Day 357-- Friends are the people who take you pole dancing

[On my way to Sacramento via the train]
J: "Do you want to go to a dance class?"
Me: "Sure."
(30 minutes later we're hittin' the poles.)

Friendship; a noun, but a place.  A place where you feel happy, peaceful, safe, and inspired.   

Going back to the Bay and simply walking with friends.  Just walking.  I do so much walking alone these days, and while I don't mind the solitude most of the time, I do miss the simple action of being with people who love you and love back and at any moment you're ready to joke with or tease or cry with them. 

I feel healthy after my trip.  Calm.  Like it's all going to be ok, because it will be, and energetic to try new things in San Diego.  Yes, I've more or less decided to stay in San Diego for a while to build up my weak resume and to really give it an honest shot.  I feel like I've been asleep most of this past year and I want to make up for it, and get that awesome tan, do some yoga, go downtown for drinks, and all and all.

First stop A--, a friend from college who's been doing grant writing for a non-profit environmental service, unfortunately without, you know, pay for her writing.  I love her apartment, so open to the trees and grass outside.  I also loved her homemade pizza and am so very jealous of her adorable retro green mixer.  She's doing well if not a little anxious for things to get moving in the job market, and as she said, 'How are you supposed to know the exact name of what you want to do?'. Word.  I'm not worried about her though; she has a killer resume she's build in preparation for a sincerely successful and meaning career and life.

Next friend stop via the train to Sacramento, watching the tall yellow grass and watery bay pass by as the hours rolled by swift and ready.

J--- picked me in her sports bra and her little red car full of stickers calling for Namaste, peace, and activism. I was ordered to wear slip off shoes, loose shorts and a tank for our dance class and together you couldn't miss the fact that we're Californians.

Over some chai and boba we talked about things in the writing scene.  What are our plans?  What are our long-term dreams?  What of grad school, Hawaii, Seattle, Portland, DC, Sacramento, San Jose, San Diego, the private sector vs non-profits, the feminist twist of the concept of "The Talented Tenth" which was W.E.B. Dubois's idea that the top 10th of the race must rise the rest of the 90% (apply this to women), or the feminist twist on "The Gospel of Wealth" which was Andrew Carnegie's idea that the richest and most successful people have the responsibility of giving back to the community (apply to successful women helping young women entrepreneurs/writers).  

But enough talk and more pole dancing.  Due to a groupon deal, J---- goes once a week to pole dancing and once or twice a week to yoga.  It's not for anything or anyone but herself, and we made each other laugh with hip warm-ups and "I got this," whenever the teacher showed a difficult move.  For the record, pole dancing is actually pretty fucking athletic on the arms and abs, and a fun way to burn calories.  And I was inspired to look for some groupon deals and a gym member in my area back home.  I've gotten myself into a rut of A-to-B all day and I need mix it up.  Plus my thighs and stomach are not as tone as they were a year ago and it's been freaking me out.  I'm still skinny, but I don't like not being tone.  

Off to the airport to pick up S---- flying in from Virgina.  What a wonderful sight.  Luggage, too warm of clothes for hot Sacramento, and such a radiant genuine smile of finally being back home.

First stop Lush and loading up our baskets with lotions and potions to restock our bathrooms.  Check out Lush if you have the chance.  All of their stuff is organic, non-animal treated, feels and smells amazing. 

Off to lunch at Fanny Ann's Saloon which is all dark woods, crazy signs, and hot food.  Over burgers, wings, and fries we got to talking about the crazy shit and not so crazy shit this year has brought us. 

--"This has been the realist year of my life."

--"You keep paying for everything, I feel like I'm going to have to put out at the end of the night."

--"When it rain it pours, so get better rain boots and a coat."

--"I think we are soaring, we're just at low altitude right now."

--"It was a bubble.  I miss the bubble." [the suburbs]

--Discussing the important of simply respecting humanity coming from 1 Catholic, 1 Muslim, and 1 Atheist.

 

--What the economy has done to our lives and families ie not great jobs for us, and parents relocated and either losing houses or about to (my mom is thinking about foreclosing her investment home).

--Future plans of travel to the Philippines, DC, and Seattle 

--The love of our friends and the importance of love for ourselves.

--FOOD.  Lots of good food in our favorite places.

We walked around town to the river, to a unique olive oil tasting shop, a tiny ice cream parlor, and checked out this large costume shop and picked out the sexiest outfitters and were all stumped in how anyone could fetishize a clown outfit, but hey, where there's a will....

  

And time to leave.  Time to drink a Lemon Drop cocktail before my flight with 30 4th graders who all liked to scream, kick, wiggle, and freak out about crashing.  I loooooooove being over 21!  Weeeeeeeeee!

And I miss my friends, I truly miss them so much already. But on the bright side, for the first time in a few weeks I feel really good, I feel really positive.  Things are going to be alright, ya know? Yes, it's taken us much longer than we anticipated and we still have a few more years to go, but in the end I'm confident that we will find what we seek--adventure, truth, education, love, whimsy, and success in a field we're proud to be a part of and help others. We will be powerful women.  Pencil skirts and heels.  Perhaps one or two professors, an editor, and a high-powered PR consultant.  Giants.

And it makes me realize, the best of friends are the ones you laugh with, complain with, network with, and of course, can talk about your vibrator with. I <3 my friends.