So farewell then Palo Alto...

My last week in Palo Alto felt a bit strange: I agreed to move into a colleague's house and dogsit while she was on holiday, so I had to vacate my apartment sooner than expected and sort out my packing whilst living between two addresses.  At the same time I developed  a horrible cold which kept me awake most nights, and got sucked into a big and urgent project for a client that demanded a lot of my time.  Nevertheless by Friday I had all my stuff sorted, most of my luggage was boxed up and collected by the shipping company, and I had said goodbye to almost everybody.  I managed to make it to my Wednesday night Italian speakers' group for the last time, and ended up having one last pizza at Vesta, although it wasn't up to their usual standard, too much finocchio in the sausage.

If I am honest I couldn't wait to leave Palo Alto.  I have had such good times there, but I have also been so terribly homesick, I was beginning to feel like I hated the place and everyone in it, which is far from being the case.  I just think I needed to leave in order to remember how much I really like it, if that makes any sense.  It was not to be a final departure from the USA - there are two more weeks until I am finally home - but leaving PA felt like a huge step towards home. 

It felt strange leaving my flat for the last time.  I left behind some stuff I can't take home: clothes airer from IKEA, bottle of toilet cleaner and brush, packet of filter papers for the coffee machine. I hope they get left for the next tenant and aren't simply thrown away because they aren't on the official inventory.  I hate waste.  I had a box full of unopened tins and groceries which I donated to the food bank (whether their clients use British style malt vinegar remains to be seen), and left some of my homemade frozen pasta sauce in my friend's freezer (which she'll probably throw away when she gets back from her holiday).

I still have many unanswered questions with just two weeks to go:

(1) Why do Americans call cider "hard cider" but the hard shoulder they just call the "shoulder"?  

(2) Why don't they sell orange squash or any kind of dilutable cordial?  I know they like their freshly squeezed, but surely hot orange is a medical requirement for anyone with a cold?

(3) Why does the car park under our office have two large bales of straw in the corner?  Does anybody ride their horse to work or are they putting on a Nativity Play?

(4) How can Panda Express state that its mission is to provide a quality authentic Asian dining experience but not sell any Chinese tea, or indeed any drink which isn't cold and fizzy?

Hopefully as I continue my mini-tour of the USA I will find answers to these and other questions!