Audio Books for Road Trips

I'm an efficiency-obsessed person by nature and by profession. And I love travel but it pains me how long it takes - all those hours sitting in a vehicle. For me, audiobooks are a great way to pass the time and feel like you're getting something out of those otherwise wasted hours.

If you're traveling alone, then honestly just pick whatever audio book you want! But if you're traveling with others, you probably want to find something more agreeable to everyone.

There are several ways to get audiobooks. The easiest is probably Audible, which has a huge selection and allows you to purchase the audio books so you have them in your collection permanently. It can also automatically sync and integrate with your Alexa devices to continue the audio book at home.

Pro Tip for Audible: If your friends or family also use Audible, they can share a book they've purchased for free to you and vice a versa. This only works once per account combination, but is a great way to save a little money when you have a book recommendation.

That can add up though so if you're looking for a cheaper option, check out Libby. You'll need a library card from your local library and can browse their selections from the app. The selection can be more limited and you have to wait on other customers for more popular titles, but the app works great with Bluetooth, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

Pro Tip for Libby: You can toggle between multiple libraries. So if you're like me and have lived in multiple places, you can often keep your old library card and use the one for your new location. It is dependent on the library, though, and how they renew their membership. Also, I'm pretty sure the Los Angeles library doesn't check for residence, and that has a huge selection. But I didn't tell you that.

Through my employer, I also have access to Percipio which is a little clunkier, as well as Coursera and LinkedIn Learning for more academic-style courses. Finally, a last possible option from in the "old days" and less and less of an option now is to borrow physical media CDs from the library or purchase them. Really old school, one of my libraries had a little independent player device for each audio book that connected via a headphone jack. But with Bluetooth and apps so prevelent and becoming moreso, I'd stick to those.

Without further ado, here are some audiobook ideas I can recommend for roadtrips that may appeal to all parties.

Jurassic Park - Most people know the movie and it's premise, and could recognize the gorgeous musical theme by legendary composer John Williams. But how many have actually read the original book? This was a good one that my now-ex and I listened to on our epic road trip, and I was surprised he (not being a reader) endured the whole thing. That speaks volumes to its universal appeal.

Cheaper by the Dozen - Nothing like the movies you've seen by the same name (unless you have seen the OG 1950 movie), this book is a true story of the original efficiency expert, Frank Gilbert, who fathered the field in which I now work, Industrial Engineering. As told by two of his children, the tale weaves through the quirky parenting of the dozen Gilbreth children and comically illustrates their parents' great professional achievements. If you're a parent or want to be, there may be some nuggets of wisdom you may take away.

Life, Unscheduled - This is an easy romance read but it describes Idyllwild, an area not too far from my home in Palmdale, in such a blissful way that I took a weekend trip to experience it for myself. I could relate to the main character also in how she schedules things and tries to do it all and how life can be overwhelming sometimes.


The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World - As the name implies, this is a true story that mostly takes place in the concentration camp and provides some humane insight into how these events could be allowed to happen, as well as the triumph of this escapee who helped shed light on the horrors happening at the end of the train line. Not a cheerful roadtrip read, for sure, but I think it appeals to a broad audience wanting to learn and understand a dark part of our world's history.

The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as a CEO of the Walt Disney Company - A business book the whole family can relate to, this book covers the major decision points and challenges of Bob Iger's command as the head of one of the most beloved brands and companies.

Your Perfect Year - Part mystery, part romance novel, this is another easy read of hope and sickness and love.

Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces that Shape How We Think, Feel and Behave - This is a conversation starter with lots of quirky and largely unknown anecdotes of things you wouldn't normally think about.

The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest - An interesting read about how people live in different regions. This book could also be a good conversation starter and perhaps inspire some lifestyle changes.

Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and What It Says About Us - I debated putting this one on the list because it could induce more road rage on a road trip, but I really like this book in general and figured some of the insights and applications may be helpful on the road trip.

