So, a few weeks ago I paid a little visit to the great city of San Francisco. I went with my friend Holly. We're 19 and 20. It was both of our first times going on vacation without our parents, and we were both born and raised in the small town of Squarebanks, Alaska.

Understandably, our parents were concerned for our safety. My paranoid, Lutheran, and overbearing mother sat us down for THE SAFETY AND TRAVEL ADVICE TALK. Some but not all of the rules were

1. Always stay together.
2. Drink lots of water.
3. Don't carry all of your money with you at one time.
4. No breaking any laws.


And so on and so forth. Gratuitous amounts of eyerolling happened. It was an endless list of "Duuuuuuuh." By the time mom gets to tip #347 of


Don't go to anyone's house with them, even if they seem really nice,



Holly cries out in exasperation,

"God, no! That'd be so stupid!"

And yet here I am, writing this proof.


Was it the thrill of going from a hodunk little frozen hell to a big sexy city that drove me to go against my mother's advice and behave immorally? The fact that the couple we met in line at the Dresden Dolls concert were both attractive and interesting? And recommended places to us that we had already been planning on going? And they were in line at the DRESDEN DOLLS concert and were therefor bound to be at least somewhat awesome?

I dunno what it was, but hanging out with Phil and Emily was the best choice we made on that trip. I've always been good at making friends with complete strangers and they never gave either of us any creepy vibes. They took us to Wicked Grounds, we went shopping together, they introduced us to an awesome tattoo artist who did my first tattoo for a killer price (don't tell my parents!), and we went to a club. We ended up hitting it off really well, and in all likelihood I will be staying with them for a few months this summer. :3

The night of the club they had offered to make us dinner. My mother's words rang through my head as we rode in their car back to their house. "Don't go anywhere you don't know with people you meet there. Don't get in anyone's car. Don't go to anyone's house."

Um. Oops.

...Well, in my defense, mom, they turned out to be lovely people who did NOT do anything to us without express permission ;) And the chicken was delicious. And their pet bunny Abigail was adorable. And their bed was comfy. ;D

I tell you, the craziest things happen when you go from a small town to a big ol' city like that. You never know what'll happen! <3