I hugged my father goodbye in Dublin and boarded a plane for New York. We had student work visas and a vague plan to make enough money to spend the summer in California. We had visions of swimming in the Pacific and walking across the Golden Gate Bridge. We fell in love with vibrant Berkeley and spent as much time as we could in its music stores, bookstores and cafes. It was 1998, but the earthy scent of Nag Champa lingered in the air, just as it must have in the hippie days.

---

Persons: Champa Locations: Dublin, New York, California, Manhattan, San Francisco, Ireland, Berkeley