Circle of Eight

Recently I invited friends over to my flat to enjoy a home cooked meal.
I made a hearty twelve bean and vegetable soup from scratch, seasoned Bulgar Wheat, and sautéed green beans. Friends came over with a bottle of California Wine, and fresh bread from the neighborhood bakery.

We gathered in the living room. Conversation
flowed, laughter echoed, food was savored, and good company was enjoyed.

I paused to take it all in. I looked around at this group of people I know as
friends. Eight new people, eight new lives; eight new
friendships. I felt content, accomplished, and so happy.

I am creating an expanding circle of friends, a home, and a community, all of the things I wished for before moving across the country to this unfamiliar place and time.

Love "in the Haight"

The scent of Eucalyptus gently wafts through the open window of my 105 year old Victorian flat. The scent is inviting and calls us to the outdoors.

Derby and I walk across the street to the panhandle of Golden Gate Park to enjoy lush greenery cradled by whizzing cars in the midst of the city.

In the park hand holding lovers stroll past, a group of friends on a blanket in the grass taking in the sunshine, joggers and bikers on their designated paths.

On the way home we walk through the neighborhood blocks, exploring and admiring. Ornate facades of Victorian and Edwardian buildings stop me in my track and I stare in a daze of awe.

Quaint tree lined streets and coffee shops. This lovely area I now know as my neighborhood and my home. Up the half flight of stairs and into the house, Derby's paws click-clack on the hardwood floors. The creeks of the apartment have become familiar and pleasant. I love my new neighborhood and I feel home.