The Long Journey Home

New Jersey bound! Who drives a Prius dragging a trailer behind it almost 3000 miles? These weirdos right here

I moved back to the East Coast, so you probably thought that this blog was over, huh? Especially since I mostly started it 5 (!) years ago to detail my new adventures on the West Coast. Well since I can't shut up that notion is out the window, I haven't even come close to running out of things to say!

I left the Bay Area to move back to New Jersey on August 18, 2014. I moved to the Bay Area on August 16, 2009. So I was there for almost EXACTLY 5 years. Around the time I was leaving I was going to write this huge blog post reflecting on my time in the Bay and all of the crazy, insane things I went through, and what it all meant....but then I got tired.

Because I was pregnant.

Yes, two days before Roberto and I left on our road trip to drive cross country back home I found out. It was nuts, it was unexpected, but seriously, knowing me, what else could you expect?

You would expect a random Naderto baby, that's what

I could go into what the last five years in a brand new land, far away from all of my friends and family meant. Even now, after living back in the East Coast for almost two months, I still feel like I'm barely unpacking all that I've experienced. But then I realize something, I don't need to share all that right now BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THIS ENTIRE BLOG IS ABOUT. Is it a chronicle of my struggles, my musings, my experiences outlining all of the cool stuff I did and the confusing ideas I had as to where my path would lead. So if you want to know what the last 5 years were like, you have pages of blog posts to enjoy :-)

DOOO IT!!!

The gist of it is this though, my five years in California basically beat the adulthood into me. Which is not what most people would imagine when they think of California. Hey, it's the Golden state, full of sunshine and happy chill people that hang out at beaches, eat organically and do yoga all day. Okay some of that is actually true, but I moved to California for one person, and that person was Roberto. I had no other people, no community, no friends! He was it! On top of that I got stuck in the economic downturn and ended up jobless for a year. A whole torturous yet wonderful year where I think I gave myself multiple ulcers while desperately trying to discover my true passions and direction.

And direction came slowly, but it came from all over the place. I became heavily involved in local California politics, then state and national politics. I was elected to be a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, I helped co-found the Black Young Democrats of the East Bay (which to this day is one of the things I have been involved with that I am the most proud of). I served on a gazillion boards, I fought for American Muslim Civil Rights, I organized with South Asian groups, I worked with and taught refugee communities, I ran an inner city program for black and brown youth, I blogged like crazy, I read and wrote poems about and with South Asian women on stage in San Francisco. I joined fellowships. I was appointed to a State Assembly Women's committee, and all this random craziness led to me being recognized on a GOOD 100 list of activists. I made friends, a whole gang of them. I have proof that they exist, they came out en mass for my West Coast wedding. I made a new West Coast mom and West Coast sister. I gained an entire family where I worked, the first time that's ever happened at a job for me.

Some more family I've adopted along the way

I also had my first major mental and emotional melt down on the West Coast. It never got that bad until I was in California, alone, jobless, friendless and just absolutely, completely and utterly lost and broke...oh and did I mention how broke I was?

But  I survived you California! I did! And you made me strong as hell. Now I am incubating a bun of awesomeness, I have a  husband and Prius with over 130,000 miles on it, and two of the most amazing cats in the world to show for my time. I have friends I will never forget or stop loving because of it.

And now I am back home, a somewhat different person, a strangely adult person. Perhaps more worldly, and probably bit crazier than before, but either way, I am irrevocably changed. 

This past weekend, I spent time with a family who adopted me and who I lived with for two years straight after college and before moving to the Bay Area. I had dinner at a home I first visited eight years ago. As I pulled into the driveway of this home I couldn't help but reflect on the 22 year old that showed up to that home eight years ago. That person was so full of fear and confusion as to what the future held. I had been single for almost three years at that point and saw any semblance of a romantic relationship as a traumatic lesson in futility. I came to that home in someone else's Prius. I didn't have a car, an apartment, or a job. I was a lost leaf floating haplessly in the wind. 

