Half a year and one day

Yesterday marked the six month anniversary of my California residence.  It seems fitting that I spent that day (along with all of the past week) with my visiting mother, sister and (almost) two-year-old nephew.

During their stay, we covered Venice Beach, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica (and the pier), Malibu, West Hollywood, the Los Angeles zoo, a variety of star-studded restaurants (The Standard, Newsroom, Lola's, etc.), Burbank, the grove, Brentwood, UCLA/Westwood, the Metro Link and most of the rest.

I never fail to see L.A. as an amazing place to live, but when I have the pleasure of company, I'm reminded of just how lucky I am.  However, the day my family leaves, I'm also reminded of how much I love home (i.e. OK).  After I dropped off everyone at the airport, I felt homesick for the first time in six months.  And while I know I'll feel good as new soon, it's always nice to know that, deep down, I'll always be an Okie no matter where I live.