Finding Bliss in Berkeley

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My Dad left Berkeley today on a big jet plane and I slept in until 10:52, waking up startled and scrambling to get my things together for an 11:00am checkout. Needless to say, he wore me out! It was just what I needed, a good kick in the butt from my loving Dad to get out and explore the east Bay and San Francisco. I already feel more at home and feel comforted that traces of my dad and our time together can be found along the streets we walked, the delicious restaurants we enjoyed, and of course the 30 Tibetan stores we couldn’t pass up. I am grateful he came to visit me here, as this is where I need to be and am doing my best to make it feel like home, for the time being.

To rehash the last two weeks, I led my first walking trip in Yosemite with an intimate group of seven. Perfect for just coming out of the starting gates---they were gracious and we had a good group dynamic going all week. (minus the 37 year old who was hard to engage and would only talk of Japanese anime.)

Upon driving back from Yosemite, I turned right back around and headed off on a multisport trip with three families. We did mountain biking, hiking, mule riding (yes…..mules going to the bathroom and passing gas will always be funny) and rock climbing. The two kids I sat with on our last evening dining together were in tears---not because they were so sad to say goodbye but because they were so physically and mentally exhausted from the week’s activities they could not hold it together. I think it’s safe to say we have all been there! As adults we simply find better ways to hide or disclose the fact that we are “done!”

Highlights:
• Getting drenched from a waterfall on a hike up the Mist Trail---smiling and laughing at how soaked my shoes got while sunscreen dripped into my eyes!
• Riding a recumbent for the first time. Lean back, lean back, lean back.
• Coming within 3 feet of a rattlesnake and learning all about them from a hiker who just so happened to be a herpetologist.
• Being kissed on both cheeks each morning by Ann, a lovely woman from the UK—tis the British way!

Lowlights: Unfortunately, two young men in their twenties and one woman drowned while we were in Yosemite---they got swept away by the rushing water after an attempt to make it to a boulder in the middle of the river, just above Vernal Falls. Perhaps it was not the best judgment call as they knowingly crossed over the park rails to get into the water, but my heart goes out to their families and all who witnessed such an event.

Silver Lining: Seeing life through the eyes of a child. They are just so precious and it’s fascinating to watch them come into their being and know themselves. Some kids are more mature for their age, while others are still maturing---some quiet, others loud, some competitive, others humble----all of it is beautiful and makes me want to be a parent some day!

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