I need more silence. More time to think, swim, read, walk, breathe—all the things I do on vacation. The things that help me gather the pieces of myself that have fallen on the ground.
Loved this. Reading it as I enjoy a 2-day mini-vacation which is all my senior living on a fixed income allows. I've come to Crescent City, CA where the cool overcast days are a relief from the high 90's inland. I will walk Pebble Beach this afternoon. Found Paragon Coffee House where upbeat music is playing, couples and families come in for their caffeine hit, great pastries and community. I feel a little buzzed on the decaf pan van latte and it feels good because I don't drink coffee anymore but this is my vacae. Just sitting in this place writing on my laptop brings me joy and a feeling of satisfaction that I made this time for myself. It hit me last spring that I work parttime to supplement my social security but what am I doing with my money? I was intimidated by the cost of a "vacation" and then settled on going places that were within a 3-5 hr drive and set a budget that worked for me. This is my third mini-vacae since June and I feel so proud of myself for creating this for myself. While the pace of work gears up immediately, the deep effects of this time away to rest, write, walk, stretch and just smile stay with me for a good length of time. Thanks, Kate, for your write. Louise in Crescent City, CA.
I love this post. I really felt this..."The things that help me gather the pieces of myself that have fallen on the ground."
In regards to silence, I highly recommend Silence In the Age of Noise by Erling Kagge. A fav of mine. His book Walking One Step at a Time is also fantastic.
Thank you Kate, for me, you articulate the every day pull between quiet muse and full engagement, the daily challenges of being artistic and being effective. I am raising my glass to you for finding a few “one-days” in their midst.
I would love to read more about your favorite day-trip-vacations.
I took one yesterday and will be heading back to the beach later today to enjoy a sunset hometown-tourist-stroll.
I have become the queen of one-day-getaways, and an expert of being a tourist on my home turf - a skill that I acquired upon my return from a 5 year gig dancing and singing for Andy Williams in Branson MO... Heading to the Midwest in the 90s, after being born and raised in Los Angeles, CA was an eyeopener to how much I had taken for granted... having to get "over the hill" to Hollywood from "the valley" to take class, go on auditions, or to head even deeper into the mix to make it to the SAG/AFTRA building at Wilshire/Fairfax I rarely took notice of the things that others only wished they could see. So many people would ask things like "have you ever been to the Walk of Fame?" or "I would do anything to see the Observatory where Rebel Without a Cause was filmed" both places that I completely took for granted - I hated having to get near Hollywood Blvd unless for a gig; I often went to the Griffith Observatory in the middle of the day to lounge and read books to kill time between auditions or gigs so I wouldnt have to drive back and forth over the hill - this was before internet and Starbucks - so on many a days youd see other entertainers killing time on the grass, reading scripts, running lines, dancing, napping, making out with a "friend." When I returned in 2000, I made it a point to hit all the sites I had been asked about while I was in MO. I went to the Max Factor Museum - I think it's called something else now - and made it a point to go to City Walk and Universal like a tourist and not just to hang out with friends backstage who were on break between shows - the only other time I'd do to city walk was if I was doing a show or wanted to get cheap/comped food from fellow dance friends who were waiting tables at Hard Rock Cafe - Holy cow, people in Mo in the 90s thought Hard Rock was THE PLACE TO BE.
After seeing my hometown through others eyes, I really began to appreciate everything I had taken for granted - I saw the Hollywood Bowl in a whole new light (seriously how lucky are us SoCal peeps to have access to even the nosebleed bench seats 😃) - The mountains, the beach, everything.
Now that I live further south (I cringe when I have to admit "theOC"), I head to the beach for my "getaways" and pretend I am on vacation - a tourist in my hometown. I love heading to the Newport Beach Public Library to grab my free parking pass to head to Crystal Cove. I will slowly walk the beach for hours and sometimes head up the shake shake for a treat and a beer to watch the sunset - listening to the conversations of families that were on vacation from far away places... often when people ask me to take a photo of their whole family they will ask me "do you live here?" and when I say yes, the excitedly ask me tons of questions similar to the ones people would ask me when I lived in MO.
Holy wow, thanks for inspiring me to type of this - it goes perfectly with the post I share today - perhaps I should add this to it🙂
P.S. Heading up to Masumoto Family Farm was one of my greatest treats in the last few years! It was totally worth the drive to bring home 25lbs of the peaches and nectarines I have ever enjoyed.
Hi Kate....this is Cheryl (we met at a writing class at West Valley Occupational Center in the 80s) happy to see you are on Substack! I'm not in California anymore, I'm in Ohio. If you have a chance send me a message and maybe we can talk. I'm still writing, but mostly work in my studio creating watercolors. You still look beautiful and happy! 😍🩵you're such a great writer!!
