I took myself camping for a couple of days to Portola Redwood State Park, it was just what I needed. The fact that I wasn’t rushed getting ready to go and didn’t have to do any work on my laptop helped make the start of the trip very relaxing. I stopped at Trader Joe’s for oatmeal then went on a short walk before heading to SPARE to volunteer, this time sorting out all kinds of different craft donations. I got to know the volunteer coordinator, Carly, better as it was just the two of us that day. I really like her, we have a lot in common and had a great time chatting as we worked. Like me she took time off from full time work because of burnout and is trying to find a way to a more sustainable way of living.
After I finished volunteering, I headed to Portola, grateful to be on the road early enough to miss the traffic and give me time to explore. When I stopped at a turnout on Highway 35 to take a picture of the view, I decided to explore the trails at Windy Hill Preserve nearby. I hesitated initially, wanting to keep going, get my tent set up and settle into my campsite. But I knew it would be shadier and cooler at Portola, and I wanted to spend time in the sunshine first. I also wanted to get at least 10,000 steps in that day, and was hoping to get closer to 20,000. I didn’t bother changing my shoes, I had my Tevas on and wasn’t planning to go far. If the terrain had been rockier, I might have decided to keep going to Portola. Luckily, the trail was packed dirt, so I was fine. I hiked to the summit, then to another high spot with a bench. There were tons of lizards darting around in the sunshine! I was enjoying myself so much and I didn’t want to get back in the car, so I took a trail going the other way that started in the cool shade, which was very inviting as I’d been walking in the full sun. That trail was a lovely combo of sun and shade. As I walked I started thinking about wanting to fill myself up with joy, beauty, gratitude, nature, people, learning, helping, adventure and doing better for the world. Instead of filling myself up with food that does not satisfy me, that I don’t need, in an attempt to fill the holes, which only seems to make them bigger. I want to heal those areas, to make my life sustainable, letting go of all those things that I grasp onto in an attempt to make myself feel better. Doing things like I did today, treating myself kindly, taking care of my body, moving it, helping out at a nonprofit that benefits the community and the earth, talking and being open with others, making a new friend, getting out in a beautiful space, letting myself follow my instincts instead of what’s on my calendar or what I think I should be doing.
When I got back to the car I realized I’d forgotten to bring a camp chair. I looked on my phone and saw the closest Target or CVS were about a half an hour away, back in noisy civilization. I headed down to the 35/84 intersection in Woodside, hoping that the little store there might have chairs. They had beach stuff and wood, but no chairs, unfortunately. The woman behind the deli counter had multicolored hair, sparse dark whiskers under her chin and an inviting smile. She recommended trying the La Honda store, or Half Moon Bay, which was about a half hour from there. She also told me about the other way to get to Portola Redwood State Park via Pescadero Road and the other side of Alpine Rd. I didn’t have any luck at the La Honda store, and by then had decided I would just use my cooler as a seat, instead of driving further out of my way. The drive via Pescadero Road was beautiful, I saw lots of deer, including many little babies, though it was a little more harrowing than taking Alpine Rd down from Hwy 35, as it’s basically a one lane road, luckily I only encountered a few other cars. The main issue was the drivers on Portola Redwood State Park Drive. Many clearly were not used to driving on windy roads, so were driving in the middle of the road and not pulling over very far to their side when I needed to pass. I feel for those people, driving in the beautiful, natural areas of California, like highway 1 and many of the forested areas where it’s pretty much all windy roads. If you stick to the freeways it’s boring and you don’t see the best parts of the state.
Anyway, I made it, checked in, and bought firewood. Boy, that’s getting expensive, it’s now $17 a bundle! I remember back in the day when it was $5! (Yes, and candy bars were 25¢, blah, blah, blah.) My campsite was at the end of the campground, very private, surrounded by trees. After I got set up, I read for a while and, wanting to avoid snacking when I wasn’t really hungry, knowing I’d have dinner in a couple of hours, I walked to the visitor center to get a trail map and decided to visit the Old Tree and take the trail back to my campsite. It was great to get in a pre-dinner hike, which also got me past the 20,000 step mark. I was just about back to my campsite when light rain started much earlier than had been predicted. It was only 5 p.m. and it wasn’t really supposed to rain until midnight! I rushed back so I could move my firewood and kindling into the food locker. The rain was very light, and eventually subsided, so I made dinner. As it was, I had only been eating for a few minutes when the rain returned. So I gathered everything up and brought it into the tent with me, eating while listening to, smelling and watching the rain from inside the tent with the door flap open. I was pretty tired after my busy day, and my glass of wine with dinner, something that is not very common for me now. Soon it was fully dark, I cleaned my dishes and prepped the next morning’s coffee. I was happily and unexpectedly, warm enough to sleep on top of my sleeping bag, with just a fleece blanket. I fell asleep enjoying the delicious campfire smoke smell combined with the scent of the redwoods, hearing birds calling and kids excited about camping. A great end to the day!
In the morning when I woke up the campground was quiet. All I heard were birds, mainly stellar jays, though there was also an early rising woodpecker already at work. I also heard the water dripping from the trees. It’s very peaceful. I really enjoyed reading and just laying in my tent last night, listening to the rain, not having to worry about anything having to do with work, or JNE while I’m here. It reminded me of other times that I vacationed in between jobs, when I had space to think about what’s next. Right now I’m contemplating a potential interim position. I hiked many miles (averaged 25k steps per day!), saw banana slugs of all shapes and sizes, and spent a lot of time staring at the trees, reading, and journaling. I met up with a friend who lives in Santa Cruz and went on a very hot hike with her. It was just what I needed.
On the way home, when the temperatures were already climbing, I headed to the coast to enjoy a slightly cooler refuge. Then participated in a nature watercoloring event on Mount Tam as part of State Parks week. We hiked about a mile out to a spot with a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. They had set up shade tents and provided us with watercolor supplies and chairs. There were about a dozen of us and we had a fantastic time, making all kinds of art. I used watercolor pencils for the first time. While they don’t look as good as watercolor paints, they were fun to use. I finally got home, had a long Zoom call catching up on work, unpacked my stuff and very gratefully fell into bed.
On Friday, I had a call to discuss some potential interim work that I’m very excited about. Then I gave my JNE report via Zoom. I do miss those folks, though I am very glad not to have had to do all the work of a full commissioner. It’s nice to just help out with one investigation at a time. On my morning walk, I saw some dad riding bikes with their sons to school, clutching flowers for the teachers on the last day. It must have been graduation at the elementary school, as there were tons of cars everywhere with parents, siblings and grandparents spilling out of them. In the afternoon my nephew, Cam, who graduated from 8th grade yesterday, unexpectedly dropped by to see Mom and I. He had ridden his bike from San Rafael to the Golden Gate Bridge and was on his way back home, so stopped by for water and snacks. He ended up having olives, and Mom gave him money for a Slurpee. He said he had to get home by 4:30 because he was going on a scout outing for the weekend to Dillon Beach! Oh to be a teenager again!
I finally checked out the vintage reuse place at Tam Junction that’s been there for a few years. I was pretty impressed, I found a cover up that I really liked, and I’m going to see about taking one of their classes on repurposing clothes to give the new life. Tomorrow I’m hiking up to the Mountain Play with a couple of friends and some of my sisters. Yay – more time in the trees!