Pimsleur Language Lessons - If you're doing a road trip over a longer time period (i.e. not just a weekend), you may want to consider language lessons. I'm a big fan of Pimsleur - it's all audio so you can do it while you drive. You can get Pimsleur lessons for several languages from the library and/or on Libby. We did this with the Japanese language in preparation for an upcoming trip to Japan. For me, it was more of a review and brushing up, and for him, it was learning for the first time, so we went at his pace and repeated lessons as he felt he needed. But we could practice together afterwards while driving and listening to music.

Amboy Crater

Just three or four hours east of the Los Angeles area is a quiet dark sky site great for car camping overnight, to view meteor showers or just general stargazing, as well as a unique and uncrowded hike into and/or around a volcanic crater.

Note: I hiked here alone, and it is NOT recommended to hike alone. I am an experienced hiker and was equipped with two means of communicating and several survival items as well as plenty of water and snacks. I do not recommend hiking alone.

I first went with my friend Nadine in October 2023 and we watched the Orionids. It was very hot when we arrived, but cooled down with the sunset and we were comfortable to slightly chilly as we sat and watched fireballs streak across the sky. The information online had mixed messages as to whether it was okay to car camp at the primary trailhead parking lot, but that's what we did and it seemed fine. There was also a man in a small RV and a couple who rolled in late and set up camp, so we weren't alone. I preferred camping there to the overflow parking lot, which the online info consistently says is ok, because there were toilets at the main parking lot. No running water, though, so be sure to always have hand sani or wipes for bathroom breaks. 

 

In the morning, I was hoping to do some hiking but Nadine wasn't up for it. So I told her I'd just go a little ways and come back, not wanting to leave her in the heat with nothing to do for too long. Since I could see that nobody had left their vehicles yet in the parking lot, it occurred to me that I was quite totally alone on the hike. I'm used to hiking on trails where there are definitely people ahead and behind me, and people coming back would be passing me. The eerie feeling of loneliness and the peril of hiking alone was exhilarating and creepy. I never really felt in danger, with two cell phones on different carriers (personal and work) and knowing Nadine was at the trailhead - certainly if something happened to me I could either contact her or she would eventually come out after me if I didn't return. Still, it was neat to feel like I was the only one on the trail. Of course, I had no idea if people had started after me, and sure enough, I did see people as I returned. Even though it was pleasant when I left the trailhead, it got hotter quickly and I made it only about 3/4 of a mile before turning back, and it got very hot by the time I returned. 

 

Since then, I'd been wanting to return when the weather was nicer to do the full hike. I got the chance a couple days ago (camping on Jan 5 and hiking the morning of Jan 6) - purposefully planning it when the moon was minimal and also would rise late in hopes of also seeing the Milky Way as I set up camp and relaxed under the stars. It wasn't as spectacular as the best Milky Way pictures, but sure enough I did see it faintly, and I got a couple decent pictures with my cell phone of Orion's Belt and other stars. 

Because it was cooler, I didn't do my full hatch-tent setup to let the outside air into my car. Instead, I slept in it fully enclosed, but with a view out the top through my sunroof. I was mostly comfortable until about 3 or 4 am when I started to get very cold, and I turned my car on temporarily to heat the cabin a bit. I woke up around 7 am as the sun was rising, and while it was still quite chilly, it was so beautiful I was ready to get going. I had a small, quick breakfast in my camping chair enjoying the view but sitting still was making me too cold, so I cut it short in favor of starting the hike. It was 40° when I started, and I layered two sweatshirts over my tank top, knowing that I'd like remove one or both sweatshirts as I hiked, and it was easier to wrap them around my waist than deal with a bulky jacket. 

The hike to the crater is very easy, with a bench at about half a mile (0.47 mi by my tracker) and another "last chance" bench at the end of the easy part, 1.1 miles from the trailhead. Most of the terrain is packed dirt and sand with sporadic lava rocks, but there are also patches of very loose sand and dirt, much like walking on the beach. There is next to nothing as far as elevation change. There is also zero shade, so be prepared to be blasted by the sun. If you're still a Pokemon GO player like me, there are Pokemon on the trail and a stop at the last chance bench!

