California was my first step away from home. In all my trips in and out of California, nothing has changed. California has always been the same, but I think I’ve changed. The things that caused me grief have turned into the things that make me feel good. I haven’t lived here in years but the comfort I feel in San Diego makes me feel right at home. Here I learned about myself and let people learn about me. I’ve left a lot of hearts here. Long distance friendships are never easy but when they are with the right people, they are definitely worth it. Thanks for staying the same California. You are quite the cure.

Hopping fences and facing fears. Celebrating love and life. Being thankful for friends and foes. This weekend I went from east to west to find myself in places I couldn’t even believe. Not just talking about the top of this rocky cliff, but places I’ve never felt before too. Everything is coming together and my team is the best I could ever have.

From high in the sky at 427mph, I’m composing and uploading this post. That’s right, from the airplane. In my life time, there have been advancements that people of the generation before would never have imagined. Sure, we have been able to pay for WiFi in the air for a while now, but now this is FREE. So on a day that rained and rained, making the commute to the airport extra challenging, after a week of sleepless nights and long workdays, free wi-fi was my glimmer of sunshine. (Hey, its the little things). Looking forward to seeing more real sunshine and escaping the east and Tropical Storm Joaquin. #BYEJOAQUIN

I’ll be here, somewhere in the corner under clouds of [California].

Back in college, these cliffs were the closest thing to home in San Diego. Somewhere out there, in that big ocean was Hawaii. This place reminded me of home. The ocean is here, the sunset is here, the swell is here. The city is behind you, and so is everything else.

When you feel seasick on solid ground, you need a place like this.  I needed a place like this. Somewhere to rebalance the scales and clear my mind. However, on this impromptu return to Sunset Cliffs, there was nothing to balance. By chance we caught the sunset and on purpose we stopped to watch it. I wasn’t being reminded of home, I felt right at home. Coming back to a place that made me feel displace, made me feel right.  And that, among other things, is what made this one of the best sunsets yet.

Oh, Orlando. Although it took 25 years, I finally made it to Orlando, Florida. All this time I’ve been only hearing and seeing things about this magical place. I didn’t quite make it to the Magic Kingdom, but I did go to Universal Studios. I was there long enough to learn Orlando summers are no joke. They are hotter and humid-er than the worst days in NYC, which are worse than the hot days in Hawaii. There aren’t any waves or ocean, (it is in the middle of the state), but there are pools and water parks (the water isn’t really cold tho), and a lot of AC (Ice box cold).

All the heat aside, this place is special. There are kids EVERYWHERE. Big ones and little ones. People are encapsulated in man-made worlds and experiences. We went from real life, to jumping into cartoon story lines, and then back to imaginary worlds all in one day. The kids’ jaws dropped and their eyes lit up with amazement. As a big kid, I enjoyed it even more because I was there with the little kids.

So after all the steps we took, the land we covered and the things we saw, while dripping in sweat, it was worth it. Even after the rain we were left with fire in the sky and colors that were like, whaaaa?? I wouldn’t call this a relaxing weekend, but it was a memorable one. The next time though, you’ll find me there when it’s not summer.

The Christmas rush is well underway. The last few days have been a whirlwind of events. The missing days from the blog are an indication of just how crazy things have been. Major life changes have occurred. I celebrated friends getting married and friends who are moving on. I made new friends and once again, reconnected with old ones. I’ve been in three states in three days. As I write this note, 10,000 feet in the air somewhere above the Pacific Ocean I am anxious and ready to go home for the holidays.

I know once I get there it will be a whole different rush. I am excited to see my family and friends. I have a very loveable and demanding Grandma waiting for me and lots of questions will be asked and answered. We have holiday cookies to bake and family dinners to make. I’ve been running on little sleep. I don’t expect that to change much once this plane touches down on Maui, but I do expect to enjoy every minute of it. I am always crushing on Maui, and I am in love with the idea that I will spend the last days of 2014 here:

From age 10-25 these guys (and a bunch of other guys too) have been around for me. A bunch of us gathered in Austin, Texas in October for #bigDs25 birthday celebration. Not sure how he got seven friends, from five different states to fly in for one weekend, but it happened. Being away from my life-long friends for so long, I realized how some things never change–and that is a good thing. We get back together after being apart for months, even years for some and nothing is different. We are back in 7th grade making jokes, rolling our eyes, and pushing each other to our limits. But hey, what are friends for. These guys pulled me through a lot of good and changing times. They are the constant to the equation and I am so thankful for them. We may not all talk that often or get to be in each other’s presence long, but they are home. We have a special group of friends going and I’m not sure how they feel about me, but I’ll be there for them and with them, till the end.