The Lesson of the Paddle Board

Of course there are no pictures to accompany this post because I was too busy having fun. Paddle Boarding awed me today. I began learning on the calm of the river that met the sea. So serene, calm and reflective. I thought..."I could do this every day and smile brighter than before" Seriously, I felt so small and serene at the same time.

Then, I tried to paddle in the ocean. This was much more difficult, yet rewarding. I remembered trying to learn how to surf years ago with my friends in San Diego. I was a failure. I could barely carry the board and trying to stand was a feat! However, once I paddled past the breaks, I found myself in a calmer more forgiving ocean.

I liken this to life...sometimes we just need to paddle past the breaks to be okay. I was standing in the ocean on a board, watching the fish and seals swim past me...AMAZING!!! Then, a wave came and knocked me off my board. I did a free fall into the ocean, but somehow found myself back on the board paddling and laughing with exhilaration! Again, I can liken this to life which has thrown me some ferocious curve balls, but I somehow find myself standing back up and smiling and sometimes, if I am lucky, laughing!

Discovering Morro Bay

Wanderlust has been rearing its head lately, but vacation time just doesn't seem to accumulate as fast as I'd like. Therefore, I have resorted to day trips and what a delight they can be. Recently, I visited Morro Bay on the perfect weekend to visit. The Morro Bay Harbor festival, Woodie Car Show and Farmer's Market were all ready to welcome me! The day was spent sipping wine and beer, eating oysters and watching seals.

For Melanie

In 1998, I met a vivacious redhead named Melanie. She was beautiful, funny and had bright red hair down the middle of her back. You couldn't help but notice when she walked into a room. I was intimidated by her at first. She seemed mysterious, strong and fierce. I couldn't wait to become her friend.

Our friendship started in English class, my first year in college. She was my writing partner. Our duty was to critique each other's writing to help bring out our inner creativity. We both loved writing and had fun reading what we would create each week. One week, Melanie wrote a story that shocked and saddened me. It was a personal story about her battle with a disease I had never heard of, Lupus.

I immediately looked up Lupus and read many facts and was relieved when I saw that it is rarely fatal. Our friendship became closer the more she opened up about her struggle and from her I learned that vulnerability can be quite lovely. She was sick often and I would go over to her house and watch terrible movies or just sit and talk. She never really did seem to have an appetite, but coffee was a common interest. So, over many cups of coffee (with Hazelnut creamer), I learned how a disease can control your life.

See, Melanie had one of the most aggressive forms of Lupus, where every part of her was attacked. I learned she had a kidney transplant in her teens (thanks to her mother), her heart was weak and she thought her kidney was giving out again. She lived with pain. I have no idea how she functioned and maintained her smile. She RARELY complained and the only reason she even talked about Lupus was because of all my questions.

Melanie dated, danced and drank a little. But her illness never let her forget it was in control. She was in and out of the hospital frequently and missed many classes and events. I remember visiting with her during dialysis and although she was tired and drained, she joked and smiled through it all. One day, she became so ill, she ended up staying in the hospital for months. When she was released, she moved a hospital bed to her parents home where she could recoup with their help and love.

One day, her mom couldn't wake her up. Melanie had started slipping away and 911 was called. Her final days were spent in ICU. I visited her and realized that my friend's vivacious, bright soul was ready to leave. She was tired and fought as hard as possible to stay alive. I remember tears running down her cheeks and trying to smooth her hair because she never wanted to look disheveled. She passed surrounded by her family and friends. She was 31, much too young.

Meeting Melanie and watching her fight so hard to live changed my life. She was one of the strongest people I know. She never wanted to give off the sick vibe, she didn't want people to worry about her. Her final request was to donate her body to UCSF for Lupus research to help find a cure.

I will be participating in a walk to help fund Lupus research. Please join me or donate in Melanie's honor to help fund research. Please visit my Alliance for Lupus Research Walk page to donate.

Thank you

Central Coast Living

Living on the Central Coast has its ups and downs. Since moving here in December, I have found that it takes 7 hours to drive home to see my family, 3-4 hours to get to an airport and 6 hours to reach the bottom of my territory. While it takes forever to get here and airports are not nearby, I have tried my best to make a list of some of the perks of living in a remote area on California's coast.

The first being wine country. This is the reason I moved down here. I have learned so much about the geography of California working in the wine industry. Sometimes I am amazed that I have lived here all my life and failed to explore this region until my job sent me down here. There are amazing wine regions in the Central Coast ranging from hot, coastal, mountains and winding valleys.

Then, there are the many beaches to explore that make my heart smile. I can walk around my neighborhood and find at least 5 stairways to beaches that beckon me to descend to their sandy playgrounds. The most magnificent thing about the beach--it is ever changing.

