San Diego’s Ocean Beach

On September 2, 2011September 10, 2011 By AngeliaIn Angelia's Photography, Beautiful Life28 Comments

Initially, I thought I would take my vacation photographs in bite-sized pieces.

I would share with you step-by-step our progressive trip through Southern California.

But instead of showing you our first stop (Dana Point, CA), I am showing my second. Because really?

This is it. The beach from the summer I turned thirteen. This is where my obsession (and yearning) for California was born. My escape. My paradise.

I am so glad we found it. I am so glad it was a real place.

After so long, I just wasn’t sure.

We landed here for our first sunset of our trip and the first sight of surfers and dolphins.

It was pretty dim when I took the last few photos of surfers. They are hard-core riding to the very last drop of sunshine.

The clouds part, the rays disappear, and the sun melts into the Pacific Ocean.

We watch.

Enraptured.

$The sinking sun into the Pacific,\.$

It was a very moving display of color and light as the evening tide reached up to embrace the sun in its last good-bye for the day.

We lingered in the glow until we headed back to the hotel. The beach was a little chilly after sunset. Not quite the 100 degrees we were used to. The cool was a welcome friend.

So far, our trip was pretty amazing.

Of course, this is just the beginning…………stay tuned!

Ocean Beach Pier, California 2011

Adding this to You Capture as best summer sunset.

Growing Up California

On August 19, 2011August 19, 2011 By AngeliaIn Life is what you make it.14 Comments

No, I didn’t grow up in California, but it was in growing up that I fell in love with California. The summer of age twelve, I spent a month in San Diego. A week of that month was at Ocean Beach. At an impressionable age, on-the-cusp of my teen years, California left its mark in my life.

That summer wasn’t easy. My parents had separated. Southern California was ~~our~~ my escape. I didn’t have to worry about my family or the changes that were taking place. All my troubles washed away in the Pacific.

At the end of summer, I went back to my home in the Oklahoma countryside, where my accent wasn’t cute anymore and people didn’t ask to hear me talk. I sounded like everyone else again, and I missed the care-free days of the summer. So, I decorated my bedroom walls with posters of surfers. I was determined to hold on to the magic of my California summer.

Surrounded by 60-foot waves, I dreamed of beach days and mushroom omelets at the beachside cafe.

My love for California never departed from my heart. Every chance I get, I go back to remember and dream of those summer days that meant so much to me.

Jason and I leave tomorrow for California and will spend a whole week “California Dreamin”. On our radar is San Diego, Palm Springs, Big Bear Lake, and Ventura. Who knows where else in-between, lots of places I haven’t been to. We don’t have a schedule or strict plan. Our only plan is do and see and go.

I will be taking LOTS of photographs.

Truthfully? Tomorrow morning can’t get here fast enough.

I am not even sure what I’m looking forward to more….sunsets on the beach, being off work, visiting the San Diego Zoo, or under 100 degree days.

Whatever we do, I can promise you, it will be enjoyed.

My next post will be from my iPhone in CALI!!!

🙂

Wordful Wednesday

On April 14, 2010April 16, 2010 By AngeliaIn In my heart forever & ever, Life is what you make it.27 Comments

Sorry for the lack of posting and blog visiting. Seems the spring cleaning bug bit me while on my trip. This is good! I have a lot to get done before I start work again and I need all the help I can get (aka motivation). I plan on catching up next week. I will be training out-of-town and won’t have the distractions: hungry teen, laundry, dishes, plants, mowing, dogs to potty/clean up after, commuting. It almost sounds like another vacation, yes?

Please send Jason some good vibes. Not only will he be dealing with his “normal” crazy life, but he will be stepping into the role of teen parent – helping me out while I’m away – seven years sooner than he should be. Pray. Ha!
🙂

Our trip was amazing. The wildflowers are blooming, especially between San Antonio and Corpus. Purple, pink, blue, yellow, and red stretch like flowing waves as if God dipped his paintbrush and painted a canvas of color. Pictures would not have done it justice and had we stopped for each beauty mark we would have never made it here and back (at least for many, many, many days).

We had a great time. Residence Inn had plenty of space for all three of us. The beach was just as sweet and calming as I had imagined. I never wanted to leave. Ever.

Trip pics

We didn’t forget the sunscreen, in fact, SPF 100 works very well. Yes, 100! I had no idea they even MADE that. Wow.

I love the seagulls. I don’t love feeding them, because they turn ugly real quick, but this one in the air is what I love most. The swift glide they have, and their soft float landings.

Just like a rock star, I really do wish I had her sense of fashion. It truly is inherit and not environment, or environment not inherit, whichever – her aunt is very stylish.

Sand art, courtesy of Jason, believe it or not, someone actually came by and took a picture (besides me that is). Heh!

~~Bug eyes and I~~ Sydney and I took a nice two-mile trek along the beach. This was before, you don’t want to see the after. Walking on sand? Not easy (for me anyway), but I love it just the same. The exercise and the sights. We got to see a bride in her wedding dress being photographed. Awesome.

Bird? Plane? Size of shark? Don’t you love playing charades in the ocean? Surely she wasn’t jumping over that teeny wave? Hmm.

Perfect ending to a perfect trip. The eight-hour drive back wasn’t even that bad…. considering that SYDNEY drove a big part of it…YIKES. Luckily I had the sea breeze to meditate on – that doesn’t work when parking at Starbucks REAL close to another car if you’d like to know – but the sounds of children playing, seagulls calling, the smells of the salty air, and the gorgeous palm trees flapping in the gust. Ah. Those. Those work wonders while driving with a teenager.