I’ve been sick. Again. I was just sick a few weeks ago, and this time I think it may have been the flu. I’ve heard that it’s not uncommon for people to get sick when they are in a new environment, there’s an adjustment period to the influx of new germs and weather. I meant to get this post up days ago but have been lying in bed for the most part!
Right before I started feeling poorly, last Thursday was a beautiful day. So sunny, warm and gorgeous that I wore my sandals for the first time since moving and Zac and I went to the beach. We live just two blocks from the ocean, so it’s just a skip across the Great Highway (which is a real highway, but not really that great) and over the dunes to the crashing waves and soft sand. We spread a blanket on the dunes, intending to read, but ending up just lazing there for a couple hours. It’s funny, southern California is known for it’s beaches, and while they are better for swimming, I prefer northern California beaches for their beauty – less people and trash. I am a big sucker for lonely, wind blown cypress trees and wild coastal sage scrub to palm trees. I find the presence of water to be soothing, and in my reveries I found the wanderlust creeping in.
As one could imagine, I’m still quite poor from moving, and don’t plan on taking any major trips right now. That said, I pretty much have the rest of my year mapped out in terms of visits back to LA, visitors coming up here, and weekend romps in between. Here’s what I have to look forward to!
March – In just a few short weeks, my Los Angeles band, lovelesslust, is playing a show in Chicago. I’ve never been to Chicago, and I’ve heard it’s a fabulous city, so I’m excited that there will be some exploring time. Plus, I get to reunite with people that I care deeply for, make music with them, and shoot a music video as well. It will be a packed weekend but a wonderful adventure. Why haven’t I mentioned before that I would be embarking on a trip of such a badass nature? The only way I agreed to this show was if I was not paying for my flight and if we got kicked a little dough from the guy from our label, [lost horizon], an independent label outside of Chicago. As of this post, a venue is lined up, but I have not seen confirmation of any airline tickets having been purchased, and the show is just 10 days away. If this happens, it’ll be amazing, if not, I’ll have to try to make it back to Chicago at a later date.
April – My twin sister Mel and my parents will be in town! This may sound mundane, but it will be the first time I’ve seen any of them since moving in mid-January, so it’s a big deal for me. As per my family’s usual, my dad picked up a business trip (he’s an automotive journalist, check out his wordpress blog Matt Stone Cars), and my mom and sister are tagging along. I’m excited for them to see my apartment. I don’t really have any activities planned since they have all been here plenty of times but it will be fun to show them “my” San Francisco.
May – This month I’ll make my first visit down to LA since moving. Not sure exactly when yet, but I’m thinking the week of Mother’s Day since that’ll be special for my mom. I’m trying to decide how much time I’ll need to take off from work, and I think I’ll need to take almost a week. Not to toot my own horn, but I think there’s a lot of people down there who like me and my limited time will be in demand (although if you are reading this, don’t wait til May, call or email me! I miss you and want to talk to you, I promise) Not to mention I’ll need to call on extended family, perhaps a Mother’s Day shindig, drop in on my old jobs, and probably get a hair cut from Stacy, the best stylist in Simi Valley. It’ll be a busy trip.
June – I think Mel will be back up in June with her boyfriend, Scot. They are both really into San Francisco and would come up here once or twice a year even before Zac and I talked of moving. Also, they may have an east coast friend visiting in the area, so why not kill two birds with one stone? I don’t mind, being apart from your twin is hard so I’ll take all the time with her I can get.
August – Every year the third week of August you can find my parents at the Concours d’Elegance, the creme de la creme of classic car shows in Pebble Beach. Most years my sister and I will be with them. Last year I didn’t go and I seriously regret it. For me, this yearly sojourn is my ultimate unwind from the years stressors: immaculate vintage cars in one of the most achingly beautiful places on the planet, the Monterey Bay Peninsula. In years past we’ve been put up in some of the nicer resorts, with passes to all the good parties, but since my dad left Motor Trend and is free lancing it’s been a little slimmer. Chances are good I’ll have to find my own lodgings this year, unless I can convince my parents to set up my air mattress in their hotel room. Knowing my thriftiness, I intend on scouring couchsurfing (the best organization for travelers ever! Check it out if you haven’t heard of it) and the one hostel to be found in Monterey if I have to pay for something. I’d better figure it out soon though, that weekend there are dozens of car-related events all over the peninsula and that shit books up real quick.
September – As always, on Labor Day weekend I go camping with the group of friends known as Le Quad. You can read about our last year’s camping exploits here. This year we’re finally embarking upon the camping trip we’ve been intending on taking for years, to Big Sur. We always plan on Big Sur, but inevitably the campsite always fills up for Labor Day Weekend, and this time I think we’ve finally beaten everyone to the punch and got our reservation in. We will have a few more faces than usual, so it should be an even more packed and awesome experience than usual. Zac and I camped in Big Sur a few years back on our California Coast road trip. I don’t remember it too well, that was at the end of our trip and I think we were doing more hanging out than exploring, so I’m excited to be back. And this time I get off easy: Big Sur is a mere 3 hours from me and 5 1/2 from everyone else in LA, not even counting Diana who comes all the way from Costa Mesa in Orange County to hang with us all weekend. It should be a camping trip to remember! Or forget, depending on how much drinking we do.
And that’s pretty much my year. I’ll probably take another trip down to LA before the year is out, in November for my birthday/Thanksgiving or December for Chanukkah, but that one’s way to far for me to think about yet. Thanks for reading! I’ll share greater details with you as these events start popping up.
Good Luck and Happy Travels
Mo
PS- Please excuse my zealous use of links in this post. Up until now I still hadn’t figured out how to add them. Now that I finally have I may have used too many. I personally love links to illustrate a blog, but give me feedback if it’s not adding anything.
A Stranger In Paradise 