California, here we come!

Before I knew summer wouldn't make it's appearance in England, I decided to hold off on our big California trip until the beginning of winter since that's when I was the most desperate to be home last year. It starts getting really wet and cold near the end of October to early November & then winter is in full flow by the end of November to January. Well, when summer never came, I decided that my happiness, sanity and longing to be home was worth considering a last minute flight home to catch the last bit of summer and see everyone I was missing so much.  I didn't actually think about it being an option but the more people suggested it to me, the more I started thinking of ways to make it possible. Peter and I talked about it for a few weeks and soon enough, a flight was booked for the end of August.

My homesickness reached a summertime peak around the 4th of July when I was freezing cold walking to work thinking about how it should be scorching hot and I should be celebrating by the pool with fireworks. In any case, our trip to Germany quickly came and went, and then I was on my way home for the first time in just over a year - the longest I'd ever been away from home. Needless to say, it was great to be home; I loved spending time with my mom and close friends and squeezing everyone I could into my crazy, jam-packed days. I will say, I learned just how hard it is to actually see everyone, and that being said, it's a lot easier than I thought to hurt feelings. It was a fun and busy, but also kind of a stressful trip. I left saying "see you in a month" to mama which made leaving a tiny bit easier than the last.

 California, not only are you BEAUTIFUL, your food is delicious. You are home to many of my favorite people and restaurants. I am obsessed with your hiking trails and love your challenges on the racquetball court. Thank you for the constant sunshine and breathtaking sunsets. For 25 years of my life I have been more blessed than I'll ever know to have grown up on your sun-kissed soil.

 My first trip home, I was so busy I didn't even get a chance to hit the beach (or relax!) Our second trip was with JP, and we had a full schedule but also wanted to allow time for relaxing. It's a lot easier said than done because when you're actually there, you feel like you just have to do everything. Also, seeing so many people on a tight schedule can get difficult. Each day seemed like a roller coaster ride to me. Some days we were up and others  were down. Still, it's home and you just can't beat a trip home. I can't quite say when we'll go back because Peter and I are desperate to explore more of the world, but at least now I am feeling happier and healthier about being so far from home. I still miss so much about it, but I know it's always there and hasn't changed much since I left :-) til next time.

san diego from Lindsay Reynolds on Vimeo.