I've also misplaced my keys a few times.

So you know that feeling when you move to a new place, and you don't quite know where anything is? Where is the spot where I throw my purse when I walk in the door? Where did I leave it last time? Crap, I lost my purse...oh, no I didn't. Now, what did I do with the checkbook?

Moving back to the States is like that times infinity, because we don't even drive on the correct side of the road, and I've been in a perpetual state of confusion for a while now. It's exhausting. I suspect we exacerbated this situation, because we arrived calling this "home," because it is indeed within the borders of our home country, but California definitely isn't home. Yet.

People's very kind curiosity continually reminds me that I'm not home:

"Where did you move from?"

"London."

This is the sort of thing people envision when I say, "London."

"Oh. But you don't sound like you're from London."

"Before that we lived in the DC area."

This is the sort of thing people envision when I say, "D.C."

"Oh, so you went there to see family for the holidays?"

"No, we're originally from New Jersey."

And this is not even close to what people envision when
I say, "New Jersey." But this is how Tom and I spent most
of our adolescence.

"[insert Sopranos or Jersey Shore reference here.]"

When I met a friend of mine seven (seven!) years ago, I asked her where she was from, and she had a similarly complex answer: grew up in place A, went to school in place B, and lived in place C for a couple years before arriving here, place D. At the time, I thought it was a little superfluous to share all the information when she knew me for a total of 30 seconds, but now I get it. I can't just say that I'm from New Jersey. It isn't that simple anymore. DC and London shaped the person I currently am in profoundly important ways.

I'm sure eventually I will say the same of San Francisco.

For now, I'm just a little confused.