heart, but it feels as though those doors in my heart have closed by Time and Distance (to whom I am shaking my fist).  It's the fault of no one, really.  Unless the blame is mine.

I had dinner with B tonight.  She complained about work and life.  Not COMPLAIN, just unloaded.  Then she started telling me that her friend's sister was schizophrenic.  Suddenly, she said, "I shouldn't complain about work.  Life could be worse."  Sure, I couldn't agree more.  But does that not mean that the problems in our lives are not at all important just because someone else has it worse?  Of course not.

Last night, V came over.  We ate kalbi with Z (who grilled it) and just talked.  It was just a relaxing night.  Who could ask for more? 

So I raise my glass to those of you in my past and present.  Whether we met at work, school, or some strange bar, I am lucky to have or have had you in my life.

No Beautiful Pictures; Just Words

Only so this doesn't turn into an eating blog, I want to make a list of all the awesomeness I've done since I moved to San Diego (in no particular order--just how they pop into my mind):

1. Went to a no-rae-bang
2. Took a day trip to Joshua Tree
3. Drove to Las Vegas (ohhhh, just a few times)
4. Ate In-N-Out (ok, Californians, it's good, but it's not all that).
5. Won a Halloween Contest (but I haven't taken part of the prize yet--Skydiving isn't something I'm ready to do RIGHT now.)
6. Won a Nirve bicycle (which I sold on craigslist, but I won it anyway)
7. Been to my first nude beach
8. Started a blog
9. Found a great job with great people
10. Have been able to bike to the library and the sushi restaurant
11. Almost made it through Six Feet Under
12. Have gotten a reputation for being a good baker (umm, for those who know me from before, it's a shock, I know)
13. Started practicing the keyboard again
14. Experienced "Wally World" (aka, Magic Mountain)
15. Tried Taiwanese ramen
16. Found a favorite wine
17. Drove East and laid out by the pool of a Days Inn
18. Made some great friends

Here are some things I want to do:

1. Go to Mexico
2. Go skydiving
3. Go back to Las Vegas (hee hee)
4. Go to Julien and eat a Julien pie
5. Visit Yosimite (and Big Sur)
6. Learn to surf or at least give it a try
7. Win another Halloween contest
8. Get my parents out here
9. Grow some herbs or some tomatoes or something

That covers it for now.  I'll try to get it done.