My East Coast family

Contrast that to this Sunday. Now I was driving up in my own car, married and expecting, with a full time job, my own apartment and though I am still wracked with uncertainty, I have taken it as a fact of life. None of us really know where we are going, and maybe, just maybe I have started to make peace with that.

Home has been a very winding road back, but the person who showed up to this home eight years later would not have been this person today without my five years in California. You've left a mark, West Coast, home may be where the heart is, but I realize that my heart is actually scattered, amongst people I love all across the country. And maybe I wouldn't have it any other way.

To the DNC and Back

Look ma! I'm at the DNC!

I haven't even written a post during the entire month of September. It's probably because I was too overwhelmed writing for other blogs, like Hyphen and Muslims for Obama (you can click on the links to check out the articles)

But I can sum up the DNC in one word, it would be the word  'surreal'. Where else do you spend a week in a proverbial political bubble with an amazingly diverse group of super excited delegates, random celebrities, politicians and media figures? Just walking around like its no big thing. Plus I had a delegates pass which gave me VIP access through some pretty crazy demilitarized zone -type security.

Seriously...zombie apocalypse status

I am so grateful that I was able to experience it. It's strange, even a year ago, I would never have imagined that I would have gone to something like that. I didn't even know the process of getting into an event like that. My article in Hyphen pretty much outlined my excitement about being a California delegate to the convention, so I don't feel like repeating it. Instead, I will share my DNC experiences with you through a timeline mash up of my tweets, excited Facebook statuses and instragram photos. Yup, I was social media'ing up a storm...seriously, I took over everyones newsfeeds for a week..

And now I present to you Nadia's Official DNC Timeline!!

Day 1- Monday, Sept 3, 2012 

10:00am: Posing with my Delegates pass at the Cal Dems Breakfast!! 

I loved my poof

12:00pm: Then went to API caucus and got to meet some awesome API's running for Congress!

Left to Right: Tulsi Gabbard, the utterly badass Tammi Duckworth and Otto Lee

12:30pm: Ran into the Reverand Jesse Jackson

I didn't say hi though, just stalked him

1:00pm: Decided to stop by the Huffington Post Oasis, where Arianna Huffington showed me around and I did yoga...in free yoga clothes..that I got to keep...also got free kalamata olives

Arianna Huffington, you da woman

10:00pm: Went to the APIA Vote party where I hung out with Congressman Mike Honda and the actor from Heroes

One of my goals in life is to sing karaoke with him

11:30pm: On my way out of the party I run into a John Legend concert...how does anyone run into a John Legend concert? Told you Charlotte was cray...

Such a talented artist! Absolutely amazing live!

12:00am: ended the night hanging out with delegates, when I discovered that my swag bag had a stuffed donkey...it made my night

and I named him Roberto

Day 2- Tuesday, Sept 4, 2012 

10:00am: Moderated a Persecution of Religious Minorities Panel organized by the American Muslim Alliance with Muslim Congressman Andre Carson, members of the Sikh Community and other civil rights leaders. It was nuts, I didn't even know Congressman Carson would stop by! So glad he did though, he was awesome!

12:00pm: Hung out again at the Huffington Post Oasis with my delegate buddy, Aidan...I just couldn't stay away! They fed me for free and I got to watch Arianna Huffington interview world famous chef, Marcus Samuelsson.

Arianna Huffington is such a G

4:30pm-11pm: Finally got to the convention center to see Newark Mayor Cory Booker TEAR IT UP. Was inspired to name my future son Julian after San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro's speech, and ended the night with FLOTUS Michelle Obama's speech! We LOVED Michelle!

FLOTUS! FLOTUS!

11:30pm: Off to the Planned Parenthood afterparty! Where I ran into Aisha Tyler and Ashley Judd.

I liked the theme of this party, go Planned Parenthood!

Day 3- Wednesday, Sept 4, 2012 

11:00am - It's my press day, but first I ran into Mayor Villaigaroisa at breakfast. The press thought I was his handler.

Should have just pretended to be his handler...VIP BABY!

