So far, my trip has been very American. I shopped til I dropped at the Camarillo outlets, watched the Ravens beat the Steelers at a sports bar, and accompanied a friend to drop off a cable box at the cable company. All fantastic American activities.

I was riding in the car with my friend Ashley the second day I was here and Taylor Swift came on the radio. I got excited! I don’t hear her that much in Germany. Ashley warned me that I’d get my fill. Over the next couple of days, I’ve heard Taylor Swift no fewer than 7 times. I think I’ve had my fix.

So Cal is a different slice of America. I’m eating great Mexican food every day. I’m also enjoying watching all the weirdos, bums, health nuts and prospective actors in Venice and Santa Monica. I saw a man sweeping off his piece of sidewalk in the morning. I was also asked by a hippie if I liked poetry (I answered an honest no, although I was intrigued by what he would have offered me).

I’m loving seeing all my old friends, but miss my new friends too. Eveyone’s asking me how Germany is, and it’s pretty hard to compare when I’m in paradise right now. Germany is 180 degrees different from California. It’s not a bad thing, it just is.

This week, I’m soaking in all the good from California and intend to pack it up in my memory (and a lot in my bag) and take the best of Cali back to Germany.