| The most stunning thing that hit me about the drive up to Big Sur is when the 1 freeway becomes a highway. In the sense that from being just above sea level the road begins a climb that is the closest thing to an ascent to heaven as I�ll ever experience. I was awestruck with the view to my left, that wonderful coast that seems to lap on the shore. I have seldom been moved to continuous tears like I was when viewing the coast when I turned and all I could see was the mountains becoming three times as tall, and the ocean turning a deep shade of blue. It was a spiritual moment, but not in the �there�s a god in his heaven� kinda of spiritual moment. Upon arriving at Deetjen�s I barely settled in when I figured it was time to get going. So I booked it up to Carmel. I went to the beach and then walked around the town. Carmel might as well be called Super-quaint-ville USA. I didn�t find a suitable place for me to have dinner, not because there weren�t options. There were plenty. But none of them fit my current budget. Suffice to say I didn�t find anything. It was then that since I finally had continuous connectivity with my cell phone that TheGirl called me. We had a nice conversation about how beautiful it was up here. And also added a little bit of her words to me when I visited her at her campgrounds earlier in the day. When I passed by she whispered in my ear that she still had deep feelings for me. I told her I knew. She asked how I could. It�s obvious. We might have entered into an �agreement� to be each other�s fuck buddies, but really all we did was change our relationship into something more open (her idea, and her doing, not mine). That being said, we talked about how we should come up here together. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen. Right this minute a huge part of me would take her back, no doubt. But there�s another part of me that knows her too well. Knows that she is capable of not only breaking my heart again, but of cheating again. It seems to be in her nature. I always say, people don�t change. They really don�t. After talking to TheGirl on the phone I walked around Carmel some more in order to find something to eat. There were a couple of places that beckoned me, but with my small budget I decided to take TheGirl�s advice and drive into Monterey and go to a fast food joint. It was good, and cheap. And funny enough, I ended up just around the corner from The Monterey Aquarium. Ah memories. The drive back to Deetjen�s was not so thrilling though, what with the darkness and the fog rolling onto the highway. I maintained a steady pace, but the truth was it was not a pleasant drive back. I won�t stay out that late tomorrow night. * * * * * *Day 2:
Woke up just before 7am and quickly jumped into a shower. Today is going to be a long day, I thought to myself. But in a good way, in that I�m going to get a ton of pictures, and what more I�ll have some seriously powerful memories to share. As soon as I got dressed I booked it to Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park. I knew I wanted to hit this spot early to get some great pictures, and to avoid people. The walk out to the sea side waterfall was super easy, just a few hundred feet.  The scene was awe inspiring, to say the least, as you can tell from the above picture. It was like something out of my dreams. I couldn�t believe it was true. Instead of getting my picture and leaving for the rest of the park, I waited and contemplated where I was. I�ve been talking a good game to TheGirl about Buddhism, but I haven�t really been doing a good job being a good Buddhist. And then I looked down at the railing and what it said really bore deep inside me at that moment.  It says, �Don�t count every hour - make every hour count.� TheGirl believes in signs, and if this isn�t a sign than NOTHING is a sign. What followed after the seaside waterfall was nothing short of a spiritual awakening. I nearly want to say that I have become enlightened. Not quite, but the journey I walked to this following waterfall is something that had me gasping in awe.  During my hike there were times when the trail seemed to end. But each time I took the initiative to find a way through. Each time I was rewarded with another beautiful sight, more beautiful that what I thought could not be topped. When I reached the waterfall I knew I could go no further. As I stood there next to the water I could not help but burst into tears of job. All I could think of is how small I am, and how big the world and the Universe is. I was of the moment. Nothing else existed. Not TheGirl, not my home, not my life back in Los Angeles. All that existed was me standing in front of that waterfall. I have never been more filled with joy and awe than during this hike. Every turn offered me more joy... more awe. I can�t imagine a moment in my life that will be more fulfilling that hiking up the that waterfall. When I came back to civilization I was confronted with the idiots of this world. All of them gathered at the mouth of the trail, music blasting from their cars. They will NEVER know what I experienced. The rest of the day was taken up by my drive around the 17 mile drive. It was super, but nowhere near as spectacular as Pfeiffer trail was. NOTHING will ever be as spectacular as that. Tomorrow I drive home. Back to my life, which I did leave completely out of my mind these last couple of days. I won�t soon forget this. I won�t let go of the sense of awe that I felt today. If I ever do reach enlightenment it will be because of what I experienced today. * * * * * *Day 3:
Going home today, but I really don�t want to. Last night I had three dreams, some of the details I remember, some I don�t. I won�t bore you with them now. Suffice to say, every time I woke up all I could do was look out my window view and just say to myself �I don�t want to leave.� Something about this place has entered my soul. I hope to keep it there, and not have it be some momentary epiphany. I am going home, despite my wish to say here. My life is down in Los Angeles, but a huge part of me now knows that I can find a home up here. For the first time in my life I have thoughts of leaving my grind-you-up city. I�ll stay there though, it�s my home. (hours later, 10:49pm to be exact) I�m back home. Been home for about an hour now. I hung out with TheGirl tonight. After being intimate I was given the bum�s rush. It was the shortest time we have ever been intimate. It was also the least passionate I�ve experienced with her. After we were done she didn�t say �get out,� but her whole, �oh wow, I�m super tired tonight� excuse didn�t hold water since she txted me about 10 minutes ago. She was practically passed out, how did she stay up another hour? Oh I know, it�s because she was probably talking to TheChisel. I�m so glad she didn�t come on this trip. I really don�t want to go to work tomorrow. I rather stay home and edit my photos. Alas, I won�t be able to do that. My rough estimate was that I took 700 photos this weekend. Not bad. Let�s hope I have some good photos from that batch. Oh well... back to civilization. End Communication. |
