When the author gets invited to attend the 50th anniversary of her American high school, she doesn't even consider going. After all, there would be more than 8,000 miles to travel - each way. But as coicidence wants it, around this time she is busy discluttering her mother's apartment and finds a bunch of letters in her own handwriting. Her mother had saved each and every letter she had writtten home while an exchange student in California back in 1966. When she starts reading, memories come back fast and powerful. The things which have meanwhile changed,not only in the US, are amazing, intriguing and funny to read.