I leave for San Francisco tomorrow and Napa Valley, and even though I lived in California for years, this trip is different. New beginnings. A new Valley so to speak. I love wine and I have never been to Napa. I have been to San Francisco one time for a wedding and my weekend was packed with everything except touring the city.
This is a real opportunity for me to experience a new space.
It's also my forty-second birthday and this will be a crazy new year for me. I have a new career path. I am experiencing new life callings. My friendships are growing and wilting simultaneously. My kids are growing up. I have new cities to explore. This is my year.
I generally photo-journal my trips with emailed dailies, but I think I will incorporate video this time as well and simply blog. It's a new age right?
So, prepare yourself - four days of experimental video, lots of pictures and raw thoughts about the city of San Francisco and life.
Agenda:
Tuesday, April 20: 7a departure : Quick stop in Vegas - because that's how I roll.
Late afternoon arrival in SFO: Great hotel right in the center of things - a Joie de Vivre Hotel with a Japanese Pop culture theme. Trolley rides and light touring.
Wednesday, April 21, my actual birthday: No day plans, but an evening with Madeleine Peyroux at Yoshi's.
Thursday, April 22: Trek up to Napa for an all day bike tour through the valley sipping wine at various wineries and scoping out the countryside soaking in sunsets and sipping perfect Beaujolais'.
Sleeping hard on Thursday night No doubt!
Friday, April 23: A trip to the Fainting Goat region where I fully intend to get my giggle on.
Returning to San Francisco in the early evening to catch a flight home.
So watch for pics and hopefully, you will smile and giggle as much as I intend to.
Best week ever...before the best year ever~
Take it light my friends!
Showing posts with label birthdays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthdays. Show all posts
Monday, April 19, 2010
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
41?!!? For Reals?
Yesterday I turned 41. Wow...I am actually into the 40's now. Not 40! "whoa- Haha", black balloons and shit-talking about a new generation, but 41 - I've crossed over.
I don't look any different, but my soul feels a little different. I have had epiphany after epiphany this past week and I wonder, am I just more aware? More alert?
My heart feels open. I look around and inhale deeply. I breathe in my surroundings. Not that I haven't done this in the past...just not every day. I wonder about people's "story".
The people close to me - I examine for feelings and history. I realized this week I want to know "why" and "how". I want to feel their passion and understand their outlook.
I don't know that I have heart-felt my friends honesty before this week.
Really grasped who they are from deep down.
I saw my purpose clearly with some and more vaguely with others. I surprised myself. I changed a little. As I drank wine and ate cake and laughed so hard I peed my Smartypants, I really took in each moment.
Every hug. Every kiss. Every touch. Every moment that was different from the last moment and will be different from the next moment. I layed in the sun on a rooftop in my bra.
In those moments I remembered Mexico. I fantasized about Greece. I felt the wind on my face and I felt really loved for a minute. The sun loved me. The wind loved me. A boy smiled at me and I felt so special and I thought - I have moments like this, but I didn't live in them. I didn't appreciate them. I wanted each second to be meaningful. I didn't need to worry about the future. Not the next minute. Not the next day. Just that moment in time when I was fully connected.
And it felt amazing.
Life is beautiful and my goal this birthyear is to embrace each moment. To listen in time. To be present. To accept each moment for what it is and that is all.
I don't look any different, but my soul feels a little different. I have had epiphany after epiphany this past week and I wonder, am I just more aware? More alert?
My heart feels open. I look around and inhale deeply. I breathe in my surroundings. Not that I haven't done this in the past...just not every day. I wonder about people's "story".
The people close to me - I examine for feelings and history. I realized this week I want to know "why" and "how". I want to feel their passion and understand their outlook.
I don't know that I have heart-felt my friends honesty before this week.
Really grasped who they are from deep down.
I saw my purpose clearly with some and more vaguely with others. I surprised myself. I changed a little. As I drank wine and ate cake and laughed so hard I peed my Smartypants, I really took in each moment.
Every hug. Every kiss. Every touch. Every moment that was different from the last moment and will be different from the next moment. I layed in the sun on a rooftop in my bra.
In those moments I remembered Mexico. I fantasized about Greece. I felt the wind on my face and I felt really loved for a minute. The sun loved me. The wind loved me. A boy smiled at me and I felt so special and I thought - I have moments like this, but I didn't live in them. I didn't appreciate them. I wanted each second to be meaningful. I didn't need to worry about the future. Not the next minute. Not the next day. Just that moment in time when I was fully connected.
And it felt amazing.
Life is beautiful and my goal this birthyear is to embrace each moment. To listen in time. To be present. To accept each moment for what it is and that is all.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
On Turning 40
It seems I waited and waited for this birthday. I knew it would be life changing. I started my year thinking, "This year is going to be stellar for me; career-wise, in my womanhood, and just lifestyle changes." I had big plans for the year I turned 40.
Well, yesterday came and went.
Nothing spectacular happened. I went to work. I had appointments. People canceled on me. I went home. I made dinner. My kids sang. No big deal. Over the weekend I had events which were fun, but nothing screamed "You're 40 now!"
It really was just another birthday.
Then my God-father called. He said, he "was calling all old, broke-down women '40 and above', and I now made the list". This is my God-father. He stated, couldn't talk long, because "he doesn't talk to old women long". My mom's oldest and dearest childhood friend. Someone who tells it like it is, and you better not get your feelings hurt.
And I laughed. For the first time, all day, all weekend, I laughed.
We joked about his age. He turned the pointer back to me, and I laughed some more. I had now seen two sides to the coin. The side I was looking forward to - "fabulous and 40", and the side he brought me back to reality with, "it's all downhill from here baby, YOU OLD".
