So rule Number 2 (Number 1 being live close to the client in a comfortable dwelling) is to create an adventure one day every week.
I had forgotten how long it takes to get from the Inland Empire to Pacific Coast Highway via I-10. In fact, there are so many freeways intersecting I-10, I accidently ended up on the 101 through Hollywood and into the San Fernando Valley.
What the heck, the SFV is my roots in California, so why not take the scenic route to the Pacific through Topanga Canyon? So I did, and it was like stepping back in time – but little has changed in that magical space.
The drive through the canyon released an avalanche of forgotten memories – mostly the good ones! Tacky Malibu has changed little as well, but heading north, the multimillion dollars estates, both hidden on the beach and visible in the hills, has grown beyond comprehension.
My rock climbing skills are not what they were when I first came here (note to self: more squats and overall leg workouts). At one point the Pacific welcomed me with a warning, slapping my backside with a seawater pelting firmly enough to saturate my clothes, but not wash me into the sea.
I had a backup plan for that: dry shorts in the car and two big towels.
This is the California that I have longed for. This is the reason that I am home for good. Next: Ventura Harbor Revisited. Likely soon I can complete the Donny Laing Story.
