Two Sisters in Summertime

 

Two Sisters. Two years & three weeks apart. Similar in many ways. Different in many ways.

They fight. They fuss. But they watch each other's back & they ask each other's opinions, alot.

They enjoy each other's company & do many things together. 

They are best friends. Even if they won't admit it. 

Two Small Gems. Two Sisters. Friends for Life.

SoCal Road Trip~Part 2~Universal Studios- (A Very Late Hanukkah Present)

 

During the pandemic, our family, like all others had to put holiday celebrations on hold.  We are not a religious family. We know that religion is archaic and in many cases, does more harm than good to the heart and soul. We are however aware of our spiritual nature. That is quite different than religious dogma. And still, we enjoy celebrating some traditional holidays with family. It's more like meaningful family get togethers, than honoring some outdated religious practice. We enjoy Christmas Eve with Don's family and we also celebrate Hanukkah and Passover (where we modernize it with more more spiritual inquiry) with our  family.  But in 2020, we had to nix all of that.  We had quiet time at home, which to be honest, which was a nice change of pace. But, we did not nix the Hanukkah gift giving. Like years before, we opted to do one big gift instead of 8. Since we normally celebrate Christmas at home and Christmas Eve with Don's family (which means a lot of loot for the girls), we have long come to realize that the girls don't need more stuff from us during Hanukkah.  For the past few years,  Hanukkah gifts have included one big event, like tickets to the Lion King,  Shin Lim, things that have the kids would enjoy much more than if we gave them small tchotchkes they'd soon forget about.  This year was no exception but there was an exception. We gave them a day to Universal Studios. They were besides themselves, running around, jumping up and down.  They were going to go to Universal Studios where there was Harry Potter world. Yippee Yahoo! But....we were in a pandemic.  When the heck would we be able to actually go? That was the million dollar question.

When we planned our Socal road trip, Don thought it might be a good time to surprise them by cashing in their 9 month old Hanukkah gift. While we had been traveling during the summer, Covid was still a big deal (still is) and we were never in crowds like those we might encounter at Universal studios.  So there was some concern.  We were all long vaccinated,  but we did not want to wait in long lines so close to others.  After a couple of days of whispered discussion, Don and I opted to go for it .  We told the girls and they got loud!!  We ended up doing the express pass to make things a little better. It would be an added expense but we were aware we were fortunate to splurge and it just felt that it would be safer and much more enjoyable to not have to worry about those close quarter lines as well as wait times. It turned out to be a wise investment.  We were able to enjoy the park much more than had we not.  It turned out to be very hot as well so not waiting was great. And, we went on multiple rides multiple times. 

The girls and Don were especially excited about Harry Potter World. They had read the books (Amara not all but Don and Havana had together) and all I had heard about for years was Harry Potter World.  I was not too  interested in reading the books or Mr. Potter in general,  but once we go to Universal Studios, I too got hooked. It really was magical. The girls and their dad had to try butter beer (I opted out) and Havana who once dislike roller coasters, went on the  Harry Potter one about half a dozen times with her sister in tow. We explored all the shops, with all the decorations and the girls (and Don), were over the moon. Just watching them was the best part for me. 

We enjoyed the other rides as well, the studio tour and I especially LOVED the Hello Kitty store, complete with Hello Kitty outside for photo ops. One ride was too scary but the little kid ones were not too little for any of us.  We also got to meet Scooby Doo, Homer Simson and a host of others.  In really was a magical day, one for the soul (inner) child to let lose and have fun.  We left tired, hungry and with sore feet but with smiles and very happy hearts.

SoCal Road Trip Part 1-Summer 2021

 

After a trip with Amara to Seattle in July, followed by a trip to Maui with Havana, it was time for the whole family to take a summer holiday together before school started. Because the girls and I had done long distanced journeys, we decided we would do something here in California. We'd visit family and friends, in SoCal, with a day and a half pit stop back at home to refuel, recharge and some school stuff before heading up North. 

SoCal being the first leg of our road trip, we visited family along the Central Coast, had fun at the beach, with cousin, aunts and an uncle before we headed to Santa Barbara. Two nights in the quaint Pacific coast city allowed for bicycling near the seaside, hearing some good music as we strolled downtown and then  there was Brandy Melville, which delighted the older sister. We met up with our new friend (who Havana and I met in Maui) for a lovely lunch in Pismo Beach before heading to the L.A. area for a couple of nights. There we stayed with some of Don's old friends (who are now all our friends), having meals and just hanging out. We also surprised the girls with a trip to Universal Studios before we headed up 5 for that regrouping. (that trip to Universal needs it's own blog post!) 

I am not sure if it is teen/pre-teen hormones, shelter in place blues or a combination of that and other things but we all found ourselves a bit grumpy.  More than usual grumpy. It made me do some introspection. What was triggering me?, I asked myself. What was affecting the girls as well as Don? Being in a family is no easy task. But one thing I realized is that it is imperative we all do our own inner work. And, while that is most important, we all effect each other. Which means we have to be mindful our own moods and behaviors rub off on others. This got me thinking about many things about our family unit and how to move forward in some different ways. I always say that traveling is not just about fun and sightseeing. Being out of ones comfort zone does allow for the new and exciting. But it also brings up our own stuff, because when we out of our comfort zone, fear, anxiety, control, all those and other lovely issues surface. Thus, allowing inner work and transformation to occur. Life is a balance and we must keep doing the inner work, even when out galivanting.

Here are photos of the happier moments of trip. I will say that overall, it was mostly a heck of alot of fun to be on the road.