Category Archives: travel

breakwater

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10

This is the only picture I took and it’s from the parking lot…I didn’t think leaving my camera unattended on the beach was a good idea.

When this summer started, my plan was to drive out to my sister’s in CA, and then drive from here to AZ, making a quick pit stop in So.Cal to visit a friend and go diving at Catalina. Well, plans changed. It didn’t make sense to drive all that way by myself with gas prices being what they are. When that happened, it looked like diving was out.

I’m not sure why this didn’t occur to me earlier, but upon my return to NorCal after the family reunion I realized that I could still go diving, it would just have to be up here.

I just want to share with all of you that, while I might seem to have zero fear at times, it’s totally not true. I am regularly scared of life…I just push through it. What I find amusing is that I wasn’t at all scared of the SCUBA diving, even though it’s been six years since I last donned a BCD. No, the diving itself has never scared me. I don’t worry about the possibility of sharks or other marine life that might kill me. I don’t worry about oxygen poisoning or the bends (aka decompression sickness). Nope, what do I worry about? Looking stupid.

It seriously took me an hour just to call up the dive place in Monterey. I was nervous about the questions I needed to ask. I was nervous about telling them that I hadn’t been diving in six years. I was seriously terrified. What kills me about this is that I know the people are going to be nice. Divers and runners are very similar…they’re a bit intimidating, but they are more than happy to be of service.

Well, I got my dives all set up…relatively painless…and then the fear of the actual experience started to set in. I’ve gained weight since the last time I went diving. What if there wasn’t a wetsuit big enough (yes…I know I need therapy)? What if they laughed when I told them how much weight I was going to need just to sink my buoyant body? What if I can’t remember how to hook everything up? What if I use my air too quickly? What if I can’t get my wetsuit off (yes, I have a serious fear of the wetsuit, but when you’re diving in 50F water…it’s a serious wetsuit)? What if? What if? What if?

Do you feel like I just let you in on a secret? I seriously walk around constantly worried that I look dumb. Every. Day. First time I went into a running store to get shoes? Terrified. That cooking class two weeks ago? I almost didn’t go. Voice lessons? Scared every lesson. School this fall? I can’t even think about it.

Well, I got there this morning and I was fine. They had a big enough wetsuit (I have serious issues). Rather than fumble through hooking everything up myself (and possibly doing it wrong), I just turned to one of the very nice, very helpful employees and said, “Hey, it’s been six years since I’ve done this. Would you mind helping me out?” And, surprise, surprise, it worked…and I didn’t look stupid.

The dive itself was fantastic. It’s the best visibility I’ve ever had there (Monterey isn’t know for it’s great vis). There was more marine life than I remember, too. Minus a little issue with my first descent (which stressed me out big time because, once again, I felt stupid), all was well. And the dive master/tour guide I was with kept commenting on how she couldn’t believe it had been six years since the last time I’d been diving. That was the biggest compliment she could have ever given me. I so needed to hear it.

So…all in all, I’m really glad that I managed to push through my fear, once again. I had a great time! And the bonus, the other two divers with us were from Lyon, France, so I got to help play translator (I love any chance to speak French) and talk about Lyon with this cute little couple.

playing the tourist

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8

I’m a little late in posting these, but better late than never. As I might have mentioned, I’ve been staying with my sister in California for a bit (I’m not there currently, but will be back on Sunday) playing personal assistant. Well, since Sarah had never been to “the city”, as any NorCal resident calls it, she decided that she would come visit me while I was there.

It was four whirlwind days of tourism, but really we got a lot accomplished. I got to revisit some of my favorite childhood places, spend lots of money at H&M (my favorite store ever) and a few other places, visit the SFMOMA (I’d never been there), actually eat in Chinatown (something I’ve always wanted to do), etc., etc. It was so fun to reconnect with my favorite city ever (yes, it beats New York, Chicago, Barcelona, Paris, Florence…all of them). I do hope I get to move back there someday. The ocean, the culture, the people, the food, the parks, the hills, the bridges…it really is the perfect city.

Anyway, here is a glimpse of our trip in photo form. Really, we got to see so much. I was kind of amazed, especially since we squeezed in a movie and spent a good chunk of time just chillin’ (like villains about to start killin’…I’ve been spending a little too much time with my 14-year-old nephew this week).

This first picture is actually not in SF, it’s in Oakland, but it is one of my favorite places. And the beautiful Rodin was actually at the Stanford Art Museum in Palo Alto. Otherwise, they are all in or of the city.

southern cookin’

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12

This is totally delayed, but better late than never, as the cliche goes.
This fabulous cafe was featured on the Food Network in a Bobby Flay Throwdown (Bobby lost). He takes on “the biscuit lady”, who we actually saw in the cafe. Seriously, I never thought I’d like okra, but it’s amazing what a little batter and some deep frying will do. The biscuits were absolutely amazing. Seriously. If I could marry a biscuit…

Thankfully, Megan was willing to share with me, so I was able to try lots of different delicious goodness. It’s probably a good thing I’m not moving to Nashville. I mean, you haven’t tasted barbecue until you’ve tasted southern barbecue. Absolutely sinful.

pins and needles

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12

I’m sure you are all dying to here where I’m going to school next year. It’s like the series finale of some great show, right? Ha ha ha. So, I don’t really think you care that much, but D-day is tomorrow and I fully intend to have decided by then.

In the meantime, let me just say the following:

  1. I LOVE Nashville!
  2. Drunk people are hilarious.
  3. Vanderbilt has an amazing program. Seriously.
  4. I am pretty much terrified of b-school. This is going to be an intense course in “things that Chloe is not good at”, because that’s the point.
  5. I totally have “senioritis” when it comes to work…but I have so much to do, it’s not really possible to let that affect my actions.
  6. Old money is fun.
  7. The South is very different from the West.
  8. I have some serious materialism issues.
  9. I hate decisions when it’s a difference between what I want most and what I want now. This is true of picking a school and of dieting, among other things.
  10. Southern bbq is totally different than what I know as bbq…and much better.
  11. I really do miss the diversity of living outside of P-town. Really. A lot.
  12. Either decision is going to leave me questioning. I really hoped that it would become totally clear. And maybe it hasn’t because I have not made a choice yet. In any case, I’m going to be happy and sad either way.

It was a fantastic weekend, which is only making my decision that much more difficult. However, in the end, even when more information complicates decisions, I think having as much information as possible is always the way to go.

Stay tuned. Tomorrow will be the day, as I refuse to give Vanderbilt $1000 deposit if I’m not sure I’m going there and said deposit has to be postmarked April 15.

and she’s off

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I head to Nashville tomorrow for V’s Welcome Weekend. After that, it’s D-day. I have to let V know by April 15th. I think I’ve made up my mind…and it’s probably not going to be V, but I have to go out there one more time, just to be sure.

Well, and to see these people. They are the best! Seriously. I had so much fun with them in January, I couldn’t pass up another opportunity to head out there.

It’s sure to be a rough weekend filled with lots of emotion, because at one point I was dead set on going to V. But life happens, circumstances change, new information becomes available, and decisions evolve. Isn’t it lovely?

As I won’t be posting anything until Monday (I have pretty strict rules about blogging while on trips…I don’t do it), I have left you with some fun downloads. They are on the sidebar (so you’ll actually have to visit the blog).

Stay tuned for Decision ’08 (well, the one that really matters to me at this moment), when all shall be revealed. Well, most. I have to leave something for the tabloids when I become rich and famous. Ha ha ha.