fog. rice. salt.

Fog. Salt. Rice. Eucalyptus. Riding home from school tonight, these are the smells in the air. I can hear the foghorn at the mouth of the bay. Also, surprisingly, coyotes in the park. A sign informs me that a den of coyotes (mom and pups) are residing in the park. Just 2 blocks from my front door there is hope in the form of wild animals! I love it. Contrasting sharply with those mammals I overheard a twenty-something white male talking on his cell phone tonight, while walking his schnauzer, about selling stock options in a local tech company. much about this city Is foreign, but I love the anonymity. My new girlfriends (already? Yes, grad school does that) are: K- a hyper achieving professional coming back for her second Masters degree. She has a farm in Livermore and ha invited me to come ride her horses (Missouri fox trotters). N- a former vascular surgery device rep who is now married to a vascular surgeon. He has informed us that we are doing 4 years of med school In 2 years. Yay. M- an Icu nurse who is working nights. She biked to school as do I. She is spunky, and, like all of us, struggling with The insane time Requirements of juggling work and a double Masters Degree. We girls keep each other afloat now new people, immediate trust. The city is vast but my world feels small and cozy: park, beach, bike, bed, study kitchen, classrooms.