It was unusually quiet except for the occasional airplane pings. I just awoken from my slumber thinking I was closer to my destination. I checked the time on my phone. “I should have landed by now,” I thought to myself. Did I just enter the Twilight Zone? I half expected to look over and see a man staring into my window from the outside of the plane…but there were no windows at all. I started to get an eerie feeling about this flight. Maybe my exhaustion was causing me to have delirious thoughts. I forced myself to go back asleep, covered under my pea coat. When I woke up for the second, third, and even fourth times, it seemed as if time stood still. That’s the funny thing about exhaustion and time zones…You just don’t know where you are or what time it really is.
Finally landed on Pacific Time, I was standing there watching the baggage carousel go by when I suddenly looked up and across the way. Our eyes locking, I was greeted with the warmest and most welcoming smile. My friend was there racing around the carousel to give me a much needed and long overdue bear hug. My new journey was just beginning.
I’ve always considered everything in life an adventure, but many obstacles seem to constantly stand in my way and make things even more challenging for me to reach my goals. It is often very aggravating, both testing my patience and my determination. Ultimately, these trials result in a learning lesson, as tough and stressful they may be. I call these series of events misadventures. These misadventures can be major annoyances to most people, but I try not to let them get the better of me because they often lead to something new and exciting. I suppose my life parallels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland…being curious about the world and getting into little mishaps.
So far, I spent a really nice, Loki (low key) New Year’s Eve with my friend in LA. We visited different shops he knew I’d geek out in (Dark Delicacies and Meltdown Comics), stopped at the Hollywood Bowl Overlook where you can see the Hollywood sign and breathtaking views of the whole city of LA, took my first metro train ride amused by all the evening’s early drunkards, ate sushi at a quaint little restaurant, strolled down the Walk of Fame and found Godzilla’s star, grabbed a drink and late night French fries at a cute coffee shop, and ultimately just enjoyed the company. Being able to have good conversation without the expectation of holiday extravagance was refreshing, especially since getting to California alone had been very stressful for me.
The very first day of the New Year, I ventured down to San Diego seeing both snow and palm trees along the way. That evening, I was fortunate enough to take a personal tour of the USS Pasadena, my cousin’s Naval Submarine. Being aboard a military submarine was a very humbling experience. I have a better appreciation for submariners living in such tight quarters for long months with little to no communication, and I’m super proud of my cousin for being so strong.
I’m very grateful for a lot of the cool things I’ve gotten to see or do here in San Diego. I’ve been splashed by a killer whale and fed seals at Sea World, watched a cheetah race at the San Diego Safari Park, seen some of my favorite animals at the Park and the San Diego Zoo (lions, and tigers, and panda bears…OH MY!), and even admired my favorite Disney characters on ice. I haven’t gotten to do a lot of these things since childhood and really made me miss being a kid again.
I took a little trip for about 2 weeks to help my friends, Dave and Tanya, with the autograph booth at Salt Lake City Comic Con and spend some more time in LA. I’ve never been to a huge show like SLCC, and it was nice to spend my first show of the year on the West Side. It wouldn’t be a trip without some sort of misadventures, of course. A few days prior, my wallet was stolen at a Chuck E. Cheese with all my IDs and cards in it, which I needed to fly before my trip. After what seemed like a wild goose chase, I figured out I was still able to fly with just my birth certificate. Although, much to my dismay, without a photo ID, I had to go through extra “security” at the airport. I laugh at it now, but it isn’t always fun to be frisked in public first thing in the morning and stared down like you’re a terrorist. My cards were stolen, and I’m the one getting felt up…this had to be some sort of unusual punishment, right?
My flight was also delayed an hour, after I was already sitting on the runway ready to go to Vegas. The next day, we blew a tire on the way to SLC and had to be towed to the nearest town for repairs. While the incident didn’t help my car anxiety, I was able to enjoy the views of the snowcapped mountains, sitting alongside the road with two wonderful people and sharing many laughs. I couldn’t pick two better people than Dave and Tanya to be stranded on the roadside with.
SLCC was such a blast even with a swollen knee and chilly weather. It was so nice to be around fellow nerds again. Even though I was working the booth, it really felt like I was just hanging out with two great friends, people watching and geeking out together. I got to finally meet Ralph Macchio and Mark Pellegrino, who are both super nice guys. I also saw from afar actress Billie Piper, who plays my favorite Doctor Who companion, Rose. My geek girl heart was happy.
My visit in LA was also extremely pleasant. I watched the pink and orange hued sunset on the beach in Malibu, read Peter Pan laying on a blanket in a grassy park, frequented various local coffee shops, stayed in a cozy cabin in the small mountainous town of Idyllwild, hiked to the scenic Griffith Observatory and saw the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon, and even visited my childhood home in Moreno Valley.
I’d be lying if I said the trip wasn’t a little emotional, though. I spent a lot of time reflecting. Seeing my old house brought back a lot of memories of being with my family. The trip to Idyllwild also reminded me so much of living in the Smokies, and how much I’m starting to miss my friends and family there. It’s also tapped into some personal issues I’ve been having…what I want or don’t want in life. I’ve been extremely stressed, and truthfully, I’m having a hard time adjusting here. The prospect of not knowing where to work or live come summer time has been extremely overwhelming and very unnerving.
But the main thing I need to remember is to not let worry or self-doubt consume my thoughts. Despite all these hiccups I keep having…delayed flights, stolen wallet, flat tires, swollen knees, or feuds…life really does have plenty of beautiful things around to admire or be thankful for. Sometimes, you just need to stop and smell the roses, or even paint them red like Alice. Forget all your current troubles and sorrow, and take the time to look at the beauty around you. Just exist in the present and find that the little things in life can be the most enjoyable…even if they are misadventures.
Further reading:
About Idyllwild: http://www.idyllwild.com/index.html
Griffith Observatory: http://www.griffithobservatory.org/
The Adventures of the Baroness 