Home.

You may not be able to pick your family, but I sure can pick the friends who turn into family. I'd say I know how to pick friends who can hold their red wine too, but judging by the spots on my carpet and floor, I'll take that back.

I barely ever go home to Pittsburgh any more, but the times of the year when I'm family-/homesick are usually the Jewish holidays. I'm not religious by any stretch of the imagination, but holidays to me are all about family, food and comfort. And on Passover, I miss home, my parents and brother, my grandparents, home-cooked food and years of memories and traditions (sorry for the shmaltz). My wallet is way over my frequently booked last minute flights though, so I have to make do.

I haven't been home for Passover in years now, so I figured I'd start my own traditions here, and instead of my blood family, I'd invite the people who are my Boston family. This is the 3rd or 4th year I've hosted my own very non-traditional seder "experience", and I have to say, I'm completely and utterly obsessed with the people in my life for making me feel like I have a family here.

Everyone brought friends and wine--the boys even brought us flowers!!--I had extra hands to peel apples and fry latkes, and people to stay until the wee hours to polish off wine and laugh in the kitchen. Pictures to come, but 25 bottles of wine, as many or more people, pounds and pounds of latkes, and an obscene amount of food (zero leftovers), and a whole day of love and conversation and spilled red wine left me feeling home, and not entirely homesick.

Many thanks and much love, and here's to having home wherever I have friends.