Then, there are quirky coffee shops where I can read, write, work and think. This one is my favorite. It reminds me of what it would look like if my brain had a living room...lots of books, quotes, a conglomerate of art, mismatched comfy chairs and a menu where each dish is named after a famous author.

There are also wine bars galore. In wine country, it is pretty hard to go a couple blocks without seeing one. I have found my favorite while wandering in downtown San Luis Obispo one day. It has a European feel and Nutella on the menu. They have my loyalty for sure.

The people who make the Central Coast are my kind of folk. Artists, writers, winemakers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, students and sufers all create the laid back community that I have grown to adore. Each person I have met has a fascinating story, especially the ones who came from cities or far away...they just wanted to relax and live a simpler life. I can totally relate to that vibe and resonate with so many ideals here.

Finally, the ultimate perk is peace. I have the opportunity to sit by the ocean and allow the waves to lull me to my peaceful place. Contemplation and awe have been a constant for me since my move. Being so close to the ocean does not allow me to forget how fortunate I am to visit it each day. When I move, I will always remember this time by the ocean with wonder and appreciation.

The Road and Me

I have been thinking a lot about the amount of time I have spent driving in my life. I remember not wanting to get my driver's license when I was younger and the fear of learning to drive. Now you can't keep from the driver's seat.

It all started with drives to the Mendocino Coast in college. These getaways were perfect for my love of the sea and adventure. The roads were windy and heavily forested only to open up to the gorgeous coastline. These days were spent exploring beaches, cliffs and seaside towns. The necessary coffee stops were made and picnics were packed for the beach in coolers.

Then, I transferred to school a couple hours away from home and spent some weekends driving home to see family and friends. These drives could have been done with my eyes shut by the time I graduated. Each drive brought a sense of excitement. My little brother was a toddler when I moved away and it was wonderful to visit and see how much he had "grown up" since my last visit.

After college, my commute to work was over an hour long, until I transferred 2 blocks away from my apartment. However, the need for movement had me put in my transfer all to way down in San Diego. I was already driving down there to visit friends and decided that I wanted to live there. So, my drives home were now 8 hours long. But, the road warrior in me loved it...even though I did get very tired of driving I-5.

Wanderlust grew fast inside me and I left my job after 4 years to travel and explore the Pacific Northwest. This move was from San Diego to Seattle. Once there, we drove all over Washington, Idaho and Montana, discovering the wonderful natural places of the area. The most memorable drive was down the glacier mountain pass in Montana and stopping by a lake for sunset with Huckleberry wine.

My adventures ended when I had to go back to work after about a year and found a job as a courier. This appealed to me because I was able to drive all over wine country stopping at beautiful wineries and vineyards to deliver supplies and pick up samples. Then my current position opened up and I am driving all the time from Monterey to the Mexican Border. Spring was absolutely breathtaking this year in Santa Barbara County with all the flowers in bloom among the vines.

I have seen some of the most beautiful places from the windshield. I am so grateful for the invention of cars. Without them, I am not sure how I would satisfy my need for movement and exploration. I am fortunate to have owned 2 cars that have been wonderful in cooperating with my constant driving. Most important, I am so grateful to live in such a beautiful state. California never ceases to amaze me with its beauty...coastlines, forests, deserts, mountains and even cities.

Summer Reading

This summer has been filled with many hours laying in the sun with a book. It has been a while since I've lived close enough to a beach where I could just walk or take a short drive for one of my favorite pastimes. There is something about the sun, water and sand that goes perfectly with reading. Here is a list of some of my summer reads. I highly recommend them...

 Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist is about celebrating life. Her writing is sure to resonate with many who read her words. She speaks about friendship, relationships, finding out who she really is and wants and connecting with her soul. Her stories are quite delightful and perfectly suited for the beach.

 The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin is one woman's quest to become happier in a year. At first, I was wary about carrying this around, but then I thought that everyone should be doing things to become happier. So, I proudly carried this with me in the DMV while I had to wait. It was amazing that I didn't even realize my wait was an hour because I was enthralled with this book.

 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot amazed me. This is the story of a woman who died of cervical cancer, where her doctors harvested a part of her tumor and have been reproducing her cells since. Her cells have aided in curing polio and many other important scientific breakthroughs. However, there is the family that was left behind. She had children who never knew her because she died so young. This book is also about them learning about their mother.

 The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver is about the life of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera from the perspective of their houseboy. This book was amazing and very well researched. I loved how she weaved fiction in with many historical facts. The perspective of the revolution and Tolstoy's stay in their home was well thought out. I was sad when I finished the last sentence. I could have continued learning about these two very dynamic characters.

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver was another one of her lovely stories. There is something about the way she writes that captivates me. This book is about a woman returning home to care for her father who has dementia. She starts to uncover things about her past which leads her to change her path in life. There are so many layers in this book, as there are in all of Kingsolver's novels. This was another book that gave me a tinge of sadness when I turned the final page.