jersey city.

here we are.

we got to our dear friends' house today around 5 pm, driving right past NYC and letting milo and selkie get a glimpse of lady liberty and the empire state building before hitting jersey. it seemed fitting. very american. a cap on our trip from coast to coast.

we did it. (i feel very chevy chase saying that).

it was so wonderful to get to a house tonight, to get somewhere full of a family's life, filled with kids' toys and sofas and a kitchen. dear god, a kitchen. i immediately asked for onions and a knife, and caramelized onions for a pasta dinner with my friend kim.

because she loves me so, she bought me kale from the farmer's market today.

i sliced that up and sauteed it with garlic and red hot pepper and salt and beans and we made a red sauce to go with it and it was delicious. it has made me so happy. being here has made me so happy.

here we are, the four of us, best friends since college; now married, now with two kids each. here we are, each family going through its own bedtime routine while intersecting with the other, trying to help the kids adjust to each other, trying to get them to jump past their excitement and close their eyes together. just go to sleep.

and all the while i keep thinking about these people i love so dearly, who knew me when, and how far we've all come. these two people--two of the best actors i have ever seen in my life, back in the day--there was none better--and i think about the times we spent together and the endless college days of debauchery and silliness and how we've all survived everything since.

and how, even now, we jump back into our friendship without a thought to how long its been since we've last seen each other. we effortlessly find ourselves continuing conversations that were started years ago. how is that possible?

i can't help but think of how lucky we are that we made it here in one piece. i won't deny that i had visions of crashes throughout the trip, playing out the accidents in my head, as i often do. i figure if i think of them then i'm covering my bases, and they won't actually happen. its hard work, and its a lot of pressure to take that on, but i'm willing to do that for my family.

coast to coast. we made it.

i am more than grateful tonight, as i'm here with kim and marshall and alex and all the kids. so grateful for this bounty of good things in front of me. so grateful that we made the last stop of the trip be to spend time here in jersey city.

so grateful for a friend who buys me kale as a welcoming gift.