#93 - Go to Catalina

I'd suspect the ladies who attended this year's birthday celebration of relentless competitive drives, but none of us remembered Catalina was on this list until we were heading home.

Seriously, how did we not take a picture of all 5 of s in the sunshine?

Every year for my birthday, I leave town.  It can come off as one of those indulgent, self-obsessed birthday things.  However, it started because I had 6 or 7 birthdays in a row (starting at 17) where someone made me cry.  (By the way, never pretend to forget a 17 year old's birthday, when her friends have all just moved off to college, only to throw her a surprise party over a week later.  I now appreciate the effort but, damn, I was devastated that all of my friends had moved off to college and forgotten all about me stuck back in high school.)  I still seem to have a lot of bad luck complicated by anxiety about bad luck leading up to my birthday.

After that series of bad birthdays, I became completely preoccupied with who showed up to my birthday... or really, who didn't show up.  I was so focused on who wasn't there or who showed up late or who left early, that I didn't appreciate the people who were there.  I was so afraid of being hurt by the people who had better things to do, more important people to see, that I couldn't be present and enjoy the company of those physically around me, the people who made time to just be with me.  Then I realized I was not just doing that around my birthday but in the rest of my life too.

In 2009, I decided to try to break my miserable tradition of being miserable.  That year, I planned a Vegas trip and invited anyone who wanted to come along.  My birthday is at an inconvenient time of year being so close to Thanksgiving, so I didn't expect many people to come.  Eventually the group became 2 friends and a friend of a friend, 4 ladies total.  We were already having a fantastic time when 2 of my favorite people of all time drove in from San Diego to surprise me.

The tour has included
2009 - Las Vegas: 4 of us
2010 - Louisville: 8 of us
2011 - Kalamazoo: 3 of us
2012 - Hollywood: 2 of us
2013 - San Juan: 5 of us
2014 - Catalina Island: 5 of us

Every trip has been filled with memories that are truly special to me.

This new tradition allowed me to truly release my expectations of all of my loved ones and at the same time truly enjoy the company of those who were around me right then, in that moment.  I have no trouble accepting that most people can't just take a weekend trip so close to Thanksgiving because of their family obligations coming up or work constraints or financial constraints or whatever.  So I never have any expectations that any one person should go.  In fact, no one person has always gone -- though Laura Masters has come close.  Once I let go of those expectations, I can just be present with the people I am with.  I am no longer preoccupied with people coming and going and having more important things to do.  I just am, exploring a new place, finding some new adventure, with new and old friends alike.

So back to the original intent of this post, this year we went to Catalina Island, 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles.  It is a truly beautiful island that is apparently bumpin' in the summer with tourists but just as lovely in the late fall with tourists and townies.

I had my usual string of bad luck and was very concerned I wasn't going to enjoy the trip for once.  I wasn't able to leave work until around midnight and had to pick up Vanessa Vadnal at 6:30am to drive to Long Beach the next morning where we would be picking up Laura Masters, so we could catch the ferry.  I also get extremely motion sick, especially on very little sleep.

I eventually picked Vanessa up around 7:15am and we made it to the Long Beach airport about 30 minutes after Laura landed.  The 3 of us had a great brunch in Seal Beach before boarding the ferry.  It was a pretty rolling ride, but we managed thanks to Dramamine.  Oh, and the Catalina Express gives you a FREE ferry ride on your birthday!  Including the return trip!

We arrived on the beautiful island and checked into our place, which far surpassed my expectations.  The view was beautiful, we had plenty of room, and we had a roof deck.  Laura & I had a glass of wine on the roof deck while Vanessa walked around.  Then Tara Edberg arrived.  Then we started a puzzle.  Obviously.

We had a great dinner at the Lobster Trap and then headed out to the Marlin Club and the Locker Room, both outstanding establishments that reminded me of what Chicago dive bars would be on an island.  My kind of places.


Laura & I slept in the next day.  Tara & Vanessa went for a hike.  Erin Gillespie arrived.  Then we finished the puzzle.  Obviously.  Then Erin, Laura, Vanessa, & I went snorkeling while Tara shopped.  I have never seen water so clear.  I mean, I've only been snorkeling once before, in La Jolla Cove, but still.  It was incredible.  If only it weren't for that damn motion sickness, I could have drifted nervously in that water all day.  I say nervously because it's incredible, but I don't think I'll ever lose my awe of the ocean.

Then we had Bloody Marys, champagne, and watched the sun go down... or at least the shadow of the sun go down because the town of Avalon faces east.  The sky was still beautiful.  We then watched Step Brothers because you can't not watch Step Brothers if you're on Catalina.  We had a great dinner at the Seaport Bistro, where I had some really fantastic fried chicken -- oh, and you must specify that you want the LOBSTER mac and cheese, though the regular mac and cheese is super fantastic anyways.  Then back to the Marlin Club, obviously, El Galleon for some karaoke, obviously, and back to the Locker Room.  (We killed "Total Eclipse of the Heart," in case you were wondering.")


In the morning, we kind of went our separate ways.  Vanessa & I had breakfast with Erin and some friends nearby.  Tara and Laura shopped.

Laura, Vanessa, and I rode the ferry back together, and this time, we scored some clutch seats upstairs and outside.  I had forgotten how much I love boat rides.  I loved the wind, the ocean spray, the view, all of it.  We even lucked out with a great lunch at Alien Sandwiches, which is staffed by the greatest little group of people.  Next time you're in Long Beach, go there.  And take all of their suggestions, even if you have no idea what you're ordering.

This trip really lightened my heart after a stressful couple weeks.  I am very grateful.

Also, I really love McClure's pickles.  They are magic.