I still have so many plans for this year, and I know that 40 is the new 25 (for me at least), but all in all, I chalked it up to another day and made my schedule out for the rest of the week like I normally do on Mondays. Soccer practice tomorrow, Orchestra concert, lunches, dinners, dishes. Coffee with a girlfriend. Hopefully squeeze in a date night. Girls Night out - mandatory~
On turning 40
It seems I waited and waited for this birthday. I knew it would be life changing. I started my year thinking, "This year is going to be stellar for me; career-wise, in my womanhood, and just lifestyle changes." I had big plans for the year I turned 40.
Well, yesterday came and went.
Nothing spectacular happened. I went to work. I had appointments. People canceled on me. I went home. I made dinner. My kids sang. No big deal. Over the weekend I had events which were fun, but nothing screamed "You're 40 now!"
It really was just another birthday.
Then my God-father called. He said he "was calling all, old, broke-down women 40 and above, and I now made the list". This is my God-father, and he couldn't talk long,because "he doesn't talk to old women long". My mom's childhood friend. Someone who tells it like it is, and you better not get your feelings hurt.
And I laughed. For the first time, all day, all weekend, I laughed.
We joked about his age. He turned the pointer back to me, and I laughed some more. I had now seen two sides to the coin. The side I was looking forward to - "fabulous and 40", and the side he brought me back to reality with, "it's all downhill from here baby, YOU OLD".
I still have so many plans for this year, and I know that 40 is the new 25 (for me at least), but all in all, I chalked it up to another day and made my schedule out for the rest of the week like I normally do on Mondays. Soccer practice tomorrow, Orchestra concert, lunches, dinners, dishes. Coffee with a girlfriend. Hopefully squeeze in a date night.
Well, yesterday came and went.
Nothing spectacular happened. I went to work. I had appointments. People canceled on me. I went home. I made dinner. My kids sang. No big deal. Over the weekend I had events which were fun, but nothing screamed "You're 40 now!"
It really was just another birthday.
Then my God-father called. He said he "was calling all, old, broke-down women 40 and above, and I now made the list". This is my God-father, and he couldn't talk long,because "he doesn't talk to old women long". My mom's childhood friend. Someone who tells it like it is, and you better not get your feelings hurt.
And I laughed. For the first time, all day, all weekend, I laughed.
We joked about his age. He turned the pointer back to me, and I laughed some more. I had now seen two sides to the coin. The side I was looking forward to - "fabulous and 40", and the side he brought me back to reality with, "it's all downhill from here baby, YOU OLD".
I still have so many plans for this year, and I know that 40 is the new 25 (for me at least), but all in all, I chalked it up to another day and made my schedule out for the rest of the week like I normally do on Mondays. Soccer practice tomorrow, Orchestra concert, lunches, dinners, dishes. Coffee with a girlfriend. Hopefully squeeze in a date night.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Ski vs. Sand
I have been researching for an entire year on a new vacation spot to spend my 40th birthday with my favorite people. After a year of intensive searching, which included possibilities of Nevis, Greece, and even Cabo (not new not fresh, but convenient to my brother who lives in LA), it has been determined that due to circumstances beyond everyones control - this trip will not happen.
My sister is graduating law school and taking the bar. My brother just bought his first home and is planning a wedding this summer. My S.O. has a daughter graduating high school simultaneously occurring the week we were to travel. So, after a year of planning for me, the end result is travel alone, or wait until the end of the summer instead of my birthday month.
In the meanwhile I am trying to put together a mini-vacation. I just need to get away If only for 3 days, or for a week, I want to go somewhere. I have severe cabin fever. Now, my issue is getaway to a beach, and hope for a romantic getaway, or drive up to a local ski resort and have a few days of clean air and the possibility of a romantic getaway.
I am a beach baby. I need sun for sure, but I don't want to spend the money for a funtastic time someplace I've been a million times before and waste money that could go towards my big trip at the end of the summer. I know I just want to get away, so it really doesn't matter where I go to clear my head and have some peace. The value of the sun is not being overlooked, and there is some pretty good sun to be had on the mountain.
I think I have more issue with the fact that it's my 40th birthday and it's a landmark for me. I'm kind of a birthday whore anyway, so the fact that I will turn 40 without a cough in the empty auditorium kind of bums me out. I certainly do not want a pity party for myself, but it would be nice to be acknowledged and have my friends and family excited to celebrate an important day to me - at the end of the day the sand is just dirt and the snow will melt without my family and friends to share it with.
My sister is graduating law school and taking the bar. My brother just bought his first home and is planning a wedding this summer. My S.O. has a daughter graduating high school simultaneously occurring the week we were to travel. So, after a year of planning for me, the end result is travel alone, or wait until the end of the summer instead of my birthday month.
In the meanwhile I am trying to put together a mini-vacation. I just need to get away If only for 3 days, or for a week, I want to go somewhere. I have severe cabin fever. Now, my issue is getaway to a beach, and hope for a romantic getaway, or drive up to a local ski resort and have a few days of clean air and the possibility of a romantic getaway.
I am a beach baby. I need sun for sure, but I don't want to spend the money for a funtastic time someplace I've been a million times before and waste money that could go towards my big trip at the end of the summer. I know I just want to get away, so it really doesn't matter where I go to clear my head and have some peace. The value of the sun is not being overlooked, and there is some pretty good sun to be had on the mountain.
I think I have more issue with the fact that it's my 40th birthday and it's a landmark for me. I'm kind of a birthday whore anyway, so the fact that I will turn 40 without a cough in the empty auditorium kind of bums me out. I certainly do not want a pity party for myself, but it would be nice to be acknowledged and have my friends and family excited to celebrate an important day to me - at the end of the day the sand is just dirt and the snow will melt without my family and friends to share it with.
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