Category Archives: Tora Brava
One last look
Today was one of those days where if I kept looking out at the ocean, my eyes would’ve turned blue. Azure blue and cloudless, with the sun warming me to the core. It was THAT kind of day here in LA. And it was Halloween.
I’ve been away from the blogness for a bit, but all’s well here. Halfway across the country I picked up a cold that went full-blown very quickly — I forgot that colds even come that way! Blogging wasn’t such a priority anymore. Thankfully my mom took the wheel here and there and I had plenty of delicious Cracker Barrel hot cider to coax the cold the rest of the way.
Do not mistake me, the rest of the trip was amazing. We made a detour to see the Grand Canyon, and NOTHING could’ve prepared me for THAT. Like, OMG…have you SEEN that place?? Ya know, rocks and altitude and stuff, coming together in the very form of what I kept thinking to myself as Pure Majesty. Jaws definitely dropped. I kept shouting.
I’ll definitely be back. By choppa.
My mom was a total rockstar the whole time. I can’t even begin to say how thankful I was that she came along for the ride! Even if she kept telling me to “slow down, you’re driving too fast” (“yeah yeah mom, oKAY”) it was an awesome trip where we clocked in just a hair over 3200 miles, listening to the velvet voice of Maya Angelou reading her Letters to my Daughter (stories!!)
We crossed over into California without any hoopla. There was no bright billboard with sunkist oranges to welcome us, no purposeful indicator, no Kanye West to let us know that we could finish. Then, in the middle of the desert there was, all of a sudden, a palm tree. It was waving. I knew then we had crossed over, and with a confirmation from GPS, we just went ‘wooooooooo!!’
After SoCal’s two straight weeks of rain, the clouds were just beginning to break as we rolled into LA. I felt ecstatic and at peace, though slightly anxious about the new digs. After all, I had barely even a clue as to what my new home was like. Upon arrival, I saw it cradled in the arms of nature, a little slice of heaven needing some good ol’ elbow grease to reclaim it from its Into-The-Wild surroundings. Thus ended one adventure, and began another. Did I tell you? I live in the mountains now, 10 minutes from the beach, 40 minutes from the heart of the city of angels. All of a sudden I’m City Girl in Canyon Country. Yeah ya know, the adventure never stops. Not with me 
Here’s one last look from the Fantastical Journey ‘cross ‘merika:
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Scenes from the Heartland
We made our way from Ohio to Decatur, Illinois, where we stayed with my aunt and uncle (my mom’s sister, dubbed “ee-lee-noy emo”, added her dog Cookie to our little caravan for a day). Then drove the 10 hours to Oklahoma City, where we were witness to a most luminous sunset on the road.
Lots of canine appearances! They’ve been doing real well given the circumstances, though Jinsol seems to have gotten it into his mind lately that he should be climbing into the front seat with me and my mom! I now understand why they make those front/backseat barriers. I think he’s wanting more comfort than is usual for him, poor thing.
Ever closer to California, baby!!
Day One: NJ, Pa-pa-pa-power, OH
I write this at my aunt and uncle’s house in Dayton, Ohio, from the morning of Day 2. It’s beautiful, bright and misty here on this side of autumn, which is really much more advanced and colorful than on the east coast. Maybe it’s the doctor in him, but my uncle has taken it upon himself to get my dogs to eat something. They haven’t eaten since Sunday, what with all the excitement going on around them since.
We left Monday morning at about 9:30 am. After an initial stop at the town dog park, we were off like a prom dress! We are a happy little caravan: me, my mom, and my two lil wolfies Twyla and Jinsol. From Northern New Jersey our lil caravan made our way into Pennsylvania, where my mom and I saw the autumn grow its gorgeous grip over rolling hills and tree covered mountain.
The dogs saw it too, through the lens of their excitement. They’re used to riding in the car with their heads and tongues hanging gleefully out the window (new car interior be damned!). But the events of the last week and the car being (skillyfully) packed to the hilt gave them extra motivation to pant excitedly. It’s all new to them!
My brother had informed me of a wonderful thing. Did you know that Cracker Barrel has a veritable lending library of audio books at every location from here to Seal Beach??? Check it out! The selection is at least recent, though nothing to shout about, unless you’re really itching for your fill of teenage vampire novels and humour-tomes on middle age. So a good choice for our first audio book would, naturally, have been written and read by the inimitable Michael J. Fox, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future. My mom is a fan and I myself am a huge fan of his work in the classic Back to the Future trilogy. Needless to say, we were both entertained by his life-enriched prose that was set up like a university commencement speech. Maybe we even learned something.
I’m not one to let just anybody drive my Pola Prius. I drove the entire 10 hours the first day. Winding Pennsylvania roads around little mountain islands do not make for a calm mind if I’m not the one navigating my own ship. The upside is, I’m a real ball of laughs when I’m delirious and out of my mind. Give me some good homecooked food and all my crankiness melts away. It was nice hanging with my aunt, uncle and cousin Stephen in the Ohio forestside before I sent myself crashing into sleep.
My mom is driving the 5+ hours to Decatur today. The sky is clear blue with faint gauzy strips of clouds to the left and right as we head due west, baby, due West!!
Next stop, the fabulous and happening town of Decatur, IL. Yeah, ya knowwebreakingit.
On the eve
Finally got the bitchin’ prius packed and ready to go. With some flexing of my awesome Tetris muscles (behold in awe) I was actually able to fit most of my studio gear in the surprisingly roomy trunk space. Will the transformation of my car into a small yet fortified flying fortress. We’re going on a road trip across America!!
It’s been a hefty time lately. I feel like I’ve made a million rapid-fire decisions in the space of one week, paring down my belongings to the mere essentials. Packing and moving out of my old place on the east coast, repacking the entire contents of my life into one car, saying my farewells. You can imagine it’s been an emotional time for me, but the excitement balances it out. I’m happy, exhausted and in gratitude, feeling like most of the hard work is done. The travel is the fun part and change is good for me. You ride out the waves and that’s what they call surfing, my friend.
We set out early with the dawn. Nothing like a good sleep before a trek of 3000 miles of beautiful open road. Listen, man, I’m going to California! Tell ‘em to get ready!!
First stop, Ohio USA.
And now, time to consult with the dream genies of zZzland….
Good nite, everybody!
