Catalina Island Adventure

                       

I've been wanting to visit Catalina Island for a while now so I decided to go with a dear friend recently. We met up in Newport Beach and hopped on a ferry for 3 days of island adventures.

I had been told that the island was similar to visiting the Amalfi Coast in Italy which I am a huge fan of. So, I was super excited of the possibility of a Mediterranean-like experience and boarded the ferry with giddy anticipation. 

The ferry ride was just over an hour and we sat on top watching the coast disappear from sight while hoping the sun would peek through the clouds. The sun delivered and abundant sunshine shone down on us. We chatted with a few people on the ferry and found out where to go and what to see. Many people were just going for the day to explore or golf.

Upon arrival, we saw Avalon Harbor with the landmark Casino and snapped a few pictures. We walked through town to find our hotel to drop our bags off. We quickly realized the town was quite small and quaint. We found a place on the water with several seafood selections and sunny tables on the deck. A lunch of lobster rolls and white wine was consumed as we settled in and relaxed into the slow pace of Catalina.  

After some exploration, I realized the island is nothing like the Amalfi Coast and was a bit disappointed, but we set an intention to have as much fun as possible. Our purpose for the trip was to celebrate our friendship before she moved away. 

Our days were spent laying in the sun on comfy beach beds. We were welcomed at the beach club with a strawberry smoothie and cold bottled water. The sun was abundant during our stay and we laid out until the day started to fade. Bronzing, happy and near the ocean was the perfect combination for us.

One night we were invited onto a boat by our new friends where dinner of fresh caught fish was served while the sun set. My most vivid memory of this night was laughter. My face hurt from smiling and laughing so hard. We were sun drunk and relaxed. After dinner we all headed back to the island to dance the night away and celebrate our friendship.

When it was time to leave, we headed back up to the top of the ferry and set an intention to see dolphins and whales. Sure enough, dolphins were spotted soon after we left playing in the water. As the trip was nearing it's end, we still had not spotted a whale. I was thinking about it when we spotted one near the ferry. We got excited, and laughed at the sight. The trip proved to 

Thankfulness

I love this time of year--everyone states what they are thankful for and gets together to eat delicious food. Taking the time to reflect on what we are thankful for creates an opportunity to really experience happiness. I appreciate the collective expressions of gratitude.

I remember the first time I felt overwhelming gratitude; I had just returned from living in Seattle and was just about to withdraw the last of my money out of the bank. My life up to that point was full of fun and adventure, but I never really stopped to appreciate most of what had transpired. After taking time off and moving back to California, I started to deeply appreciate things that I had taken for granted.

For instance, California golden poppies were so vibrant to me and the ocean even more majestic. I remember taking a trip up to the redwood forest and just standing at the base of a redwood in awe. These are things I grew up with and never took the time to ponder their beauty. Simple things like coffee with friends, yoga and music became revered. I think that selling everything and simplifying my life created the space for gratitude.

This year, I am most thankful for living in San Diego again. The years on the Central Coast were great years for reflection, solitude and growth. Even though my patience was tried, I see now that timing is everything. It had been 4 1/2 years since I moved away from San Diego and as I look back at the years in between, I realize that so much had to happen in order for me to find my way back here. I am thankful for the time away, lessons learned and deeper appreciation for the simple things in life.

NorCal Nostalgia

The familiarity of the Northern California landscape is nostalgic for me. I worked in Sonoma County this week and memories of living here and being able to explore the coast and forests brought back lovely memories. I was able to venture around yesterday and drove the Oakville grade from Sonoma to the Napa Valley. My favorite part of that drive is right as you descend, the beautiful patchwork of the Napa Valley appears.

In fact, road trips would be chapters in the biography of my 20s just as plane rides have been for my 30s thus far. I can remember long trips up to 12 hours and short ones just to spend the night on the coast. I have always wanted to go somewhere and see something. The movement keeps my adventurous spirit happy and the anticipation gives my imagination the practice it needs.

These trips have been with companions as well as alone. Music and silence have always occupied my ears and many a good book and conversation have been a result of the journey. I learned that I am resilient when it comes to travel, by not falling asleep at the wheel, dealing with flight delays and cancellations, learning how to navigate a new city--foreign and domestic, and most of all that travel is my passion.  It is almost impossible to wipe a smile off my face when I am encountering a new terrain.

But, new terrains are not always what I want to experience. I enjoy the familiar trips; like driving windy highway 20 to Fort Bragg. I love it when the sides of the road become sandy and the air salty, right before it meets the sea. I love the smell of driving through a redwood forest where the scent fills the car even with the windows rolled up. Also, driving in the Napa valley in the fall with the intoxicating scent of fermentation seeping out of cellars making the entire valley drunk with wine’s birth.  These are the most familiar sensorial trips for me going all the way back to childhood. And it is no wonder that my favorite things are the ocean, redwood forests and wine...they are deeply imbedded in my soul.

