Our move to the Pacific NW marks the first time that I will have lived on the W. Coast since leaving So Cal in 1993. On our recent trip to Seattle, I noticed how remarkably friendly and laid back - even chatty people were. I lived in Boston for so long that a certain edginess and function-based conversation rubbed off on me, along with the development for an impatience for the long-winded and bloated. And yet, being back in that environment, I was reminded of growing up in California, how easy-going everyone could be - to the extent that you can relax, slow down, let down your guard, let down your hair and simply be yourself. Though Dallas might have had the potential for a similar quality, I think I was caught up too much of the time these last few years in playing out cultural and familial roles, to the extent that I've become more of a fighter than a lover, which is to say that I look forward to going back to being a lover and not a fighter.