"When I finally get myself together, I'm going to get down in that sunny southern weather. And I'll find a place inside to laugh..."
SUNSET FROM THE BOARDWALK AT AROUND D STREET
I didn't think this would happen but I am falling in love again. Maybe it is a temporary mesmerizing moment but I am happy. I feel great. I feel E-X-P-A-N-S-I-V-E and it is not just the new haircut.
After several decades away I am back in Orange County, CA and loving it. I never thought I would say that but the truth is I AM. Back in October when I drove up from San Diego to Fort Bragg I passed my old highway exits (I used to live in OC in the early 80's) and I said out loud, "Nope. I am not even going to stop to see if anything looks familiar. I know this is not a place that I would want to live in again..." and I kept driving and driving and driving.
VIEW FROM THE SECOND FLOOR
So what's my beef about OC? I am not really sure. I guess I had it in my head that it was too expensive (it is expensive) and that over the years it had gotten too full of traffic, and that the men all dressed like Stephen Ford with Izod shirts and flashed Porsche key chains and voted republican and were basically shallow a-holes. Well that may still be so but this weather is FANTASTIC and things are clean and modern and the traffic on the surface roads is also neat and tidy and orderly. Plus the libraries are blowing my mind.
THIRD FLOOR OUTSIDE MY BEDROOM
I left San Luis Obispo county after 10 additional days in Los Osos at my adoptive family's house and headed to LA county. specifically Westlake Village. My mind made a shift at that point having already ruled out possibly moving anywhere in the southern part of the state. My brain told the rest of my being that I was now just on a vacation with no agenda other than to enjoy myself. Maybe that's it. I got rid of my agenda and OPENed myself up.
MY PERSONAL BATHTUB
In WV I had a wonderful hostess with a nice modern apartment and five rescue dogs and a cat. I was in my sleeping bag on the floor for fours nights and spent my days driving around alone. My hostess was very busy so I was on my own to explore. I had no interest for exploring sites as a solo in LA except for Griffith Park and the observatory. I did email and send a text message to someone that never got back to me to meet up for lunch. It just put another nail in LA county's coffin for me as I had a host connection from Thousand Oaks who also blew me off. I am not a LA kind of gal I guess. I am old school and return calls and messages.
MY BACKPACK FIT RIGHT IN :)
On an up note I did find short yoga pants at TJMAXX. This is a minor miracle. I have a 27" inseam. In SLO I found jeans. Another miracle. I began to buy a few things that I wanted as opposed to needed. I was OPENly deciding I was deserving of nice things. And...the energy OPENed up for nice things to come to me such as my next couchsurf, an 8 MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE on the Newport Beach Peninsula. How many of those are on CS? I had four nights of luxury in a $1000 a night vacation rental. Luckily for me there was some restoration being done in one room off the kitchen so the whole place was not currently rent-able.
That's when I got my hair cut. Not almost cut but cut, into a beach bob. And I LOVE IT! I bought a few new shirts, beauty products and painted my toenails, took jacuzzi baths, bopped around town in shorts (yes the weather in OC is warm enough to wear shorts every day), walked the boardwalk at sunset and became ALIVE again. Even though I have not been actual camping for six months in the contrast I can see that is how I had been "feeling"and I deserve to feel better than that. Don't get me wrong, I love camping but for FUN not as day to day indefinite lifestyle.
A DECADENT BREAKFAST OF CHEESECAKE AND COFFEE
I have spattered this post with some photos of those fours days in Newport Beach. When I left the house I told my host that I felt as if I had been there a week. The four days of calm, peace, my own space and the location on the peninsula left me profoundly renewed. I was and still am revived. Yesterday I arrived to Huntington Beach. I am in a bungalow occupied by three male roommates over 50 (I guess home sharing is how you can afford places here), a cat and a little growling dog. But it too has a good vibe. A few of us watched SPOTLIGHT last night on the big flat screen TV with an awesome sound system. And my host is an excellent cook. I am looking forward to him cooking again tonight for me and another CS couple after we all meet at market day on nearby Main Street.
THE HB BUNGALOW KITTY MITZY
This morning was hazy so I decided to check out the library where I am now instead of walking the beach. I am seriously impressed with the Central Park and library of HB. In fact I am going to get a salad and take a park walk once I get this post published. After all I am on vacation now. ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment