I have emerged!
What a month. What a month INDEED.
For years my children have attended a mission trip through the local church. I have written the check, packed the bags and sent them off. Admittedly, it was MY vacation".
This year I tossed my name into the ring as a chaperone. I never dreamed anyone would actually ACCEPT my offer.
I was wrong.
I departed hours after my last blog entry. I drove into a parking lot filled with teenagers at 6:45am. After 4 hours of sleep. I was then told I was the only driver for the 2nd passenger van. What? Only for 30 minutes until we picked up the next set of adults down the freeway...but STILL. It was 6:45 am.
I hopped in, took a deep breath and hoped beyond hope that the next 9 days would fly.
Imagine my surprise when I loved every minute of it. Every minute of the 20 hour drive to Yucaipa, California made me laugh. Every minute back to Portland made my throat close up. I didn't WANT these kids to go home. I wanted them ALL to be mine.
This trip was a nine day work trip. Just LOOK at how hard these kids worked!
No really...they were amazing. They painted, cleaned, talked to the elderly from the community, pulled down dead shrubs, cooked, gardened and all of this in 100 degree weather. And I cried so hard when it was time to say goodbye to them all nine days later.
I was home four days and then it was FAMILY road trip time...back to California. Because I cannot get enough of that state.
No really...my kids have never visited their own backyard. They have seen amazing places, but never their neighboring states!
The Madonna Inn amazed me beyond belief. No...really. The general food menu was pretty tasteless, but the desserts were delicious. And then we did a self-led tour. I figured if the bathroom was THIS amazing...it could only get better and I was correct!
My kids had to drag me from the pink dining room. Who knew this type of beauty & opulence existed?????
They dragged me kicking, crying and screaming from the Madoona Inn (only after purchasing a 4.99 pink pen with floating cherubs over images of the Madonna Inn building) and we headed to Santa Barbara which I could not IMAGINE was prettier and better than the Madonna Inn...but then I saw our room & view.
Why oh WHY does this trip just keep getting better?
Then my kids heard Kim Kardashian was getting married miles from our hotel and we had a WHOLE new problem....dragging my KIDS away from Santa Barbara on Friday. They felt my Madonna Inn pain!
The entire road trip went like this....Portland, OR to Crescent City, CA to Lakeport, CA to San Fransisco, CA to Monterey, CA to Pismo Beach, CA to Santa Barbara, CA to San Fransisco, CA to Grants Pass, OR to Portland,OR.
I am BEAT.
Road Trip 101......Next time we will NOT be that aggressive. Maybe 3 cities in 9 days verses 7 cities in 9 days!
One of our last trips was my personal Disneyland.
"Nest" in the Pacific Height neighborhood of San Fransisco. I first visited this store 5 years ago and thought this was what I would be when Poppy & Ivy grew up. I still have time!
Back to Portland we head after a quick stop at Haight-Ashbury...very brief indeed.
Back home. Back to "normal"...back to our lives!
Cheers to what we know.....
Goodness, you have been busy. Both trips sound like great fun!! "Nest" would be a great thing to grow up to be. Glad you had such fun,
Annette
Posted by: Annette | August 22, 2011 at 08:04 AM
wow ... I did a double take when I read you ended up in Yucaipa ...my hometown!
Posted by: Mary | September 30, 2011 at 05:08 PM