Summer Musings
And a little life update...
We’re almost through our fourth Californian summer. It’s a glorious time of year here—although, truthfully, there’s really no bad season. People often ask me what the best thing about living in Southern California is, and the weather is always high on the leaderboard. I’m such a seasoned local now that I complain when it dips below 20 degrees (unsufferable, I know!). We are spoiled.
Summer brings warmer temperatures (though never oppressively hot), longer days, and—most importantly—ten weeks of summer break. Yes, school’s out for a very long time. As I write this, we’re nine weeks down and one to go. And while it’s been lovely having unstructured days and leisurely family time, it’s time for them to go back. They need routine. I need routine. I also need my house back, a break from hemorrhaging money, and a reprieve from my Uber duties (at least during school hours!).
A Summer Road Trip
One of the highlights of our summer was a family road trip to Central California. I fall more in love with this state the more I see of it—and there’s a lot to see.
We started with Yosemite National Park, about seven hours from where we live. We spent three days there, and it was utterly spectacular. I’d seen the Instagram photos and wondered if it could really be that beautiful in real life. It was. And then some.
Three days wasn’t nearly enough to do it justice—it’s enormous—but we squeezed in plenty. Highlights included Tenaya Lake, Maripose Grove for the Giant Sequoias and the awe-inspiring Mist Trail. Walking through the mist, with a waterfall thundering beside us and an idyllic rainbow arcing overhead, gave new meaning to the phrase picture perfect.
From Yosemite, we drove to San Francisco. It was a quick stop—our main reason for being there was to drop off my eldest daughter at her Ballet Summer Intensive with San Francisco Ballet School—but we managed to see the Golden Gate Bridge (mercifully not covered in fog this time).
After leaving her in her dorm for four weeks, we made our way back to San Diego via the coast and Big Sur (breathtakingly beautiful), stopping in Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea (the prettiest town ever), San Luis Obispo, and Cambria. The drive more than lived up to its reputation as one of the most magnificent coastal routes in the U.S.
You can see more travel pics over on Instagram.
School’s Back
Next week, my girls go back to school—or rather, schools. This year they’ll be attending four different ones. Can we take a moment to acknowledge just how many emails and notifications that means? Honestly, if I get the right kid to the right school at the right time, it will be a minor miracle.
Here’s how it looks:
Miss 8 is going into 3rd Grade at the Elementary School.
Miss 13 is going into 7th Grade at the Middle School.
Miss 14 is starting 9th Grade at the High School (Freshman).
Miss 16 is in 10th Grade at two high schools (Sophomore). She’s doing a hybrid schooling arrangement this year to allow more time for ballet and homework. I’m still wrapping my head around how it will work, but fingers crossed she gets her license soon so she can drive herself. (Yes, there is an upside to the U.S. driving age being 16.)
The Extra-Curricular Circus
As for their extracurricular activities this year—brace yourself—it’s A LOT. You should see our spreadsheet; it’s anxiety-inducing. In addition to the four schools, the girls also attend three different dance studios (because apparently I like to make life more complicated).
A combination of dance, acting, singing, ballet, and tennis lessons means my husband and I spend multiple hours a day driving kids around. There’s a distinct lack of public transport here, which is one of the things I miss about Australia. A lot of kids ride e-bikes, but they’re expensive—and frankly, a bit dangerous—so for now we just groan and bear it.
While I’ll miss the lazy rhythms of these past ten weeks, I’m ready to reclaim my house, my schedule, and the joy of drinking my morning coffee in blissful, uninterrupted quiet.
Great catch up but that IS a lot happening at once! Go you! Xx