Travel With Betsy

…….the things you look at change ……….. Wayne Dyer

Some of you may remember my move from Washington DC area to San Luis Obispo 7 years ago. It was a random, whirlwind, spilt second decision.   I tell the story over and over again to just about anyone who will hear it. We drove into San Luis Obispo, parked around the corner from the Chamber of Commerce and I said to myself, “I wonder what it would be like to live here?”…..then…..decided to find out. Later that same day, we found a realtor. The next day we found a house. Six weeks later, we were new homeowners. A few months later, I was living here in the guest bedroom of my new house looking for work…. and, frankly, terrified at what I had just done. YIKES!!

What was I thinking?!  Who does this? As it turns out, we are a small group of adventurous fools that uproot our lives in such a haphazard fashion. And, I found out, there’s a reason. It’s not easy…..and, truth be told…it feels really crazy for a really long time! Finding a new job, making new friends, and building a new routine is no easy task, especially in a small town like this one. So, needless to say, things like getting to know my new stomping grounds went to the wayside as I tried to get myself stabilized. You know, getting a new house up and running, being able to pay the bills, getting a renter for the property in Virginia that I couldn’t sell…..little things like that….there was precious little time for exploring. And, frankly, I didn’t want to. After the decision was made and I was here, I realized how very different my life would be here. And, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to like it! It’s a small town…no shopping and no work that paid a reasonable wage. It was difficult…and expensive…..to get out of the area….I like to travel….not easy! The few entertainment options I was used to and enjoyed were unavailable. And, finding good health professionals was challenging (still is). I was ready to go back “home” practically before I got started…..true story…..

But, over the years, and now that I have retired, things have calmed down a bit.  I feel more settled, and I am beginning to see things a little differently. While it’s true that some of the things I mention still “bug” me…..some, more than others…..I am seeing my “hometown” with a different perspective through my own eyes… and a new perspective through the eyes of a number of recent visitors. And, much to my surprise, I like what I see!

The most recent set of eyes that I have borrowed come from a group of 12 French children and their chaperone that are involved in a French exchange program right here in San Luis Obispo. The chaperone, I’ll call her Sandy, has been staying with me for the last 3 weeks. Her role is to ensure that the children are well taken care of……and, are thriving here in our town. My job is to provide a place for Sandy to stay and 3 squares a day. And, I found out in my first week, to provide a guided tour of the area……every single day…….except for the days that I work, of course. We have had mostly good days. But, to be honest, we have had some not so good days, too.  However, the best days, by far, have been those on the road exploring the central coast. I have been forced out of my comfort zone to find things to do here. And, I’m finding that there’s a lot! When you come to visit me the next time, I will be able to find an activity for you no matter what you like to do! I have seen it all….and then some! The whole 3 weeks has been a great addition to my SLO Staycation! Here’s a rundown of our great adventure!

On the first day, we joined the group of exchange students for a BBQ on the beach at Avila. I have been to Avila, but have never done a BBQ there. Everyone brought a little bit of something to put on the grill and some side dishes to share. What a great time! It was a fun way to get to know the students and the families that are hosting them. We stayed until sunset and then went our separate ways. It was the beginning of an interesting few weeks!

Early in the planning, I offered my home as a site for a small group of the students to cook for a “potluck” dinner. The program leader took me up on my offer and in the second day of the visit, 4 students showed up on my doorstep with their teacher to do some serious cooking in my kitchen!

The students came well prepared to cook for Sandy and me and their host families.

I was highly impressed with the cooking ability of the girls and the boys.

One of the girls was concerned that we wouldn’t have enough food and wondered if we could make crepes. Of course, we can! So, I got the ingredients out, and she just whipped up some crepe batter and made some crepes….without a recipe! WOW! We sprinkled them with sugar and had them as one of the desserts. The next day, I had one for lunch with peanut butter and jelly. I’m certain there is something wrong with covering a “French” crepe with this “American” delicacy. But, it was really good!

Also, on the food scene was an invitation to the home of one of the host families in Shell Beach for dinner.  They were hilarious! The husband had a very dry sense of humor and we all laughed at and with him for the hours we were there. In fact, I’m still laughing as I think his of dry sense of humor and quick wit! They were very nice people….and the food was good, too!   After dinner, we all walked together to the beach to look at the sunset. Beautiful!

Sandy and I have seen just about all of the small towns here on the central coast. We made our way to Arroyo Grande and checked out the cute shops and then the swinging bridge. I could be in Costa Rica….well, maybe it wasn’t quite as dramatic as that….but, who knew we had this in the Central Coast!

We visited the little town of Harmony…population 18. We did a quick “looksee” at the pottery store…..

and watched a glass blower making some interesting pieces with the help of a young onlooker.

And, we found the “Brown Butter Cookie Company”

…oh….. and, also, the “pie man” in Cayucos.

We did get some cookies….not the pie. But, I promised my new pie-baking friend that I would be back….I will!

Then, we did a “round robin” of all of the artsy shops in Cambria. Sorry…no pictures…too busy eating cookies!

Then, there was Hearst Castle….always a winner…and, we saw the illusive zebras…first time in years that they have been out when I was in the neighborhood.

We hit all of the beaches…Santa Barbara, Pismo, Avila, Cayucos, Moonstone and Morro Bay Strand. We will also hit Oceano and Grover Beach before we’re done for another BBQ and some fun in the sun!

