A Perfect Weekend

"You will see a perfect thing today." When we pulled into the North Beach Garage on Vallejo, I was squinting to see if the blue stripes down the parking spots were for handicapped parking. My husband said, "No, I think they have fortunes, though." We were on our way to a coworker's daughter's graduation party at Taqueria Zorro in North Beach, which I'm pretty sure is the only taqueria in North Beach. The yelp reviews are mixed, but we really enjoyed the food. Her daughter was graduating with a degree in Communications from SFSU. My coworker told me how all the speakers at her daughter's graduation spoke of nothing but the bleak outlook for graduates this year, with the economy in the toilet and jobs in their field scarce. One told them to take whatever they could get, minimum wage even, and work their way up. These are the times in which we live.

I remember graduating from college eight years ago and feeling pretty confident that even if I couldn't get a job in my field, I'd probably be able to get a "desk job," whatever that meant to me then. It was hard to be a small fish in a big pond again, after feeling I knew my way in and out of UC Davis. I had a severe "quarter life crisis," but my out-of-college-twenties are a precious time to me. I was broke, questioning my beliefs and how I would apply them to a career, and meeting a new world of amazing people, possibly, the most genuine people I have ever met and will meet in my whole life. I was also heartbroken in the world of love and never felt more alone, but never felt more free.

There are two months until I become a mother, Godwilling, for the rest of my life. I have this strong sense that I don't know how precious this time will be and don't appreciate the freedom I have now, except for this morning. Waking up later than my weekday 4am, lying in bed with my husband, I relished in the quiet and the freedom of the morning. I could do whatever I wanted. I know those mornings will be few if not nil soon. What did I choose to do with my freedom?

I cleaned the house. What? I'm nesting.