Travel Highs and Lows

I am sitting in  the San Jose airport waiting for a flight that had to be rebooked due to a shooting at LAX. My first thought was selfish and I wondered when I would get home. Since I am only an hour flight away, I figured I could find another flight and quickly calmed down. One of my favorite things about airports is people watching. I find it fascinating the way each of us differently handle travel woes. After the news was announced, people had 2 very distinct reactions...some started figuring out their new travel plans and others started flipping out.

It is understandable that delays and cancellations are inconvenient and in a way terrible, but we weren't shot! We are all just trying to get to San Diego in a timely manner so we can go home or have a great weekend in an awesome city. I feel sorry for the ticket agents that are getting yelled at--as if they caused the shooting in a separate airport. One of the things I have learned from all my travels is smiling and kindness gets you farther than yelling.

With the lows of travel, we have great rewards. The above photo was taken as I was landing in Athens. I had to wait 6 hours in Rome, sleeping on a chair with my legs wrapped around my luggage. I was cold and hungry and just wanted to get to Greece to see my sister, but there were certain things that were out of my control. In my exhaustion, I arrived at the ticket counter to check in and the agent upgraded me and gave me a pass to the airline's lounge (probably because I looked disheveled). She told me she appreciated my kindness and patience. Proof that kindness pays off.

I wouldn't trade anything when it comes to travel. I have had lost baggage, cancelled flights, extra nights in cities I don't particularly care for and really bad food. On the flip side, I have seen beautiful places, different oceans, observed constellations in both hemispheres and so many more highs that keep me checking into flights and smiling from ear to ear.

Love Love Peace Forever



Smart Monkey



When a year ends, nostalgia can't help but rear its head and demand attention from the heart and mind. This past year brought many emotions, revelations, awe inspiring scenes and inner peace. I remember beginning my year, like so many others, with a list of things I wanted to change, create, accomplish and see. This list came out a few times for review and although I did not complete everything on my list, I did change, create, accomplish and see things that I could have never planned for.

When I began 2012, I felt isolated in the Central Coast, overworked, underpaid, tired, and full of so many more complaints. I didn't like how my heart and mind had been filled with such negative energy. However, I wanted a change and fast! So, I began the year thinking a job would change, a move would come, friends would be closer and perhaps even love. Oh how I was wrong. But that's okay.
 
What 2012 gave me was a broken heart, hard character building exercises, opened eyes and heart, a quieter mind and a calmer soul. This happened in the form of all of my plans being squashed, relinquishing control and allowing what is meant to be, be. WHAT A HARD LESSON. I cried lonely tears, felt my heart crack again and realizing that I had it mostly wrong. But this was the best thing that could have happened to me. My lonely sad tears have been replaced by tears of joy. My cracked heart is healing and opening up at a level I have never experienced before. And my ideals and plans-they are headed in a direction that excites me and is still a bit unknown...but I have faith its going to be AMAZING and I can't wait.

This year I am grateful for...
living by the ocean
abundant travel
healing relationships
family
close friends
lessons learned
faith and hope

Bishop's Peak

Courtesy of  www.hikepseak.com

Hiking has always been one of my favorite stress relievers. Last week, I spent a lot of time in an office at a computer working on a budget. My soul was feeling stressed and couped up. I needed to get outside and challenge myself and I figured hiking would do the trick. I live a beautiful area with many readily available outdoor activities. In fact, when I looked up hiking trails, I was overwhelmed by the choices.

I decided on the highest of the "nine sisters", Bishop's Peak. The Nine Sisters are a chain of volcanic plugs beginning at Morro Rock and stretching through San Luis Obispo County. Bishop's Peak is the tallest at 1546'. The trail is about 3.5 miles and there are some boulders to climb to reach the very top. 

At the beginning of the hike, I could not believe how winded I became. My fellow hiker commented that she was feeling it too. We trekked along, stopping to admire some of the amazing views. At the top, we climbed the few boulders to be able to stand on top to receive the full view of ocean to valleys. I could make out 5 of the nine sisters and saw Cal Poly, SLO for the first time. 

Hiking always reminds me of how hard work and determination pays off at the end. I wanted to turn around a couple times out of fatigue, but then I would have missed the view and the feeling of accomplishment of climbing the large boulders to get to the top. There are so many times that life is like those boulders. I was feeling that way last week, discouraged, stressed and ready to give up. However, I kept my nose to the grindstone, finished the job I was asked to do and moved forward. I know not everything in life is easy, but sometimes challenges seem too much to handle. This hike was just what I needed to encourage me to keep looking up and moving forward.

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.

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.

Poppies, Pinot and Pismo

California Golden Poppy

Spring is here and with it comes the bloom of my favorite flower, the California Golden Poppy. I am sure they have been blooming for a week or two, but today seemed to be full of their orange vibrancy.

Poppies and Pinot

Poppies have exploded between the rows of Pinot noir in this vineyard. I am so grateful that I am able to spend time outside while working. This made my day.

Poppies and Pismo

When I came home, they were lifting their bright blooms to the sun and bowing to the ocean in the wind.