Dear California,

I feel like a schoolgirl because I am crushing on you so hard right now.  I don’t know if you have heard, but I am currently living in China.  Please don’t get jealous because really, China has nothing on you. Sure it has The Great Wall, pandas, and Hong Kong.  It also has skyscrapers for days and a pretty efficient public transportation system, but whom am I kidding?  California, you have my heart.

Obviously, you are pretty busy with the Royals visiting, and the mess that Arnold made of his marriage. I can’t kid myself into thinking that you even have time to notice my little road trip up the coast this past weekend.  But before I moved abroad, I visited your deserts and let’s be honest, you had me at cactus.

Mon Coeur, your beauty in these wild, solitary dry lands dazzled me. I could gaze into your sunrises at Mono Lake for days and get lost in the sparkle of your sunsets over Death Valley.  My heart is all of flutter just thinking of you that way.  I will never forget the breeze that swept through my hair on the way to Mt. Whitney. Ah, mi Corazón.

So when I decided to head up the coast, I thought nothing could top your beautiful, arid landscapes, but I underestimated you. Silly me.  I am still reeling from the charm and elegance of your coastline.  On one side of Route 1 is jaw dropping cliffs converging with the rocky shoreline. Beyond that the grand, vast Pacific Ocean resides. On the other side, fog whispers over the mountaintops with unexpected wildflowers blooming off every edge and surface.  There you go again with your little surprises, full of grace. I am enchanted.

During this brief jaunt, I also visited three of your historical missions.  I don’t know if you remember, but I was baptized at the Mission de Alcala in San Diego so I feel a connection with you there.  The mission at Carmel is definitely the darling of the missions. I said a quick prayer in the same spot as Pope John Paul II when he visited you, which put a big smile in my heart.  But I have to say, I preferred the simplicity and unpretentiousness of Mission de San Miguel.  I thought of what you were like before the masses of people realized your uniqueness, blessings, and beauty. The quiet of a cool breeze with land as far as the eye could see.  I wonder if you miss those days.

Everywhere I looked was a picture just patiently waiting to be shot.  The 17-Mile Drive was breathtaking as were the rolling hills just outside of Bakersfield.  But what really sealed my fate in my love for you is your cool, fresh breezes and sunshine that wrapped around me like a soft blanket.  It is so uniquely you and I am so happy to call you mine because you are simply amazing.  I took some photos of you but they will never do justice to your majesty and exquisiteness.

California, mi Corazón, you complete me.

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Being home is wonderful.  This morning, I got into my mom and dad’s comfy bed while my mom was fixing her hair; we were chatting about all sorts of stuff and there was this great breeze coming in the window.  I thought this is one of those great, small moments that I will fall back on when I am feeling homesick.

I am not going to lie.  Last year was incredibly difficult at times.  Sometimes, I just got through the day, barely, only to get up and start all over again in a foreign land.  Many times, it was a struggle to remain positive and upbeat. But there were also fantastic moments of personal triumphs.  Little worries I had before, now I just brush off my shoulder.  I mean, I conquered Hong Kong… what did you do today type thing.  And I think it’s this mix of hardship and challenge, which can be very humbling, with these personal triumphs that has given me this new sense of self.  Oddly, I feel more comfortable in my own skin now then I ever have.  Don’t get me wrong.  I am still a work in progress, but I guess I like the direction I am headed.

Things I miss about the States that I took for granted:

1)   the radio – music old and new
2)   cool breezes coming in while I nap – heaven
3)   fast, interrupted internet service – had no idea how much I took this for granted
4)   Bravo – I miss the mind-numbing television
5)   Choices, choices, choices – do people in the US even know how good they have it?

Since I have been home, people keep asking me about the food in China.  I have to say, I am probably the last person to ask about food.  It’s like asking a fish about bicycles. I am just not a foodie. I don’t really even like watching cooking shows; just not that interested.   That I wish I could change about myself as I feel that I am missing a great part of the experience and culture of a place, but then again, I suppose there are worse things!

And a quick shout out to Christy… my mom did make me a sandwich and it was delicious!

I am always amazed by clouds because these fleeting forms can be so visually stunning.  I begin to think about the water cycle and how we (meaning the human race) only use about 1% of the 3% of the fresh water that’s in the world or some small amount.  We are drinking the same water the dinosaurs did type thing.  That’s amazing.  And there I was, flying through these beautiful masses of water particles in the air, heading home to homemade cookies and cakes.   Simply incredible.

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