After the second bench, the hike gets exciting as you wind your way up onto the side of the crater and up and over into it. A half mile past the bench, at 1.6 miles from the trailhead, is a three-pronged fork at which you can go straight to basically head directly into the middle of the crater, or go left or right which will take you in a loop around the rim of the crater to the highest point just under 1000 feet. The Crater Trail taking you into the center is much more moderate and less dangerous, and affords a spectacular 360 view at a saddle point. If you turned around and went back from there, I'd say you thoroughly did the hike and saw what there is to see.

For more advanced hikers with confidence in their ankle strength, the Crater Rim Loop offers a steep change in elevation and unobstructed views from the top. I ended up taking the Crater Trail first and then continuing to the other side of the meteor, making my way up to the Crater Rim Loop. At the top, I had trouble deciding which way to turn, but ultimately turned right to hit the highest peak of the hike. I had to be very careful with my foot placement and took my time both going up and down, while along the rim it was fairly easy going. On the way down, I stopped for a snack to recharge and ensure I had enough energy and strength not to slip, especially since I was by myself. 

 

 

On my way down, I finally saw other people on the trail for the first time. Many of them did not have water. Please, people, do NOT go hiking in the desert without water!! Even in the winter, it is very dry and you need to stay hydrated. After making my way down from the crater rim, it was easy going headed back on the same and only trail back to the parking lot. It was about 50° by then so I stripped down to my tank top and had both sweatshirts around my waist - stylish, I know! With the very light breeze, it was perfect hiking weather. I really enjoyed myself but was pretty beat when I finally got back to my car. Luckily, I didn't have much to pack up so I was able to use the bathroom once more and then get on the road home. (And I got home just in time to do Pokemon Go Community Day on my couch - LOL!)

It was a great first adventure for the new year! I nearly procrastinated on going, but so glad I pushed myself to do it. It was just an evening and morning - hardly a big time investment relative to the joy and peace I got from it.

Recommendations for Amboy Crater

• Set up camp just before sunset and enjoy the stars
• Bring a headlamp as it is very dark and you'll especially want your hands free when going to the bathroom
• Bring hand sani or wipes for using the bathroom
• The bugs (specifically, tiny, little flies) are incessant at night - you may want to bring bug spray and/or a face net and have weather-appropriate clothes that cover as much as possible
• Bring good hiking shoes with ankle support - lots of opportunities to twist an ankle on the hike
• Bring a hat, sun screen, and lots of water! At least 2 liters of water per person is recommended. Even in the winter, the desert is dry and you need to replace the water you're losing as you hike.
• Give yourself a few hours to hike it before sunset - you don't want to be caught out there in the dark!

Have my cake and eat it, too

Happy New Year! I did something that is either fucked up or brilliant. Time will tell, I suppose.

My New Year's Eve started out as a pretty chill evening after a day balanced with productivity and relaxation. I was even thinking I'd tell Deric I loved him. Andrew, Sonia, Deric and I went to my favorite local restaurant, Broken Bit, for dinner. Deric had been drinking before the dinner and joined me in drinking cocktails at dinner. After a great meal, we went back to my place for more drinks and to ring in the new year.

I knew Deric was drinking too much, and I tried to control the situation, sort of. Control is a whole different topic I should probably write through at some point; it seems that control is pretty important to me in an unhealthy way. But that's for another time. I think last night I may have, whether subconsciously intentional or just through a lack of intention, I let Deric drink too much and get out of hand. What I didn't expect, at least not consciously, was how he would come out with immensely hurtful and misogynistic comments towards Sonia which may have just as well been against me. And there it was, I suppose. The opportunity to fight with him and end things. And we fought. I told him I was "done with this shit."

And there it is. Vague enough that this morning I woke up both with a boyfriend and with the notion of being done with him. I have found that having a boyfriend makes me feel peace and puts my mind at ease a bit, but also that I want to be open to finding that really knock-off-my-socks relationship. So my messed up, self-sabotaging subconscious has given me permission to claim a boyfriend to be at peace but also to pursue better, truer love. It's also quite convenient given my job insecurity - if I have to move to Fort Worth or elsewhere this year, it won't be a big heartbreak to leave Deric. It may even give me a second chance with Tommy, since distance was the biggest issue there.

