Saturday was the day! I finally made it from northeast San Diego country to San Diego itself. I have west coast family - my brother Dave moved out to San Diego about 40 years ago. He and Karen and their three kids (Brad, Addie & Jamie) have been on the west coast, with the exception of about a year in Florida, ever since. Nowadays, Addie and Brad both live in San Diego. Dave & Karen live in far, far, far northern California, and Jamie and her family live up in the Medford, OR area.
During the time I lived in Orange County, the whole family, through a strange concatenation of circumstances - actually moved in with me for about thirteen months. I went from living by myself (and a couple of cats) in a five-bedroom home to living with five other people, two dogs, 1 additional cat, and as of the day they moved in, 21 hamsters. They had Momma and Papa hamster when they left their former home, and 19 barely-born little babies by the time they reached the house to start unloading!
I give you this background to explain a couple of things. Those of you who know me well know that I consider myself an extroverted introvert. I spent most of my youth as a shy and retiring person, and was happiest alone. Over time, I learned to be with others, and now love being with people, but then I need the balance of some alone time to recharge. And even when I in the middle of a lot of people, I'm not particularly loud, nor do I usually interrupt or talk over other people. I'm sure I may do it sometimes, but not often.
The same can not be said of my family. I got kind of used to it when I lived with all of them, but that was a long time ago now. It can be a little overwhelming - and sometimes feels very, very, very chaotic. I love it, and it can invigorate me, but it also can exhaust me, at least temporarily.
I made sure that I did some of the work and had some of the conversations about the things that are going on for me (professionally, volunteer work, a class I'm taking) before arriving here on Monday midday. But what I could do ahead of time wasn't close to everything. I do have a few quiet hours in the morning, since I am almost always up by 6:00 am - not that I wouldn't like to sleep later once in a while, but I am pretty much incapable of doing so. However, from the time other people are awake and/or available, that all changes - and something akin to chaos ensues and the decibel level starts to rise. And conversations often go nowhere because interruptions are sometimes more frequent than completed sentences. Even if it's only a subset of the entire family, the dynamic is consistent, although perhaps a little less frenetic when fewer of us are together,
I will be here for the next few days. About the only actual fixed, scheduled event on my calendar for the next two + months starts on the 3rd of February in San Antonio, TX. It lasts until the 6th. Up until now, on this pilgrimage, I have pretty much given into whatever whim or decision seems right at any particular time. That will start again when the group with which I am meeting decamps San Antonio on the 6th. Will I stay in TX for a while, or head somewhere else? I really don't know.
But in the meantime, I'm here for a few days, and plan to do my best to just enjoy it. The most definition of the trip so far, by far ... and likely of what comes after TX as well. But for now, the car is emptied of all that I am carrying, and sits quietly in the driveway. I'm planning on hanging with family (whoever is around) and some friends (of mine or of the group). We have some tentative plans to go to Balboa Park one day, or maybe the beach. Or maybe neither.
I'm just happy to be here with everyone, and the physical trip can wait for a while I enjoy this time with people I love. And maybe I will even find time to do some painting, or write another poem.
Whatever happens, I will be back to share more soon.
be with people who
matter to you, and find in
them your path to joy
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