Goodbye for Now

I came to California a few days before my twenty-third birthday. Packing my suitcases, donating most of my clothes, and getting dropped off at the airport to take the longest flight of my adult life in order to move to a city I'd never seen felt like the biggest risk I'd taken. It probably was- not because it was particularly risky but because I wasn't in the habit of taking chances. And moving cross-country without visiting your new home first seemed pretty chancy to me.

I'm leaving today, a few years older and with even less of an idea of what the future holds. I couldn't have foreseen a lot of what happened here but if I had, I still would have gotten on that plane. I am a much better person for it. The way my life has unfolded is wildly different from anything I planned, but I do love it, even the difficult bits. All I can do is keep living in a way that feels right to me. Luckily, I have a phenomenal partner to support me and keep me entertained on all of life's long walks.

I have to say goodbye to San Diego, to California, and to my beloved Pacific Ocean but I don't want to say goodbye to all of the wonderful people I met here. I feel like we were just starting to get to know each other. So this is just goodbye for now, because I know our paths will cross again (they'd better!).

Z's first introduction to the Pacific.

Lazy Hummingbird

Moving

A few snapshots of the moving process. We walked through Famosa Slough to get to Home Depot for some moving boxes. Then walked back carrying five boxes each...this is exactly as much fun as it sounds but the Slough is so beautiful. Then we packed three boxes of books and had to figure out how to mail them. Laundry cart! When you're using a Kryptonite bike lock to secure your laundry cart to a bike rack outside the post office, you just have to laugh at how ridiculous moving can be when you have no car. But we would have been in serious trouble without that cart. Don't know about you, but I do not want to carry a 38 pound box for over a mile.

We had a somewhat successful yard sale. Made some money, got rid of some things, made a little girl very happy by selling her mom all my embroidery supplies. Neighbor cat came for a visit. Most importantly, we entertained ourselves by playing apartment in our driveway.

One Last Trip to the Shore

Our last trip to Pacific Shores was full of sparkly lights, cheap well drinks, good friends, and one awesome mom. I'm not quite sure what makes something a dive bar, but Pacific Shores is my kind of dive. During happy hour, anyway...I like to show up early and have my fun before most people even go out.

Capstone Day!

The day of Z's Capstone started with a mile-long walk, running the last few blocks when the bus came into sight. Two buses later, we made it to his school and got settled in for a day full of amazing presentations by wonderful people.

Having waited for this day since Z's orientation, it was kind of surreal thinking that his graduate program was actually ending. He did all the work but we both benefited from meeting his unbelievably awesome group of classmates.

There were a couple of notable absences and lots of tears during a great slideshow that Stacey put together (okay, those were all mine). I'm so proud to call this great bunch of people my friends and I am beyond excited to see what everyone does. We're all across the country now (and a few are outside of it), but I feel like most of us are going to be bouncing around and I know our paths will cross again.

Thanksgiving

Sometimes you just need a quiet, foggy day at the beach with your best friend.

Cats of Ocean Beach

Ocean Beach Pier

The Pacific Ocean can put everything into perspective.

Back to the Shores

Z and I got a little restless. He threw on his best suspenders and we ventured down to Pacific Shores for some high class decor and a cheap drink.

Little Cat Feet

The fog comes

on little cat feet

It sits looking 

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

Carl Sandburg

Cliffs and Chips

Sunset Cliffs is one of those places that makes me think California really is some kind of wonderland. It's wild and rugged and kind of scary and absolutely, unbelievably gorgeous.


There's a beach below the cliffs that looks amazing. All summer, while in Virginia, I thought about that beach and how great it would be to conquer my fear of heights (and my related fears of falling, pain, death, and embarrassment) and hang out there. Today was another beautiful day, perfect for a bike ride  to the cliffs. Our route to the cliffs was much hillier than anticipated and we ended up pushing our bikes as much as riding them. I made sure to note a much flatter option for next time.

See Z on the path? I swear (hope) it's much steeper than it looks. I think I made it about eight feet before freezing and assuming the "I'm terrified, crouching means I'll be safer" position. After I got back to the top, I watched a young boy scamper gleefully down to the beach.

Needing physical and spiritual nourishment after that disappointment, we headed down to Ranchos Cocina.

Z tried to get birds to take chips out of his hand by saying, "Who's brave? Who's brave?".  Apparently OB birds are cowards.