We “shopped ‘till we dropped….I have been in every store from Santa Barbara to Gilroy…

…..not kidding…… If you are looking for anything, please give me a call. I know where to find it!

I’m thinking about opening a business searching for obscure items! It will cost you……but, if it’s available, I will find it!

And, we hit all the farmer’s markets….(this week will be the third time to the SLO Thursday night market)

and, on our visit to Santa Barbara we stumbled into a fun Spanish Festival featuring some yummy ethnic foods….

…….and some children doing traditional Spanish dances….very cute!

Then there was the food. Sandy is a wonderful cook…..she prepared dinner several of the evenings when I was working and some evenings in between. We even had a dinner party with another host family and the student that was staying with them.

We had a few yummy restaurant meals.

And, that’s it…….Whew!! I am worn out. I will need a vacation when this group is gone. We have covered some serious ground!

We are nearly at the end of this soujourn, and as I sit on my bed with my aching feet propped up on a pillow, I realize how grateful I am to have had this experience with Sandy and the group of French students. It wasn’t exactly what I expected…and, I did some complaining about that to some friends (sorry if you one of those on the receiving end of one of those tirades!)…but what things in life really happen as expected? I thought I would have more free time and more French conversation……and, less running around! What I got instead is a new friend in France and a chance to see the central coast through different eyes.  I have developed a deeper appreciation for the many positives of living here amidst the natural beauty and peaceful ambiance of my “hometown”.

It’s a pretty good trade off.

The end.

That daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze……”

Well……not a “young man”, but a “middle-aged” woman flying through the air. And, not on a flying trapeze…although, it’s possible that someone could argue that point….but, on a “zip line” at Santa Margarita Ranch right here in my back yard in California!

When I was in Costa Rica, zip lining was one of the things I wanted to try. I don’t know why…..maybe because everyone says that zip lining is the thing to do in Costa Rica and I wanted to be one of the “cool kids”. Or, maybe I thought it would shock my friends and family, as this was not my usual kind of travel activity. Or, maybe I just wanted to do it because I could. Who knows…..As it turned out, in the end it didn’t matter. By the time we got to the idea of zip lining, I was “sick” and “tired” and it just didn’t hold as much appeal as I thought it would. So, I skipped it. And….I was OK with that.

But, at the beginning of June, when my friend, Nancy, called to say that she had a birthday coming up and she wanted to celebrate by going zip lining, my interest was once again “piqued”. This is was my chance! So, on Nancy’s big day, we headed out to Santa Margarita Ranch, one of 2 places in the area where one can have this very special experience. We met up with our Claiborne and Churchill dancing buddies (you remember them from our “dancing in the vineyard” evening) to see how we would fare with the zip line.

In my younger days, I was the one who was always doing something “daring”. I was the “fun” aunt that introduced my nephews to the joy of riding on a roller coaster….in the front car, of course. I was the one who, when my father purchased a cabin by a lake that came with a small speed boat, would be daring enough to take the reins of the boat and give everyone the ride of their lives! And, I was the first person in my family to go to Europe, much to the dismay of my parents. In my younger days, I had the answers to every question and the gumption to try almost anything. Who was that….really…..

I’m still pretty adventurous, but as I have gotten older, I have become very good at creating anxiety around just about everything……food….select health issues…renting cars in France…..So, by the time I reached Nancy’s house, I had allowed my mind to practically write a novel detailing all of the reasons why I should not go zip lining….I might hurt my back, I might not look good in the safety helmet, someone might see up the leg of my shorts when they strap on the harness, oh yeah….and I might plunge to my death…..don’t forget that one! I even brought along a book to read in case I got to the zip line and just couldn’t do it. How silly!

So, when we got to Santa Margarita Ranch for this great adventure, I was a little tense. I decided the best plan of action would be to observe…I’m good at that! That’s right….I’ll let everyone else go first, and then if they drop to their deaths, I’ll pass. Sounds like a reasonable plan to me!

One of the tour guides walked us through the many safety procedures and demonstrated the multitude of ways that we would be strapped in, tied down, and basically attached at the hip to the zip line so that we wouldn’t fall. One tour guide even gave us a brief demonstration to show us how easy and safe it was. Seemed OK to me. So, after observing the guide and another 3 people zip to the other side, I realized that no one was going to die on the zip line today, and I was ready. Bombs away!

What a rush! WOW! With a short run forward and one step over the side of the platform, I was flying far above a vineyard.   And then I did it again….. and again…WHEW!!! I can’t tell you how freeing this was. I was a bird…a plane…..no, I was Super(wo)man!  Sorry….getting a little carried away! But, it was a lot of fun….and, a little daring!

The platform for the last jump was very special! We climbed a small distance to the top of a mountain ridge and, after we all caught our breath from all that climbing, we had a most spectacular view of the ranch and the surrounding area.

I have to say it was on par with some of the vistas I have seen while traveling in the last months. And, this was right in my back yard. Who needs to go to Costa Rica to have an adventure? I can have one right here!

We ended the day with some wine tasting….and the biggest burger I have seen in quite awhile. It was a great day!

I have decided after this experience that I need to do more living in the moment in the fun part of my brain and less living in the scary boring dark part.  Otherwise, how will I ever have another fun experience like this one?

So, I did not fall into the dark abyss that day and probably won’t today….and, I’m guessing that tomorrow will follow suit as well. So, I say take a risk, take a plunge, and party on….

…….HMMMM…..does this make me one of the “cool kids”?!….