In Summary: Home Sweet Home?

...In a general sense, I guess - in that after this trip around Europe, home is still the best place to live. Everything is cheaper in the US, and that's just comparing tag prices and before converting between USD & Euro/Pound/Franks. It's fairly safe, at least where I live, unlike Paris/Italy, without being all Big Brother-y like London. And the food is everything I love and need...OMG the food (definitely prefer American Italian to "authentic" Italian; and "authentic" French food prices are just forget it). Also, great weather here in Cali all year around.

Of course, in a less general sense, homecoming was spoiled by the fact that my dad managed to turn the house into a bachelor pad in the week and a half we were gone. The kitchen is three kinds of disgusting and I think we need to replace/redo the sink cuz it's leaking and won't stop. Ugh.