11:30am- Waiting to board the shuttle when I run into this dude, outside the hotel texting

Yes, that is Kumar...I mean Kal Penn

12:30pm: Headed to the press hangout to be interviewed by Al Hurrah televison and radio. They broadcast me live in Dubai and the rest of the Arab speaking word answering questions about Muslims in America. It was nuts, especially becauseI was talking to an earpiece the whole time. Spent the rest of the day hanging out with journalists untill...

3:00pm: Just lost all of my notes at a Rite Aid somewhere, but it was SHOWTIME. Did my press briefing for the State Departments Foreign Press on Muslim Americans and Politics. Below is the video and here's the transcript.

 

Then I was all like "come at me bro!"(I think it's funny that I'm frozen in this pose on the State Dept. website)

4:00pm - 11pm: Got to the Convention Center, where I signed my ballot to vote for President Obama as our Presidential nominee!

I really was that excited...so proud ::sniff sniff::

Then OHMIGOD I WAS ON CNN!

oh snap

And I WAS ON CNN AGAIN!!

there I go again....HELL YEA it's our choice!

The night was insane. I got so fired up I actually accidentally tore up my "Fired Up" sign in half. Bill Clinton stole the show though, the energy was so electric and the crowd was so pumped up I thought that stadium would come crashing down!

11:30pm: California Delegation Afterparty at the Nascar Hall of Fame, where I hung out with some cool Muslim dudes

And broke it down Bhangra style with Sikh delegates

I'm sure there are some youtube videos out there somewhere

Then I went back to my hotel room and passed out with my DNC donkey stuffed animal

Day 4- Thursday, Sept 5, 2012

11:00am It was the last day, I was heartbroken, but there was still cool stuff to do...like

The American Muslim Democratic Caucus with Congressman Keith Ellison, great group of inspirational Muslim leaders and delegates. Over 100 in all, up from just 24 in 2008!

This lady is related to Bill Clinton, and she had a sparkly hijab

 

3:00pm Then back to the convention center! Where Marc Anthony sang the National Anthem and I got very giddy.

Who needs J Lo?

Then I swayed to some James Taylor

(I wasn't even sure who James Taylor was...)

Then got interviewed by Voice of America, you can read the article and see the video here!

Please interview me more! I love attention! ;-)

Then I almost started crying because the FOO FIGHTERS PERFORMED! I've been wanting to see these dudes play live since High School! ::swoon::

I stifled every urge to scream at Dave Grohl to have my babies

The night was of course topped off by our very on POTUS. We went nuts, we went crazy! I don't have pictures of him talking because I was actually LISTENING instead of TWEETING..for once

So here's a stock picture of President Obama at the DNC =)

11:30 Alright speeches are done, now it was time to party GOOGLE style!

There were a ton of celebrities, here I am with Jared Leto. Olivia Wilde and Don Cheadle were also nearby

Jared Leto was sorta cold, probably cos I wasn't a skinny blonde haha!

And the photo of the night, me with Asif Mandvi and Kal Penn!! I wish I could pay them to hang out with me...one day...one day

We're best friends...in my head

And that was that folks, although the next morning I did end up talking to famed labor activist Dolores Huerta and ended up hanging out with her in a line for a soul food restaurant

This lady is fierce...so active and kick butt!

It turns out a bunch of celebrities were staying in the California Delegation hotel, so I saw Zach Braff grab coffee and waved hello to Rosario Dawson in an elevator..but I decided to not stalk them for pictures

I was in a daze, part of me still doesn't believe all of this happened, and that so many of you made sure that I even got there, with your votes, your donations and your time. I had friends from across town,  across the country and across the world help me prepare me for my press briefing, The lovely ladies of Retrofit Republic helped me to put together the fly outfits you see me rocking in the pictures. 

When I was in Charlotte,  I couldn't believe the hundreds of likes, excited comments and encouraging words I received through Facebook, Twitter and texts. It was overwhelming and amazing, I really felt that in some way, I was able to take my friends with me on this journey. The positive feedback, pure love and pride that my friends showed me from all over just makes me breathless...and yes even speechless.

but you know that won't last,  I'll never shut up ;-)

So on to the next adventure!! Can't wait to take you all with me!

THANK YOU!!!