The Journey Inward

It was my last day in San Diego today, which was bittersweet. I know the kids need to get back to their routine and I have more excitement ahead of me, but I will miss being a part of their daily lives.

I slept in a bit because I was wiped out after my last two days of touring. I ate a leisurely breakfast, threw my laundry in and then decided I wanted to do the bay path that my daughter runs. It took me a bit to find it, so I was probably close to 2 miles in at that point. I walked down one side and appreciated the calm and quiet of the water and path and enjoyed the beautiful houses on my right. I wasn’t sure that I could get all the way around, so I backtracked. Stay with me, because this becomes the theme!

I made my way back to where I started and decided to go around the other way. It looked like the path ended just after a little bridge, so I thought I’d go as far as that and then come back before walking the almost 2 miles home.

But the path didn’t end there. It kept going. And going. I kept telling myself that I would go around just one more curve and see what was there. But one curve became three became six, and I started to realize that I needed to stop because I was quite a distance from home and this was supposed to be my relaxing day!

I began to backtrack, and then thought maybe it would be faster to go up on the street. But the street was busy and honky, and so I backtracked down the stairs and onto the bay walking trail again. Once more I thought to detour through a neighborhood, but became disoriented and backtracked to the trail.

By now it had been several hours, especially with all the pausing to take pictures, and I was just now back to the place where I began on this trail, so it was another 2 miles home!! My legs felt destroyed by the time I got there and my tummy was rumbly! All in all, a 10 mile walk on my rest day!

I made a few phone calls and caught up with friends while switching my laundry and even got my therapy appointment in! I took the dogs out for the shortest of walks and decided to just go sit on the beach for my last day, something I had not yet done.

The beach is at the end of their street, and the picture below, top left, is the view as you cross it!

I lay down on this chilly, overcast day and felt the warm sand beneath me. I wiggled to make it perfectly contort to my body. Light rays of sun warmed my body, and I closed my eyes and listened to the waves reach their fingers out and then pull them back in. I took a picture in the old legs/hot dog debate style!

Arriving back at the house, the dogs were anxious to get out, so I took them for a walk down the beach. I decided to stop in at a store where I had smelled a lovely perfume and decided to buy it as my parting gift from San Diego. Just before I stepped over the threshold to enter, my watch binged that we had walked a mile! Apparently, I would be adding another 2 to my morning 10!

My niece has been living in San Diego for a few years, but she and her boyfriend just moved. They have been away the whole time I was here and just arrived back home, so we made plans for dinner. They sent their address and it turned out to be .3 miles from my daughter and her husband! We spent the most lovely evening with them and I took pictures to share on my family chat. Her dad, my brother, is overseas right now in Lebanon, so I know this picture will make him happy when he sees it.

And now I’m off to shower and pack and hit the hay early before a long day of driving tomorrow. Goodbye, San Diego! See you in December!!

Photos: 8.13.25 by LA