On Visitors

Our first guests from home have come and gone. My cousin Jesse and his fiancee Elianna came to visit us for four nights. It was such a treat having them here. We have an extra bedroom for just this reason, and have been encouraging folks back home to take advantage of it.

I have been happy here and Peter and I have been doing really well. We have met like-minded people with whom we enjoy spending time and have strengthened our own relationship. However, I didn't realize how isolated I felt until I had people who knew me well show up. There is something comforting about old friends and family, and Jesse and Eli are both of those. We laughed a lot, and teased each other, and managed to celebrate a nice Christmas even though 3/4 of us are Jewish and while missing family back home. We had a couple new friends over for Christmas Eve dinner, which of course was the Gardner family tradition: grinders (salami sandwiches).

Christmas morning, I walked down the hill early and waited for Beth's taxi. Beth is one of my oldest and closest friends and was able to get a ticket just last week to come see us. She and my cousins overlapped for a fun day.

Next, Rahel and Caroline come, and then, we hope, my brother Mark. In the spring, my parents will fly down. It is exciting and wonderful how many people are taking advantage of our location to come visit us!

In some ways it is surreal having people visit. I was walking down the street yesterday with Jesse and Eli in front of me and Beth next to me, looking up at my familiar buildings from my then looking at these people I love from home and felt disjointed, like my life had been photoshopped. And yet, here they were. Showing new people our city is both exciting and daunting -- what if they don't like this restaurant or shop? I can't wait to show them this view! Most of all, though, it is hard seeing them go. These visitors remind me why I will go home again to Berkeley and where my home really is, even as I enjoy this adventure.

By the way, if you are thinking that our pictures suddenly got a lot better, well they did. Jesse is a great photographer (and has a kick-ass camera). His fantastic pictures of their time here (along with a bunch from Mexico City before they got here) can be found here. And his always wonderful blog, which includes posts about his culinary experiences in Mexico is here.