[Malin] Ten years ago this week, I pulled into Burbank, CA, behind a U-Haul truck full of my stuff being driven by a Minnesota friend of mine. On October 31, 1998, I left my Minnesota apartment after six years and two months in the North Star State and embarked on a long relocation to California.

While I was en route, Minnesota elected Jesse Ventura as its governor. I stayed with a friend in Sylmar for two months, and then moved into an apartment with Holloway in January 1999. Three years later, I moved into a house in Sunnyvale with Rolo, and three years after that, moved to where Rolo and I currently live in Mountain View.

Of all the places I've lived, this feels most like home. I grew up in Pennsylvania, figured out a lot of things about my life in Minnesota, and wouldn't trade my time in Paris for the world. But I feel more like a Californian than anything else, and while of course a huge part of that is the life Rolo and I have built here, it's also made possible by the unique culture out here and the group of friends I have. I love working for a small company with the freedom to define how we do business. I love walking to the farmer's market every Sunday morning. I love the ocean being so close, even if we rarely go. I love being in a state where I can talk about my partner at work, and introduce him to my friends and co-workers without thinking twice about it.

I had the chance to move to California in 1991, but it wouldn't have been the same (well, except I'd owe a lot less money on a mortgage now). I'm very happy the way things went, with a great group of friends and a wolfy who has made California so much more than just a great place to live. Here's to another ten years!