I suppose it means I will need to date more in private now, if that's my plan. But truly, I think I was mostly sharing my dating on facebook for Jaiman's benefit so he could see I was not cheating on him emotionally or physically, that I didn't fall directly into my male friends' arms as I think he assumed I would. Now that he's unfriended me, and gosh it's been almost a year, I think it's time to stop worrying about him, stop worrying about men in general, and finally start focusing on me, truly.

Oh and as far as the fight, Deric was a freaking idiot and I'll wait for him to decide what's next for us. In the meantime, I feel better than ever, starting off the New Year phenomenally. At peace, with my mind in a good place, and ready to take on 2024.

2024: Planning for Me

Water

For as long as I can remember, I have been infatuated with water. Maybe it’s a survival instinct, having grown up and then returning in my adult life to desert environments. But I think it's more about the sensory, either soothingly warm or refreshingly cool, the calming sounds, the literal lightness of being in water, that draws me in. As early as I can remember, I think it started with not wanting to transition from childish baths to grown-up showers. But even when I did, I took long showers. My family noticed and made fun of me, but that didn't necessarily deter my behaviors. I remember an early childhood vacation with just me and my parents to Shell Beach in California, my Mom teaching me how to let my feet sink into the sand as the ocean waves rose and ceded around them, and me playing in the pool as long as my parents would allow me to and pushing the boundaries at that.

I love swimming. Not necessarily swimming for exercise, although I try to do that now when the weather allows. Moreso, I love moving in water. Whether its stretching out and floating, letting the water push me around where it will, or cycling my legs and moving them around while bobbing up and down, or calmly doing the elementary backstroke while taking in the view, I love the feeling of moving in water. I have another childhood memory that encompasses this: while we were moving to New Jersey, my parents and I stayed in a hotel for most of the summer and I met a boy around my age who was also there for a long-term stay. He and I would spend hours in the pool together and, while I may have liked him romantically, I don't recall there ever being anything suggestive in the pool with him. Rather, we put together and perfected what we thought was a pretty neat series of circus-like underwater tricks which we'd perform for unimpressed adults. I think he must have shared my love of the water because we both seemed to think what we were doing was amazing, and it clearly wasn't. In my pool here in Palmdale, I find it absolutely breathtaking (not literally) to see the depth from under the water, see the crazy lines the sun and small waves make on the pool floor, it's like a secret world that's all my own. It's hard to describe but it's just one of those things that absolutely thrills me. Easily thrilled, right?

I wrote a post a couple years ago about my happy places - locations to which I've loved traveling to that make me happy. The three places all have to do with water. Oahu, or Hawaii more generally as I can now count Maui in my travel experience, is lovely because of the beautiful oceans and eternal summer allowing for year-round swimming and walks on the beach. Among many other things, I love Japan for its hot springs culture - soaking in an Onsen (hot spring) was a life-changing experience for me and I've been back many times to do just that, and I especially loved my room on the beautiful island of Miyajima which had its own private Onsen. The third location is Venice, which is known for being basically waterlocked and having canals throughout the city and bridges going over the canals. In fact, in one of my favorite pictures from Venice, I'm wearing a shirt that says, "Life is better by the water."

When I moved from Arizona to Connecticut, one of the non-negotiables for me was to have a heated pool. I one-upped this when I moved to Florida and got a house right by the beach. I loved walking or running down to the beach, stretching while the sun rose over the ocean or jumping in to the warm, clear water when the weather was good. That beach in PCB is what broke me of my terror of sand, since its sand was clean, thin white "sugar sand" which I learned to tolerate. When we moved to San Diego, I wanted to live downtown and, against my better judgment, did not buy a place with a bathtub, which I very quickly regretted and compensated for by planning my vacations around what kind of baths different places had. The bonus of living in San Diego was that we were very close to the ocean and when I went for my morning run in Balboa Park - one of the best venues for running in my experience - I could soak up that ocean air and it made me feel so good. Having learned my lessons, the house I bought in Palmdale has a heated pool, a hot tub, and a nice size soaking bathtub in the master, in addition to regular showers and tubs. Many people have commented on how I'm practically living in a resort, and I tend to agree, it's just about perfect, or at least as perfect as it can be in Palmdale, California.

