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 My lonely sad tears have been replaced by tears of joy.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.

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.