Loved this. Reading it as I enjoy a 2-day mini-vacation which is all my senior living on a fixed income allows. I've come to Crescent City, CA where the cool overcast days are a relief from the high 90's inland. I will walk Pebble Beach this afternoon. Found Paragon Coffee House where upbeat music is playing, couples and families come in for their caffeine hit, great pastries and community. I feel a little buzzed on the decaf pan van latte and it feels good because I don't drink coffee anymore but this is my vacae. Just sitting in this place writing on my laptop brings me joy and a feeling of satisfaction that I made this time for myself. It hit me last spring that I work parttime to supplement my social security but what am I doing with my money? I was intimidated by the cost of a "vacation" and then settled on going places that were within a 3-5 hr drive and set a budget that worked for me. This is my third mini-vacae since June and I feel so proud of myself for creating this for myself. While the pace of work gears up immediately, the deep effects of this time away to rest, write, walk, stretch and just smile stay with me for a good length of time. Thanks, Kate, for your write. Louise in Crescent City, CA.
Yes!!!!
I love this post. I really felt this..."The things that help me gather the pieces of myself that have fallen on the ground."
In regards to silence, I highly recommend Silence In the Age of Noise by Erling Kagge. A fav of mine. His book Walking One Step at a Time is also fantastic.
Lovely truth…the everyday pull between creative space and focused engagement. Here’s to your finding many more “one-day’s”. Warmly, Louise
Thank you Kate, for me, you articulate the every day pull between quiet muse and full engagement, the daily challenges of being artistic and being effective. I am raising my glass to you for finding a few “one-days” in their midst.
I appreciate this post 😊
I would love to read more about your favorite day-trip-vacations.
I took one yesterday and will be heading back to the beach later today to enjoy a sunset hometown-tourist-stroll.
I have become the queen of one-day-getaways, and an expert of being a tourist on my home turf - a skill that I acquired upon my return from a 5 year gig dancing and singing for Andy Williams in Branson MO... Heading to the Midwest in the 90s, after being born and raised in Los Angeles, CA was an eyeopener to how much I had taken for granted... having to get "over the hill" to Hollywood from "the valley" to take class, go on auditions, or to head even deeper into the mix to make it to the SAG/AFTRA building at Wilshire/Fairfax I rarely took notice of the things that others only wished they could see. So many people would ask things like "have you ever been to the Walk of Fame?" or "I would do anything to see the Observatory where Rebel Without a Cause was filmed" both places that I completely took for granted - I hated having to get near Hollywood Blvd unless for a gig; I often went to the Griffith Observatory in the middle of the day to lounge and read books to kill time between auditions or gigs so I wouldnt have to drive back and forth over the hill - this was before internet and Starbucks - so on many a days youd see other entertainers killing time on the grass, reading scripts, running lines, dancing, napping, making out with a "friend." When I returned in 2000, I made it a point to hit all the sites I had been asked about while I was in MO. I went to the Max Factor Museum - I think it's called something else now - and made it a point to go to City Walk and Universal like a tourist and not just to hang out with friends backstage who were on break between shows - the only other time I'd do to city walk was if I was doing a show or wanted to get cheap/comped food from fellow dance friends who were waiting tables at Hard Rock Cafe - Holy cow, people in Mo in the 90s thought Hard Rock was THE PLACE TO BE.
After seeing my hometown through others eyes, I really began to appreciate everything I had taken for granted - I saw the Hollywood Bowl in a whole new light (seriously how lucky are us SoCal peeps to have access to even the nosebleed bench seats 😃) - The mountains, the beach, everything.
Now that I live further south (I cringe when I have to admit "theOC"), I head to the beach for my "getaways" and pretend I am on vacation - a tourist in my hometown. I love heading to the Newport Beach Public Library to grab my free parking pass to head to Crystal Cove. I will slowly walk the beach for hours and sometimes head up the shake shake for a treat and a beer to watch the sunset - listening to the conversations of families that were on vacation from far away places... often when people ask me to take a photo of their whole family they will ask me "do you live here?" and when I say yes, the excitedly ask me tons of questions similar to the ones people would ask me when I lived in MO.
Holy wow, thanks for inspiring me to type of this - it goes perfectly with the post I share today - perhaps I should add this to it🙂
P.S. Heading up to Masumoto Family Farm was one of my greatest treats in the last few years! It was totally worth the drive to bring home 25lbs of the peaches and nectarines I have ever enjoyed.
Hi Kate....this is Cheryl (we met at a writing class at West Valley Occupational Center in the 80s) happy to see you are on Substack! I'm not in California anymore, I'm in Ohio. If you have a chance send me a message and maybe we can talk. I'm still writing, but mostly work in my studio creating watercolors. You still look beautiful and happy! 😍🩵you're such a great writer!!
Great to hear from you
Yes, you do, Kate. You need much more down time. Me, too.
Red Hen Press? You mean the place down the hill on Lincoln where Monica curates great local art?