Unlike most people, I can spend hours in the hot tub. I especially enjoy my own private hot tub in the cold of the desert winter - going out there  weekend mornings and watching the sunrise in my hot tub is my own private zen paradise. I'll often be weirdly productive in the hot tub - I'll bring my breakfast, listen to my audiobook or do some writing, sometimes I'll even bring my work laptop out with me and knock out computer based trainings that I'm required to do.

I like being on boats - cruise ships or speed boats or ferries or jet skis. Not only do they afford me the chance to bring back that never-dying song, "I'm on a Boat" by Lonely Island, but I just love the feeling of floating or crashing through waves, whichever the case may be. Even though sometimes it makes me motion sick, I still love it. I'm down for whale watching tours even if we don't see whales, because being on the water makes me so happy. And, I'm usually pretty lucky when it comes to wildlife sightings so we usually see something cool. Queue video of mama and baby humpback whale coming within feet of our snorkeling tour boat this past week. AMAZING! 

When I'm on the beach or in the ocean, I feel like I'm more myself - even though I hate sand. I feel healthy, like I can breathe better, figuratively and literally/physically. I can meditate on the ocean surf crashing on the beach, rising and falling, and that relieves the inner turmoil in my head and the physical pain from migraine. I can float comfortably when I'm in the ocean, and I am comfortable swimming as needed. I enjoy snorkeling when the water is clear, and I have had some extraordinary experiences with sea turtles or in the Great Barrier Reef, and most recently at Molokini Crater which has visibility up to 150 or 200 feet!

It makes me think that my life needs more beach in it. I'm like Ken from the Barbie movie, I just Beach. I don't lifeguard, and I'm not a surfer, I Beach, and I'm good at it. I've been living in Los Angeles County for over two years but have only gone out to the beach a handful of times, twice just to see the airshow and not actually, you know, beach. Being in Maui the last couple weeks has reminded me how much I love the ocean, and I think I'd be most happy living at a beach. Whether that's a Florida beach or California, or Hawaii or Australia or some other wild destination, I don't think it matters. As long as I can beach. And in the meantime, I will enjoy both my pool and hot tub, and should probably make the most of my proximity to the LA area beaches. Afterall, I used to drive 6 hours from Arizona for the chance to see a beach like that, what's an hour or two on the weekend compared to that?

 

Finding Me

I feel like 2023 was a lot about finding myself again after the decade-long relationship. I tend to like what my significant other likes, so long as I tolerated it before, and so being intertwined for so many years has made me wonder what parts of our lives were me and what parts were him.

Returning to swing dancing was a really big thing for me in 2023, and I'm so glad for it. It's still not convenient in any way, but every time I go, even if I wasn't feeling it, I end up deciding it was worth it. The irony is that my ex- and I had met swing dancing, so you'd think that wouldn't be something he'd have taken me away from. But in our breakup I learned he was still, STILL holding onto this wild idea that I had cheated and would continue to cheat with another swing dancer I had been seeing before him, even though I had never once cheated on him and stopped talking to the guy once I found out how much it upset my ex- that we were still friends. Insane, right?

I doubled-down on my love for Lego, I guess that's staying. That was one in which my ex- and I sort of enabled and magnified in each other's habits, so I wasn't sure if it was mine solely after the breakup, but I also recall that I did love Lego before I met him, and I have continued to enjoy building when I make time to do so, so I'm claiming it.

Walking outdoors has been another thing I continue to return to. I was never stopped from doing that per se in my relationship, but it got more challenging when I was torn between that and spending time with him, or just so exhausted that the simple distraction of the TV shows was enough to deflate any motivation I had in me.

Resolutions for 2024

This has been a long, winding and perhaps somewhat disconnected path to get to where I want to go in 2024. Having learned some devastating news related to work a couple weeks ago, I already know that my job, work life and potentially living location may be in flux next year, and I'm living with a lot of uncertainty going into the new year.  I often take inspiration from Pantone's Color of the Year and their description of their selection, but this year I found it too soft and uninspiring for the way I plan to take on the year I turn 40. I am not ready to let life just pass me by, I want to maintain and double down on the themes I started in 2023: living with intention, getting into space and nature, reconnecting deeply and creating ease in my life. But I also don't want to "just" do those things again. I was reminded whole on my vacation in Maui that family time is fun but not to lose myself or forget to carve out time for me to relax, and that was much needed then and will likely be needed over and over again on 2024.

