"I will take you to see the Pacific Ocean", he said.
When you are mere moments from turning 21 and Chicago is the furthest west this east coast girl has been, those words are about as romantic as romantic can get. Besides the thrill of first love, the promise of seeing something that I had wanted to see my whole life was intoxicating. Like many a first love, that love was not to be but the dream of seeing the Pacific Ocean remained deep in my soul.
Fast forward two years to a love that was absolutely never meant to be but fit the bill for a short time. I went to spend 5 days with him in Redwood City, CA. There were so many things wrong with that relationship that just do not bear repeating but the gift of that trip was seeing the Pacific Ocean. We drove over Highway 92 and with each hill crest I held my breath expecting to see the ocean. It was almost as if I had stopped looking and then BAM - there it was before me. Stretched out before us like a band of blue and beautiful that brought me to tears.
"It's so beautiful", I whispered. I also said silently in my head "I'm not supposed to be here with you, someone else is supposed to be showing me this." But that's what happens when you are still in love with someone else.
We drove south along Route 1. I stared out of the window the entire time. I was absolutely mesmerized but the size and the beauty. It isn't like I had never seen an ocean before that day. I grew up less than 2 hours from the Atlantic Ocean but this...this was different. We ate lunch that day at the Davenport Cash Store and spent the day in Santa Cruz. Other than that the only details I remember of that day are about the ocean. The quality of the light, the sounds of the waves, the smell of the air...I just couldn't believe I was finally there.
Tonight, some 15 years later, I watched the sun set over the ocean in La Jolla, CA. I watched the seals on the beach, the sun set over the water. I noticed the quality of the light, the sounds of the waves and the smell of the air. My in-laws have a house on the New Jersey shore and I have taken to getting up to watch the sun rise over the ocean and while that has a magic - nothing approaches the magic of the sun disappering into the water. It is something I could watch daily and never tire of the beauty.
While my life and love is deeply entwined on the east coast...my heart...my heart belongs to the Pacific Ocean.
love it.
Posted by: Karin | Wednesday, 23 February 2011 at 07:36 AM
OH, Mandolin . . . that is beautiful. Please write a book!
Posted by: KW | Wednesday, 23 February 2011 at 10:05 AM