A year or so ago when Betsy and Barry set a date for their wedding, I knew I needed to be there. So I planned around the date to make sure I was in the area.

Last Saturday was the big day. And what a day it was. Just viewing as a bystander, the lead up to it was exhausting and I and others, including the bride and groom, I’m sure, breathed a sigh of relief when it was over. But it was a wonderful day for everyone involved. The weather cooperated much to our joy, as Georgia and I left San Diego in rain. By Camp Pendleton it had cleared and sun and no wind blessed them as they said their vows on the bow of Yippie Kay Yay to huge rounds of applause from the guests.

So now I can leave SoCal! The deal is done!

But I must say I am enjoying being based here in San Diego. It’s an easy hop, either by Amtrak or car to Ryan’s up in Sherman Oaks and friends around the area. So it’s not going to be as easy as I imagined to leave at the end of September. Although I know it will be good being home in South Africa, I really am going to miss it here.

Especially seeing Ryan. The quick visits we have like this last Monday when he came down on the train for the day, and when I go up or stop by for an overnight at the house, have been so important to me. I know everyone is excited about me being over there as it is a place most people want to visit. But it is a l-o-n-g way and it really is not some place you go for 10 days! The flight time is daunting and the jet lag, at least for me, is really hard.

So although everyone is saying, “we’re coming to visit,” I know that it probably won’t happen very often. Just like it probably won’t be possible for me to come back here very often.

This whole thing is like a double-edged sword! On one hand, I’m excited to go and be home and on the other hand, I’m sad about leaving everyone here.

Now I have to be strategic about what I do and where I go. After a house sit in Encinitas at the end of this month and into June, I think I’ll head north to Washington where I have a July house sit in Seattle and want to spend time with friends up there. And Debbie will be in LA at the beginning of August. And I need to get to Montana to see my boys there.

And then there is “what do I take with me?” Which means weeding through everything again and tossing stuff that won’t be included in my two suitcases! I get 100 pounds but in the grand scheme of things, that’s not a lot for a lifetime. I’ve been pretty good about not accumulating “stuff” but somehow it just happens!

In the mean time, I plan on enjoying time I get to spend with Ryan and friends like this last weekend.

Ryan came down on Monday for Mother’s Day and we had a fun day. Weather was great and we planned to go to The Hotel Del Coronado but got sidetracked initially and went to the warship Midway museum, something Ryan said he has wanted to do for ages. It was enlightening seeing how the sailors lived and unfortunately a lot died. And the old electronics and navigation gear and the war planes of all types. Pretty amazing.

We did go to the Hotel Del but just wandered around, and after looking at the menus with no prices, decided to forgo lunch there. If we had been just going for a long leisurely lunch, it would have been perfect but we had plans to visit his cousin Pascal (who I met I think when he was about 10 or so and is now of course, full grown!)

Instead, we stopped at my favorite (and only fast food) joint, In and Out Burgers! Far easier on the wallet than Hotel Del!