I feel like all signs point me to water, and I need to find myself, no, make myself, live with water as a prominent part of my life, whatever that means. And now that I've rediscovered what I love, I want to do more of that. I want to write more, and I want to lose the weight. I am frustrated that the Milky Way has alluded me when I seek it out, and it makes me want to see it even more. I don't know how I'm going to accomplish all the things I want to do, but I know I want to make things happen in 2024. I want to be the person who I envision for myself. I want to make me who I imagine I could be.

I feel like I'm still rebuilding my life and making me. When you make something, you usually don't just wing it, you have a plan. So I think what I can do, right here, in 2023, to make sure I feel good about 2024 in a year from now, is to make a plan. I've also found that planning a vacation or roadtrip, even if its short, has been therapeutic for me. So I think my general theme for 2024 is to plan time for me. And the specifics are:

Have a Plan for Every New Moon
Make Plans to Write Each Month
Plan for Swing Dance
Get to the Water
Fix What's Broken
Spend Less
Eat Well
Move

Happy New Year, everyone, and I hope you find inspiration in these posts and have a fantastic 2024! 

A Year in Review: 2023

I set out at the beginning of this year to focus on four themes, which I'll summarize as:
(1) Live intentionally
(2) Re/connect deeply
(3) Get outdoors & "into" space
(4) Create ease

These four items have been starring at me from my little letterboard on my mantle, in plain view when I'm sitting in my favorite recliner sofa seat and where any guests can easily see it. I think I've done a pretty damn good job of all of them, although of course I could always do more.

Live intentionally

I started this year with a bad boss and was able to secure a position with a fantastic manager. That was a big deal for me; although it was a very tough decision in the moment, as time went on it proved to be one of the best decisions I could have made. Some ideas I had originated when I set my 2023 themes were also directly accomplished. I bought land, specifically 2.5 acre in the Mojave desert - I just absolutely fell in love with the location, situated just up to a mountain and looking down on the valley but isolated enough I could camp there and not see a single soul. Book and plan a vacation also was done in spades, I'd say. I just came back from a terrific holiday in Maui with my whole family, which I had largely coordinated. I had also had a great time in Las Vegas with A.J. while we were seeing each other, and then with Deric shortly after we became a couple. A fantastic trip to Colorado in August ties to the next theme, reconnecting with a childhood friend, Laura. I spent over a week in North Carolina with my sister, continuing our tradition of being the first to visit when one of us moves. I completed my downstairs bathroom wallpapering and installed a new light, and completed my master WC wallpapering. Some of the other ideas, though, weren't accomplished or adhered to, such as increasing my health routine discipline, having a mindfulness weekend retreat and a blog-a-thon. I'd still like to do those things regularly, and they would probably be good for my stress and health as I face new uncertainties next year.

Re/connect deeply

I've never been very good at maintaining relationships, but I did make an effort this year. The most triumphant being spending a week or so with my childhood friend, Laura, in her home in Colorado Springs. We had been friends in first and second grade, she lived only a few houses away from me, but after I moved away and even when I moved back, we had never really been close. We even went to the same high school and our circles of friends loosely intersected, but her and I were mostly acquaintances I'd say. Through one positive example in a world of negatives, I would credit social media for helping us to reconnect, as we followed each others' adventures and talked about getting back together some time, and this was the year I finally made good on that notion. I think we were both a little nervous about suddenly spending so much time together after years of barely knowing each other, but we had a brilliantly hilarious time and vowed not to wait so long to do it again. I also tried reconnecting with long-time friend and short-lived romantic partner, Rick, and we did have dinner one night while I was in Arizona for a charity walk I've tried to do with Allison most years, but that relationship still feels strained. It was great, of course, to see Allison, and she's another one I’d like to be a better friend to. Also on that visit, I went to swing dance with my favorite instructors, and they made me feel like a celebrity returning home. One of my previously favorite dance partners there, Miguel, encouraged me to go to Camp Hollywood and I knew I should, since dancing was also a thing I was investing more of my time into. I am so glad he encouraged me to do - it was amazing and I'm already booked for next year.

