California and the Traveling Begins

Two days after arriving from our road trip, I was off to visit my aunt, cousins, and cousins once removed in California. My siblings and I are about a decade younger than our cousins and about a decade older than their children. I mention that because, although it’s a big age difference, over the years we’ve shared many celebrations, theme park excursions, and backyard barbecues together. This visit coincided with the wedding of my cousin's daughter, which made it even more special. Time sure flies, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see them grow into amazing people.

Some of us drove up from Huntington Beach to Nevada City, where the wedding was going to take place. It was a perfect opportunity to hang out and catch up on everything. We split the trip north into two days, with our first stop at an Airbnb in Elk Grove, just a couple of hours from the wedding location. It was a huge house where we each had our own bedroom and bathroom. After settling in, the four of us went out for dinner at Black Bear Diner. The next morning, we packed up, stopped by a delicious little breakfast restaurant, and continued on to the wedding venue: Harmony Ridge Lodge. The lodge had only enough rooms for the wedding party and close family, so I found an Airbnb about a fifteen-minute walk from the venue via a mountain bike trail.

We arrived shortly after the bride, her parents, and others from the wedding party. They were all busy setting up one thing or another, as most of the arrangements still needed to be done. Aside from the wedding reception dinner, which was catered, everything was handled by the wedding party and anyone who could help. Having always enjoyed setting up events and parties, I jumped in to assist where I could. It was a great way to meet and connect with people. I met lots of folks from the bride’s mother's side of the family, her husband’s family, and many of the couple’s friends.

The morning of the wedding, after breakfast, my aunt and I had a wonderful conversation about a variety of topics. We discussed politics and the upcoming elections, which led to a reflection on the moral state of our society today. Our conversation delved into history as we analyzed other great empires, comparing their similarities and differences. This led to a discussion on the importance of leaders knowing when to pass on the torch, not just world leaders, but in all areas of life. She shared stories of groups she had led, where she recognized it was time to step aside and how she successfully handed over her responsibilities and saw the continuation of her work. She said something that really resonated with me: she believes that those who are able to pass on leadership are the ones who chose to lead for reasons beyond themselves.

The wedding ceremony went off without a hitch despite some hiccups, and the reception was wonderful. There was plenty of dancing, laughing, playing games, and just plain fun. Though I had spent time with the younger generation at holidays and smaller gatherings, this was the first time I really partied with them–and it was epic. As the night dwindled and folks began to head out, we did some cleanup and tried to keep the party going a bit longer. Eventually, I was ready to head back to my Airbnb, planning to walk through the bike trails in the dark. The moon was almost full, the air was cool, and I thought it would be a nice walk in the forest. My other cousin's daughter wasn’t so sure about that plan. There had been bear sightings the day before, so she had a valid reason to be worried about walking into the woods alone. Her brother, not wanting me to walk alone, volunteered to join me. One of the bride's cousins decided to come along too. We each grabbed a beer and started on our way. She joined us as well, although her main goal was to convince us not to go. But after a few minutes of walking, she saw our minds were made up and came along to ensure we made it there and back safely, which we all did. The next day, we said our goodbyes and headed back to SoCal. The drive seemed to fly by as we reminisced about all the things that happened over the weekend. They dropped me off at my friend’s house, where I would stay for a couple of days before heading back to Colorado.

The next two days I spent with my friends. We talked a lot about the travels we’ve done and plan to do. We played a new board game they had bought called Big Boss, which turned out to be quite fun, and even visited a couple of friends I hadn’t seen in close to eight years. It was great to see them and their kids, reminisce about the old days, and share our excitement about the future. Once again, more goodbyes, and I was off to Colorado.

Landing in Colorado had an extra special event. My partner was also flying in around the same time. We got to hang out for the next few days. Although we’re still on separate paths, it was immensely comforting and magical to see her again before I start my travels. During my last couple of weeks in Boulder, I was able to wrap up all my tasks, say a few more goodbyes to friends, and spend time with my family. It was all very delightful. Saying goodbye to my family, especially the younger ones, was tough, but I’m thankful we have the internet to keep in touch. As I write this entry, I'm sitting in my friend's living room in New Orleans, where I’ll be for the next three weeks.