Yosemite Part 5:San Fran, Beach Camping, and Hoodlums, Oh my!!!

In honor of B & K's first anniversary, I thought I'd finally finish the last draft of our 2012 Yosemite trip. Yes, you read that right. I wrote this draft out two years ago, but for some reason just never got around to posting it.

The other night we were sitting around reminiscing in the soft light of the evening, and I remembered that I needed to finish this post--and this was an important one, because it's when I bonded with Katie, and knew she would someday marry my brother.

I snapped a few candid photos of them just in case my suspicions were correct--and they were. What can I say, older sisters usually are.

We finished off the last part of our trip by driving in to Oakland and San Francisco for the weekend. Brent wanted to see a friend get sealed in the Oakland temple and we thought it would be nice to spend a couple of days in the city before heading back home.

Friday we packed up our stuff in Yosemite and reluctantly drove away. It was such a beautiful place, it still tugs on my heart.

When we got into town, we spent a good chunk of the afternoon in San Francisco. We walked everywhere and this is what we saw:

Rainbow Fruit Stand

The view towards Alcatraz

Snuggling Sea Lions

Awesome Architecture

Customary Fog

This is such a fun and interesting city, I wish we would have had more time to explore it. We scarfed down some sour dough and clam chowder, sweetened the day with some Ghiradelli chocolate, and explored the streets on foot before the setting sun beckoned us back into a hotel room.

Saturday, we spent most of our time in Oakland celebrating with Brent's friends. That night we were trying to save money. I had this romantic idea in my head that camping on the beach would be super cool, so we started driving around trying to find a spot where it was legal. In the end we finally found a place near Pacifica to rest our weary heads. It wasn't my idea of a quiet, secluded beach but the fog was heavy and driving Hwy 1 was getting dangerous...oh yeah, and did I mention we were all exhausted?

We scampered out of the car to pitch our tents, set up our sleeping bags, and climb into bed. In my romanticized version, the ocean would gently lap at the sand some distance away, while we gazed up at the stars, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

In reality, the ocean was thunderously loud, the sand got everywhere, and the spray turned the walls of our tent into a soggy sheet. I started to worry that the tide would rise and sweep us all away. I kept sitting up and peeking outside the tent to gauge our relationship to the waves, only to see that I was just imagining things. Finally exhaustion trumped adrenaline and I talked myself down to a pretty chill place. That's when the hoodlums started arriving. I could hear a couple of drunk men, getting closer and closer until they nearly tripped over us! They stopped to inspect their find and we could hear them talking about us.

"What the F---- is that???"
Heart: POUND, POUND, POUND...
"Dude they're F%*&# tents!!"
Heart: POUND, POUND, POUND
"I almost tripped on em..."
Heart: POUND, POUND, POUND
"Yeah, dude. Me too."

It seemed like they stayed there forever, discussing our tents for the longest time. I was just waiting for one of them to collapse the poles, or jump on us, or something. Finally they walked off. I was scared to even breathe. I could hear car doors open and shut. I thought there was a car alarm. Were they ransacking our vehicle and stealing all our stuff?

Katie whispered: "Are you awake?"

"Yesssss!!!! I am soooo freaked out right now!!!"
"Me too!!"

Then we totally started busted up laughing at exactly the same moment....until the guys came back again,

and again,

and again.

I was just waiting for one of them to get drunk enough to do something really crazy. Finally Katie got up the nerve to look out our little tent window and she could see a campfire down the way with a bunch of people huddled around it. That was why there were so many people and why they were out so late. I finally drifted off to sleep but every time I heard another bunch of foot prints tripping in the sand I was instantly on high alert.

The morning view was rather beautiful though.

We went to church then started the long drive home.

I had the last shift of driving. and drove from Toole to Provo. Mother nature treated me to one of the most spectacular lightning storms of my life, for which I was grateful cause it helped keep my sleepy eyes from dozing. Everyone else was fast asleep. It was quiet and I was alone with my thoughts and the sky. What a beautiful adventure. What a lucky person am I.

Living Aware

Last week a woman I'd met only a few times passed away, and though I never had the chance to know her well, those few moments in time have changed me in ways I will never forget. I remember sitting out in a park with her, and her sister, laughing and talking on a nice Summer day. I can remember the coolness of the grass, the softly tinted light of the fading sun and most of all I remember the quiet goodness this woman exuded. She was a woman of strength and she had this presence that reached out and snagged my heart from the very first moment I met her. She was not false or pretentious in any way and I remember just feeling comfortable sitting there with her, and her sister, and a friend; connected by the power of our laughter.

It is interesting for me to see how many lives I love have been touched by her simple yet profound elegance. I have been thinking a lot recently about how interconnected we really are, how much we really do need each other. I thrive on the gifts others have to offer and they in turn are fed by mine.

Yesterday I had a card to deliver and rather than make the 10 minute drive I turned it into a 30 minute walk. As I walked along I thought about life and all of its wonder. Sometimes I forget how truly incredible it is to be alive. I thought about the power I have to walk and run as I felt my muscles working together, exerting their strength. For a moment I tried to take in every sensory detail set before me; the gentle stirring of the wind on my skin, The little pockets of sunlight offering warmth in contrast to the pink coolness of my cheeks, the curiosity of a horse with brown and white speckled spots that came to greet me at a nearby gate. There was color everywhere! I marveled at the dandelions and how they live and die and change into a puff of seeds that divide and blow in a hundred different directions. And I thought about this woman, Briana, whose life and influence will do the same. I wondered about the passion she poured into her life's work and whether she was a little reluctant to leave it behind.

And then I thought about my own life and whether I am living it fully enough. Sometimes I forget this life is an experience to be delved into and not just endured. Something stirred within me last evening, a feeling both beautiful and good. Thank you Briana Blackwelder, I hope we get the chance to laugh together in another time and place. Perhaps then we can become true friends.