After two weeks in California
Summer is a funny thing of contrasts. I sit currently in the same beach town of Newport that I have resided in for almost a week now. Looking off my balcony onto a Summers night I see a semi darkened alleyway, slopped at the edges to drain after heavy rains. At the far end you can feel the warm ocean air with only parts of the street illuminated by the warm lights coming from peoples houses. It truly is just a simple, pure Summer moment.
I look out on this street at the end of two weeks and one day spent on vacation in California. I just realize now that a longest single stretch of time I have been in California since I lived in SF in 2009. And the last 6 days are the longest I have been in Southern CA since college!! Its a vacation I needed to escape from everything else going on in my life in NYC. If anything this trip has caused me to be extremely reflective, I have glimmering reminders of what my perspective was like in college here. Spending the day with Cat in Laguna reminded me of how through my 4 years living in the desert, I never gave up on that pull of the California coasts- that ultimately was an experience slightly out of reach of the daily reality at that time. Yet now thats all it seems I want is to get back to the desert now.
And now here I am 13 years after first moving out here and the only southern california experience I know is costal beach town California. An experience of laid back life style of families, neighbors waving hello, little blonde sun tanned boys running barefoot through the town streets with skateboards. Its such a different world than multiracial, studious, desert culture of the Inland empire. But my life now is a world away from my life of 13 years ago, so maybe it all makes sense. I yearned to go back to Claremont on this trip, but couldn't make it back, as its so far off.
I spent the week seeing old friends, watching sunsets on the beach and falling into that old Summer feeling of safety, and a sense of calm in adventure. A week ago was my birthday and I spent in in Monterey, with Nicole and her baby daughter at the aquarium. It was cool, and the air was orange with smoke from local forest fires. A week prior to THAT I was just starting this trip, flying off to SF. Where I spent a little over a week basically just hanging out with Jeanne in Palo Alto in her cozy little world of unemployment, bubble tea, pokemon, and Marvel. Usually I find that all so boring but I actually really enjoyed just doing nothing for a week. Relaxing in her parents backyard, watching Stranger Things and seeing a few local friends. It was actually really hard to leave.
6 years ago and a few days I was in Koh Phan ynag experience the full moon party and empty Thai fishing village. Another world away, yet it still was another Summer adventure spent in a lazy beach town where I both contemplated my past, my future and marveled at what was my present. I walked around with tan skin, and a sense of calm filled my soul.
I sit now after the end of my two week adventure and reflect on a lot. But I think its in times like these where its important to just forget all that and appreciate the moment for what it is. Its been a great trip, but its time to continue on with the rest of my Summer.
I look out on this street at the end of two weeks and one day spent on vacation in California. I just realize now that a longest single stretch of time I have been in California since I lived in SF in 2009. And the last 6 days are the longest I have been in Southern CA since college!! Its a vacation I needed to escape from everything else going on in my life in NYC. If anything this trip has caused me to be extremely reflective, I have glimmering reminders of what my perspective was like in college here. Spending the day with Cat in Laguna reminded me of how through my 4 years living in the desert, I never gave up on that pull of the California coasts- that ultimately was an experience slightly out of reach of the daily reality at that time. Yet now thats all it seems I want is to get back to the desert now.
And now here I am 13 years after first moving out here and the only southern california experience I know is costal beach town California. An experience of laid back life style of families, neighbors waving hello, little blonde sun tanned boys running barefoot through the town streets with skateboards. Its such a different world than multiracial, studious, desert culture of the Inland empire. But my life now is a world away from my life of 13 years ago, so maybe it all makes sense. I yearned to go back to Claremont on this trip, but couldn't make it back, as its so far off.
I spent the week seeing old friends, watching sunsets on the beach and falling into that old Summer feeling of safety, and a sense of calm in adventure. A week ago was my birthday and I spent in in Monterey, with Nicole and her baby daughter at the aquarium. It was cool, and the air was orange with smoke from local forest fires. A week prior to THAT I was just starting this trip, flying off to SF. Where I spent a little over a week basically just hanging out with Jeanne in Palo Alto in her cozy little world of unemployment, bubble tea, pokemon, and Marvel. Usually I find that all so boring but I actually really enjoyed just doing nothing for a week. Relaxing in her parents backyard, watching Stranger Things and seeing a few local friends. It was actually really hard to leave.
6 years ago and a few days I was in Koh Phan ynag experience the full moon party and empty Thai fishing village. Another world away, yet it still was another Summer adventure spent in a lazy beach town where I both contemplated my past, my future and marveled at what was my present. I walked around with tan skin, and a sense of calm filled my soul.
I sit now after the end of my two week adventure and reflect on a lot. But I think its in times like these where its important to just forget all that and appreciate the moment for what it is. Its been a great trip, but its time to continue on with the rest of my Summer.