Adventures at 40!

I launched my 2011 New Year with the sinking knowledge that I was turning 40 that October. I knew I had a choice. How did I want to handle turning 40? The milestone in life itself would be monumental. Would I be a trooper and accept it as a badge of honor? Nope, probably not! Knowing myself, I would probably crumble, lamenting at how old I felt and how much of my life I've wasted, dreams yet unfulfilled, journeys still untrekked, and passions waiting to be realized.

Damnit! I'd have none of that! I was determined that I would make my 40th a celebration! Take the bull by the horns and make it MY day, MY way! A new beginning starting at that very moment and culminating with my 40th birthday onward. Suddenly the thought of this new adventure had me feeling like a butterfly sloughing off my cocoon and seeing myself in a new vibrant, fulfilling life. How exhilarating! I welcomed the blossoming changes not only in my life, but in my mindset, throwing off the chains of age and fear and creating for myself a fabulous year to remember.

And so with an invite from my best friend and her husband to join them in San Francisco in September, I planned a week long vacation for me and my daughter. I had long wanted to venture to San Fran and see the sites. For some reason, the artsy, accepting, and welcoming call of the city and surrounding area appealed to me.


Golden Gate Bridge Photo: Fanpop.com 

As soon as we stepped out into the fresh 65-degree California air that September, I knew that this was what my soul craved and I was right to celebrate my 40th with gusto and aplomb!  It was nothing short of AMAZING! The invigorating smell of sweet eucalyptus hung in the cool Californian air. Plump ruby-throated hummingbirds flitted between vibrant succulent flowers. I never knew hummingbirds could get that pudgy and still fly! Boy, those little wings had to work hard!

As we drove from the airport across the Golden Gate bridge into Larkspur where we were staying, a thick eerie fog rolled across the bridge engulfing the tresses where you could no longer see the arches. An incredibly humbling and freaky movie-like experience.

We soaked in everything we could while we were there....we trolleyed the downtown streets of San Francisco, dove into the bowels of Chinatown, snaked our way through the performer-filled streets of Fisherman's Wharf, and ferried our way over to the haunting Alcatraz prison - all incredibly exhilarating.

We wound our way up the nerve-wracking roads white-knuckled and breathless peering into the bottomless gorges below before making it to the breathtaking Muir Woods. There we communed with the giant redwoods, chattered with the chipmunks, were entertained by a mama river otter and her babies, and then just listened to the silence. Yes, we really did that! 

We soaked in the awe-inspiring beauty and tranquility of the gardens at the Golden Gate Park Japanese Tea Gardens while sipping on hot Sencha green tea, dipped our toes in the chilly Pacific Ocean, hiked along mountainous rocky trails and gazed reverently upon bubbling brooks, trickling streams and languid waterfalls. 

In San Jose, we were spooked, bewildered and disoriented as we toured 110 out of the 160-room Winchester estate of the late Sarah Winchester, wife of the rifle mogul, William Winchester. The "Winchester Mystery House", as it has been called, is quite an oddity indeed and walking through the house left you feeling extremely claustrophobic, not to mention plain unsettled!

Our legs wobbled down the 300+ stairs while bracing the 40 mph chilly winds to view the Point Reyes Lighthouse and trudged painstakingly back up those same 300 plus stairs. We teetered precariously on the narrow roadways as our car meandered through mountain roads in Mill Valley and explored the nooks, crannies, stores, and coffee shops of their charming town. Twice.



By the end of our week-long adventure, my soul was sated and my lust for life renewed. "Bring on 40", I said to myself. "This is going to be an adventure!"