California Trip

To explain why I went to California: My friends Ryan and Maggie wanted to take me along to watch their daughter Grace while they attended a wedding in Temecula, California. We spent the entire weekend driving around the San Diego area. I met Maggie's childhood friends, conversed freely with strangers, stayed in the home of a friend's friend's grandmother, walked a California beach, ate lots of fish, and much more in the space of three days.

Thursday night I drove to Maggie and Ryan's house after women's Bible study and spent the night. Friday morning, we drove to the airport before dawn with their two sleepy (or sleeping) children -- Grace (three years) and Caroline (three months). I was pulled aside in the airport and thoroughly searched -- yeah, because I look so suspicious -- and no sooner did I get on the plane then one of the flight stewards was flirting with me. Like a good Christian woman, I smiled politely and thanked him for the "extra attention" instead of punching his lights out. The flight was uneventful, but I looked out the window for the longest time, drawing in poetic inspiration. (I'll publish the poem in a separate post.)

We arrived in San Diego late that morning and Ryan picked up a rental car. Before heading to Temecula, Ryan and Maggie took me to San Clemente where they used to live when Ryan was stationed at Camp Pendleton. We ate lunch at Antione's Cafe, where Maggie had worked as a waitress, and went to the beach to take some pictures. Ryan and Maggie had a couple of hours to get ready for the wedding once we arrived at our hotel. Maggie took baby Caroline with her while Grace stayed with me in the hotel. We ate California pizza, read four books, and then I tucked her in bed. I nodded off not long after.

The next morning, Grace was up chattering to three very drowsy adults. We spent the morning in the breakfast room of the hotel conversing with the people from the wedding party. I didn't talk much, but particularly enjoyed listening to the bride's sister, Kimee, and her new husband, Dustin, talk about their travels to Thailand and an upcoming trip to Burma to film a documentary about the genocide taking place there. Another young couple joined us, who had just returned from a trip to Italy. My kind of people.

For lunch the group headed for In-and-Out, a burger joint found only in California, before going to Mission Beach (just north of San Diego Int'l Airport and south of La Jolla). We stayed out there for several hours, watching Dustin teach Ryan how to surf. Thankfully, Ryan didn't drown himself. A Californian beach is an interesting place to watch people -- I don't think I've ever seen that much bare skin is so little square mileage. It took me a while to feel comfortable in a pair of shorts and tank top, but I can't even imagine... ugh. I had fun taking pictures of sea gulls, collecting sea shells, and watching aged hippies.

That night, we stayed at the bride's grandmother's house in San Diego. Kimee and Dustin lived in the house behind her, so we all hung out in the backyard, grilling fresh-caught sand bass for dinner. One of the bridesmaids had brought her 12-year-old sister with her. She seemed a little bored in the company of adults, so I struck up a conversation with her. By the end of the night we were laughing over a large piece of watermelon, telling stories, and hugging each other goodbye.

Ryan, Maggie, the girls, and I left early Friday morning for the airport and arrived home around 5 PM. My dad picked me up at their house and I crashed in bed when I got home.

So that's my California trip: I found myself having fun in the company of total strangers -- in no comfort zone whatsoever -- and loving it. I fell in love with California and wish I could move there.

SAN CLEMENTE

MISSION BEACH -- SAN DIEGO