Hi Everyone!

I decided to sneak in a post for this week even though we’re on vacation. This is going to be an informal one. I’m in LA with my kids, my sister and her family. Mark, my fiance (see last week’s post), is not with us, but will be with us for all future family vacations. 🙂

It’s been a busy week of activities here on the West Coast. We are staying in Pacific Palisades and have spent a lot of time in Santa Monica. What a gorgeous area! We are staying in a quirky but charming artist’s home in the hills. There is mystical artwork everywhere. I think I would get in trouble for posting pictures of the artwork so you’ll have to imagine lots of angels, fairies, moonlight and psychedelic colors.

Spacex Headquarters

We’ve been to Spacex’s headquarters, Venice Beach, the Santa Monica Pier, the aquarium in Long Beach, The Getty Center, Hollywood and Griffith Observatory. We have the science museum, an Italian food truck and a studio tour on tap for today. We head home tomorrow.

Santa Monica

Our group is a mix of introverts and extroverts. I would have liked a little more downtime but there are eight of us and we each want to do something different. I’ve spent a lot of time driving, which around LA is tricky and somewhat stressful. My favorite parts of the trip have been eating meals together, including a beautiful sunny Easter dinner we ate outside.

One thing I observed

I realized my sons connect by doing things with others and sharing information. Sharing experiences can connect people but if there is no real eye contact or emotional expression, it feels like all outflow and no inflow to me. This leaves me feeling a little empty and disconnected. I need to know more about what’s going on on the inside to feel nourished. I need warm physical touch too. It’s hard for me to keep doing and doing without getting filled up, yet I desperately want to connect with my important people.

Me in the garden at Getty Center.

There’s no place like home

While we were away it snowed many inches in Minnesota. I do not want to go back to cold and snow but I am looking forward to being with Mark and being home.