First Leg

I'm currently on a train from Sacramento to Richmond, where I'll take Bart to El Cerrito to see miss Maren! This guy who was waiting for the train (for two hours) with me just bought me lunch! And earlier this lady went to get coffee and brought me back a water. I have been so so grateful to all the generosity of the many people around me. Especially the ones who have helped me accomplish the things I've needed to do to get going! The packing and unpacking. The loading and unloading. The many errands. And all the pieces in between. Thank you Samarra, Johanna, LLupus, Neil, Rosie T, Ben, Marirosie, Mimi and Papa, Auntie, James, Heather, Dan, Cara, Hannah and Ben, Matt and Davis, Feather and John, Lunette, and a few friendly strangers :)
I want to just note the highlights but the last few days have been SO busy and the highlights add up to a novel! I'm gunna need to be more on top of this thing if I'm gunna keep track of it all!
Yesterday I rushed around getting all my last minute millions of things done so I could leave town with miss Rosie on her way to her 21st birthday celebration in her newly acquired car (my old one ;) and I actually pulled it off!! I had to pull an all nighter beforehand but it was definitely worth it. I'm sad I didn't get to say goodbye to many of my friends but it isn't necessarily goodbye anyway, it's so long for now but talk to you soon with the amazing technology of the Internet (email, Facebook, Skype...)
My yard sale this weekend was a Huge success! Friday night as I was finishing up the organizing of my stuff the weather looked gruesomely cold and threatening rain and snow! So I decided to just take it all to goodwill in the morning. But when I woke up at 6 even though it was dark out I could only see clear skies and the potential for a beautiful day! Which it was!! With the help of my friends, I totally pulled off an incredibly successful sale and though I could have gone another day the weather didn't allow it and I really didn't need it so I donated the rest. *Speaking of donate, I still need to send in the ponytail I chopped off last week!
At this point I have 3 backpacks of stuff. I'm planning on leaving one of them in the bay with family and just having the two. I had a hard time packing minimally in such a rush. I definitely have my tango gear though! ;) I was working on my tango walk, musicality and different ocho exercises while I waited for the train today. I figured out some cool stuff as a lead. I walked up and down the "do not cross yellow line" line facing my bags: away from them as a follow and towards them as a lead. It was really cool and very entertaining for the wait in the beautiful sunshine! I so LoVe me some sun!
I'm already thinking about how I'm missing people. I think it was hardest to say goodbye to my Papa. I'm viewing this trip as an opportunity to really step out and away and find my independence. Saying goodbye to the man who gave me my very first bath the day I was born and has been there for me ever since (*and my Mimi) was symbolic to saying goodbye to this sense of dependency I want to release. Families are wonderful for that support and enduring love, and I also want to feel stronger on my own two feet! Because the truth is, they won't always be there. And halfway across the world they can't be there. It's amazing though, how many connections I'm already making with people in Australia and in New Zealand who I'm hoping to connect with once I'm there. I feel like such a huge part of humanity's responsibility is to each other <3 All you need is love.