Seems I have bargained for a stay longer than what I had originally expected. It’s pretty much the third week here in California, and I am barely packing up my stuff now for a return flight home… today. I pretty much gave the finger, figuratively and sarcastically speaking, of course, to my sister when she left two weeks ago. I remained here since.

My plane leaves at around 5:00 pm PST — right in time for the LA traffic. In other words, I gotta haul ass today if I want to make it to the airport on time, maybe like leave at around 3 or so. It’s my brother’s call; he’s the makeshift cab driver for today after all.

I must say, after looking back to the plethora of things done while here, this has been one of the more worthwhile (and longer!) California visits. Even though I still miraculously remember the streets, where all the stuff is at, where all the places are at, and where all the people are at, everything still seems like a “new” thing, especially when it comes to spending time with old and new friends alike. Sometimes I feel as though I never left this place to begin with, and I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing!

Aside from spending unhealthy amounts of time with friends here and there (even going as far as to sneaking into a friend’s school), I managed to get a lot of time in with my lone wolf brother who decided to remain here when I first moved to New Mexico, as well as with the father I never really bothered to know any farther than the man who takes me out for donuts every morning, or used to. Also managed to get some “bonding” time in with my cousin from Vietnam who’s here as an international student… and somehow, I knew deep down inside the kind of person he was going to be — a Vietnamese stay-at-home shy-with-other-people computer junkie; not that his expertise exceeds mine, nor will it ever will, since he changed his major to mathematics. We barely talk, but feel as though we can talk about anything.

You know, I’m acting like a child here; the list of things done while here could go on forever and ever, as that much has been done. I think I’ll close it up with a nice statement that this vacation was much needed, nice, and perhaps even made me a semi-new person. One of the things I’ll really miss for the time being, however (and I say this as a man), are the girls. Oh man, there were so many that I met, made friends with, and made eye contact with, sometimes I wish I could stay longer just for that! But that’ll come another day when I come back, again. Either way, I’ll be going home to where I belong, for now, tonight.

Oh crap, I forgot to call my other brother and let him know of the time to pick me up from the airport when I get there…