Last Road Trip

Today we have made it to Santa Barbra. West Central California has proven to be beautiful. We have taken several days to make it only a few hundred miles because of the beauty and abundance of activities to dive into. We have gotten the kayaks out again and explored the salt water once more. This time we found a few groups of sea otters which were amazing to watch. They travel in a pack and usually on their backs. It was fun to see them and sea lions within a mere head turn. Another exciting find was a produce and fruit market. In Moss Landing there is a produce market and fruit stand that had the best prices I have ever seen. We stocked up for our last week on veggies and fruit that will prove to create some of the best meals yet. Not very often do we get to indulge in a whole stock of fresh produce because of the cost but this time it was very cost-effective. So far it has felt great to cook and eat with fresh veggies in almost every meal.

As for our last few days in San Francisco... The Exploratorium will go down as the coolest museum I have ever seen. I learned a lot and it was a pleasure to help them out in any way we could. Adding to the learning while volunteering there, I went in every morning to sit in on the guest presentation. The educators that work at the museum have an hour before open that they have guest speakers and presenters come in and teach for an hour. It was very interesting what I got to learn about weather and weather prediction from NOAA scientist. Also there was a morning of discussion on brain processes of visual ambiguity in several of the exhibits. Every thing I sat in on was interesting and it felt good to learn again. It seemed a little bit like college and this is the first time I have had the thought of potentially accepting the idea of furthering my education at some point in my life. I always thought Bachelor Degree and done. Period. But now I am realizing I do enjoy learning and I have taken down the barrier of never furthering my education and have an open mind to it.

I have realized that our friend CJ had made our San Francisco experience what it was. With out him taking us under his wing and into his home, we would have struggled to survive in an RV in the city. Being in the actual city was a great experience and we couldn't have done it with out him. Also, his family made our Thanksgiving so good with having familiar faces and a home cooked meal. All together the San Fran experience was amazing because of them. Being on the road again has made me realize the benefits of having a place to stay and a fall back plan. I love life on the road and its uncertainties but there is a desirable level of comfort that a permanent residence gives. I have come to realize that this point in my life is best lived on the road. I am constantly learning, always out of my original comfort zone, and always adapting. On the bus, life is hard but always teaching. I can feel it is a positive role model in my life as I live and learn.

But we plan to continue south after our dinner with a friend of Ben's who we all met in Vail, CO at the Teva Mountain Games. This was an extremely fun weekend in the history of Lost Bus. Thinking back to the adventures we got into in the rocky mountains, there isnt much else like them. It's a whole different scene out that way. No matter where I find myself, I enjoy it. It will be good to see her again and continue our road trip south to Ontario, California. We will park the bus and get it all ready for a long sit, empty. There is a lot we need to do to get it ready for the long wait as we leave her behind. I have a feeling it will be culture shock heading home and leaving the bus. It has been 11 months of me continuously living on the Bus. No breaks, no leaves of absence, all bus- all time. I never imagined it to feel like my residence, but it has crept into what I would label "my semi-permanent residence." Crazy Road Trip