Life has been good around here. Mom and Dad were able to come for a weekend in the Bay the first weekend of March, which was a ton of fun! They arrived on Friday around lunchtime and the Super-Fast Tour de the Bay commenced! We: had lunch at my favorite and very yummy pizza place in San Jose; drove through the Santa Cruz mountains to Big Basin Redwoods State Park so they could catch a very quick glimpse of the big, beautiful, ancient 1,600 year-old redwoods; drove on to Santa Cruz on the coast and watched many catch some waves and surf while watching the spray of the waves on the cliffs; drove up the 1, stopped at a homemade jam place and tasted some jam (very fun little joint); drove on to Half Moon Bay for dinner on the coast (but we sat inside by the fire--Happy birthday, Mom!!!); The next day was The City: we rode the cable cars; had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory atop Macy's overlooking Union Square; rode the cable car to Chinatown and experienced some of Chinatown; walked down through Little Italy; did Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 (saw the few sea lions there); and last, we had about 1,000 calories' worth of Ghiradelli ice cream each. : ) The third day we drove to Napa Valley and drove up and down country roads and marveled at the beauty of The Wine Country. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at V. Sattui Winery (very beautiful, although cold, windy and sprinkly) and did a cave tour--led by a Red Raider!--and tasting of Pine Ridge Winery. We also stopped at Robert Mondavi and browsed the shop and glanced at the vineyards (it was too cold to explore much, at that point). It was all a whirlwind tour, but, it was worth it, even if we were all tired from it. Hopefully we will be able to do more next time.
A couple of the travel nurses who have been here since October are about to leave in about 3 weeks, so we are trying to get in as much fun and time together as we can. It's bittersweet for us. We laugh about the ridiculous and funny and not-so-funny experiences we've had that are bound to happen when you travel across the country for a short-term job. I was telling one of the girls I remember our first day at Stanford, when I passed one of the girls in the hallway with a scared, lost look on her face (I'm sure my face was the same) and then finally finding where we were supposed to have orientation and I remember the other girls already engrossed in deep conversation. I remember our first lunch and the introductory questions we asked and many of the responses. I remember at that lunch when we all had a hearty belly laugh about the same ridiculous experiences driving thousands of miles to get there and how the tension was released and the sigh of relief we all breathed at that moment. I smile as I think about our first hike together, our first dinner by the water and all the other firsts. It seems like ages ago, but just like yesterday! We've only known each other for six months, but we are the only family we had out here and I would imagine we will remain close and in touch from now on. I am so thankful for these women and I have been so blessed with encouragement, comfort, and joy through them. We have laughed until we cried. We played drums together with dishes at Christmas. We dipped our toes in the Pacific for the first time together, in the dark, while Kelly's sandal was washed out by a wave (we got it back!).
Kelly and I were on a hike yesterday and were talking about the perpetual rolling change of life: people; places; times . . . Things change. Places change. People change. The times change. We meet people, develop relationships, and sometimes have to say goodbye. There are some that will persist through the miles and some that won't. There are some that last even if you don't keep in touch well. There are some you were just friends with simply because of proximity. Others because of commonalities and interests or shared experiences. I am thankful for them all. I have seen how change is necessary to experience new things. I see how movement is necessary for progression, whether it's physical movement or figuratively speaking . . . Not that relationships from the past are regressive. On the contrary. But, if I had not moved from Lubbock, I would not have met these wonderful women and have shared this experience with them that I would not trade. I would not trade my experiences in Lubbock, either. But, new experiences result from change. I probably still don't necessarily like change, but, maybe I appreciate it more than I did before I experienced this much of it. Or, maybe I just appreciate things and people and experiences from before the change and after the change more than I did before I experienced this change. So, I'm sad to see these girls go. I keep attempting to sabotage their efforts to get back to Boston, unsuccessfully. : )
Here are some picks from the folks' trip and the hike with kelly yesterday. Love you all and hope you're doing well! Please keep in touch! Some of you have said you have tried to leave comments but it won't let you. My apologies. Feel free to email me to keep in touch (or call!). Be blessed!
Robert Mondavi Winery
A couple of the travel nurses who have been here since October are about to leave in about 3 weeks, so we are trying to get in as much fun and time together as we can. It's bittersweet for us. We laugh about the ridiculous and funny and not-so-funny experiences we've had that are bound to happen when you travel across the country for a short-term job. I was telling one of the girls I remember our first day at Stanford, when I passed one of the girls in the hallway with a scared, lost look on her face (I'm sure my face was the same) and then finally finding where we were supposed to have orientation and I remember the other girls already engrossed in deep conversation. I remember our first lunch and the introductory questions we asked and many of the responses. I remember at that lunch when we all had a hearty belly laugh about the same ridiculous experiences driving thousands of miles to get there and how the tension was released and the sigh of relief we all breathed at that moment. I smile as I think about our first hike together, our first dinner by the water and all the other firsts. It seems like ages ago, but just like yesterday! We've only known each other for six months, but we are the only family we had out here and I would imagine we will remain close and in touch from now on. I am so thankful for these women and I have been so blessed with encouragement, comfort, and joy through them. We have laughed until we cried. We played drums together with dishes at Christmas. We dipped our toes in the Pacific for the first time together, in the dark, while Kelly's sandal was washed out by a wave (we got it back!).
Napa Valley (picture is courtesy of my Dad and is
used without permission! Thanks, Dad!)
Kelly and I were on a hike yesterday and were talking about the perpetual rolling change of life: people; places; times . . . Things change. Places change. People change. The times change. We meet people, develop relationships, and sometimes have to say goodbye. There are some that will persist through the miles and some that won't. There are some that last even if you don't keep in touch well. There are some you were just friends with simply because of proximity. Others because of commonalities and interests or shared experiences. I am thankful for them all. I have seen how change is necessary to experience new things. I see how movement is necessary for progression, whether it's physical movement or figuratively speaking . . . Not that relationships from the past are regressive. On the contrary. But, if I had not moved from Lubbock, I would not have met these wonderful women and have shared this experience with them that I would not trade. I would not trade my experiences in Lubbock, either. But, new experiences result from change. I probably still don't necessarily like change, but, maybe I appreciate it more than I did before I experienced this much of it. Or, maybe I just appreciate things and people and experiences from before the change and after the change more than I did before I experienced this change. So, I'm sad to see these girls go. I keep attempting to sabotage their efforts to get back to Boston, unsuccessfully. : )
The bottom of Mission Peak
Here are some picks from the folks' trip and the hike with kelly yesterday. Love you all and hope you're doing well! Please keep in touch! Some of you have said you have tried to leave comments but it won't let you. My apologies. Feel free to email me to keep in touch (or call!). Be blessed!
Working our way up Mission Peak
The view atop Mission Peak (almost atop . . . 4/5's "atop" :)
V. Sattui's Deli . . . we had a picnic on the grounds for lunch.
The Reserves at V.Sattui
V. Sattui Winery in Napa Valley.
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