I recently returned from a two week trip to California where I spent time in the Bay City Area with my good friend, Lynda, and her family for about five days. This trip has been on my bucket list for quite a while and Lynda and her family did not disappoint. We took a trip to Alcatraz which was really interesting with all of the pictures of infamous prisoners like Al Capone, diagrams of the historic prison break, an audio tour that included voices of former prisoners and guards, an Al Capone expert who told the crowd all sorts of details about Capone that I had never heard before, a view of the Golden Gate bridge from atop The Rock, and surprisingly lush vegetation surrounding the grounds. Ever since I saw the episode of Unsolved Mysteries back in the 80’s that highlighted the daring escape, I had wanted to go there. Bucket list event #1 – check.
Another first, which I have to say was not on my bucket list, was a mud-bath at Indian Springs Spa in Napa Valley. While the mud-bath was not on my list, had I known about this Spa, it would have certainly made the list! Breathtakingly beautiful scenery surrounded a giant steaming mineral pool which we melted into after our mud-bath With palm trees swaying above us and the gorgeous blue sky welcoming us, I started to understand the draw of being a California girl. Bucket list addition – Indian Springs Spa – check.
The list of things we did those short five days doesn’t end there, but I’ll stop before I lose my readers to pangs of jealousy. 🙂
While marking things off a bucket list is fine, the greatest part of this trip was reuniting with my China friends, Lynda, Jim, Susan, Dennis, and Leon. The reunion only got bigger in San Diego when I got to see practically the entire former OTC staff. One night we all went to dinner together and there were 20 people at the table! It was awesome to sit and talk about…you guessed it…China. I love every one of those people and we have a special bond in our love of China.
In addition to the OTC reunion, there was also a whole lot of ECC personnel, leaders, and other Covies. It seemed like every time the elevator doors opened or I walked around a corner there was a familiar face.
These two groups of people, OTC and ECC, have given me a sense of family that I hadn’t experienced before and yet I feel like I’ve been a part of this family my whole life. Thank you, family members who are reading this. (you know who you are) Thank you for affirming, encouraging, supporting, and challenging me in the Vision for my life. I’m blessed beyond words.
Until next time….
sweetandsourmoments 