I just got back late last night from a quick trip back to where I grew up. I spent almost all of my first forty years in the San Francisco Bay Area. I grew up in Marin, lived for many years in San Francisco and then Oakland and Berkeley. It is always a mixed bag when you go 'home'. I always arrive wondering why I ever left, admiring the natural beauty of the place and happy to be among my people again. But inevitably I am always ready to come back to my real home, in Austin with my three boys and two canines. I had an unusual experience that I do not think I ever wrote about on this blog. My grandfather passed away in December of 2008. Before he died, I was sitting at my desk one day and had this sudden urge that I had to go visit him soon. I got a plane ticket that day and did not even tell my grandmother I was coming, until I had already bought it because I did not want her to talk me out of it ("It's too much money; you're too busy etc"). I left about ten days later and arrived to catch him on a good day. He was lucid and so happy to see me. I was the only family member he had not seen in a long time. And my coming seemed to release him in some way, for he died the next evening. And I spent the next few days helping my grandmother get things in order. And I promised myself that I would come back at least once a year to see my grandmother, because when you are in your nineties life feels so temporary and fragile.
So it was time for my annual visit and a nice time of year to take photos of clients. I always like to combine work with pleasure : ) And I had a great time hanging out with my grandmother, eating in restaurants with her and reminiscing about the past. She has such great stories. And I got to take some pictures and see old friends and run at my favorite place in the world to run (Phoenix Lake in Ross) three times. Plus shopping in San Francisco and Berkeley and dinner and a sleepover at Camille and Jason's as well as caramel lattes with Rebekah, who I have been friends with for about 25 years. It was a real pleasure.
I no longer wish I still lived in the Bay Area. The cost and the pace of life there is a bit too much for me these days. Life in Austin suits me (except, of course, the weather). But I do miss my people and I wish they were closer. But I am grateful that I can visit often. And next summer we will be house sitting for Jason and Camille for the month of August, which will be fabulous.
So I guess home really is where the heart is. But it is still nice to have visitation rights with your ex.
Here is a photo I took of the rainbow on the Bay as seen from Spinnaker restaurant in Sausalito. I took it right before or right after I got in a big fight with my dad. Typical. Not the rainbow, the fight.