I also did a lot of dating this year, trying to find my next Mr. Right and it's been tougher than I imagined. I've had a lot of great memories and far too many
heartbreaking let downs. When I started this blog long ago, it was a dating blog, and I thought it would be fun to return it to one being single, but when I reflect on it, dating was fun back then and it has a more serious tone to it now. I'm not dating to make fun of it, I want to find my someone and that doesn't feel like something I want to poke fun at. Well, after months of ups and downs on the dating front, I am now with Deric, who may not be perfect, but he's at least my Mr. Right Now.

Get outdoors and "into" space

I never imagined how much of nature and space I would do this year. Shortly after the year started, by mere happenstance as far as I can tell, I saw a post - was it an

ad? - inviting volunteers to support the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. I knew about the reserve - my sister and I had visited it out of season but I had missed the blooms the prior year. I mentioned it to one of my employees who happened to be traveling for work with me when I saw the post, and she got so excited about it I cemented the idea in my head that this would be a great thing to do. And it was! I loved my trailwatch shifts - four hours, and I usually hiked about 5 miles, stopping to educate guests or take pictures for them. It was a great way to get my butt out of the house and into nature, and I intend to do it as long as I live here. I even got to bring several friends and employees out with me!

I did also do the space-y things I wanted to do - I visited the Griffith Observatory as a sort-of date with Kevin during one of their events, Above, and started watching their monthly show All Space Considered. I also managed to finagle a private tour of the Lockheed Martin Space site in Littleton, Colorado during my personal trip there.

I also set out on several stargazing quests. In late January and early February, I was watching weather and visibility to find a time when I could perhaps see the green comet. Conditions were poor over and over again, until finally, towards the end of its time in our sky, I camped out on my land in Mojave and was able to capture a view of it through my binoculars. Later in the year, Nadine and I camped out at Amboy Crater and watched the Perseids and Orionids meteor showers, catching dozens of shooting stars and one fantastic fireball. I was not so fortunate in my last attempt - I had booked a private stargazing and astrophotography tour in Maui but when we climbed to the summit at 10,000 feet, the stars were barely out and were quickly covered up - no such luck at capturing the Milky Way as is usual up there. Nevertheless, I learned quite a bit about the relationship between the Hawaiians and the stars, how they navigated by the stars and drew the first celestial maps, and all stars have a Hawaiian name as homage to their contributions.

Create ease

I probably did the least of this - certainly not all the things I aspired to do. But I have utilized AI and automation in ways to make my life better, and that was the objective of the theme.

Life List Update

While many things went well this year, I was worried that this would be the first year since I started my Life List in which I wouldn't have completed at least one thing from my list. Many years I complete several items all in one big vacation, or I complete a few items from various little efforts. To be fair, many of the easier ones are completed and that leaves more difficult ones or items that are specific to a location to which I haven't yet traveled. But, after my nephew joined me in Maui, we decided to go hiking on Haleakala. So I made the trek in the convertible once again through the twists and turns, but this time in the daylight and with company, and when we stopped in the visitor center we learned that the local Ne ne birds are the most endangered species of goose. We spotted several of them both while hiking and while driving, and managed to take a few blurry pictures of them, which I'll consider as checking off Life List item #93: Photograph an endangered species. So not a minute too soon, December 21st was the day that ensured this was not the year in which I didn't complete something from my Life List.

Final reflections

There have been many years with drastic changes in jobs and where I lived, but this year seems like even more change even though I stayed put in Palmdale. Starting with ending a nearly 10 year relationship, reconnecting with old friends, a small job change, investing in my swing dancing like I hadn't in several years, and really just finding myself again has been tumultuous. I'm not sure that I've fully found myself yet, but perhaps that is an ongoing journey always. I've cried a lot, sometimes for silly reasons, sometimes because life is just stupid hard, and sometimes for no real
reason at all. But I've also had the best of people around me and great times, amazingly beautiful moments and laughter that made my cheeks hurt. And I guess that's what life is all about, isn't it? As the last year fully in my 30's, I can definitely say that I lived.