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One of the ideasotten a lot of press within the co a new app that was snatched up by Google Not aspurchased for, but a nice chunk of change Coupled with the fact that I was still renting the small apartht, and spent most of my time with my nose either in a laptop or in a book, I had zero debt and a sizable savings account Saving for what, I didn’t know, but saving I was
For a rainy day? For so exactly like what had just dropped into my lap by ah to take a chance, everything could change?
Back to the present A present where, if my father couldn’t convinceto tellit correctly, as so many fathers do
"Dad, I love you I love you all But I’ht be back in a feeeks, ready to sell off the land and the house and everything else, but for now? I’ any decisions beyond that"
That conversation had ended in gruuic My mother lived perpetually in the land of Hopeless Ro about this, Vivvie I can’t say exactly why, just that I have a good feeling" She was perched on estions about certain clothing ite and appropriate for the trip
"I have a good feeling too, Mo that’s the result of so? Is that terrible?"
"It’s not terrible, sweetie It’s life You didn’t really know Maude; even your aunts and I didn’t We tried to reach out, to get her to move east to be closer to family, but-- Not that red one, sweetie It washes you out" The red sweater went back into the closet "And, besides, she loved that house She always said they’d carry her out feet first Not the yellow one, sweetie Makes you look jaundiced" The T-shirt was replaced by a pink one
"Feet first! Ew, that’s fking htly I’d be in her house soon
"Vivvie! Language Besides, that’s how old people talk They don’t think of it asobstinate ‘Feet first,’ she’d say whenever so into a retireood color for you, especially with your eyes"
"Moarden party"
"Well, it doesn’t hurt to be colorful, no ht you last week? You have such cute, tiny feet, Vivvie, I wish you’d stop burying the to meet out there! Why you could ood job and"
I tuned out all her nice- for out there And it had nothing to do with nice
So now I stood at the curb at the airport, surrounded by suitcases and duffel bags, ready to head west I had a new roht, and a bubbling excite on my very own adventure, just like the ones init
I’m pretty sure that in my romance novels, the heroine always arrives at her new destination fresh and unwrinkled, sardenias and excitement
I arrived at San Francisco International Airport with swollen ankles and a T-shirt covered in ument with a chicken parm I smelled like recycled airplane air I was exhausted and cranky froly horny due to led to load et it onto the rental car bus, and then struggled to load it into the freaking golf-cart-size car they gave me I don’t knohere the midsized SUV I’d reserved had disappeared to, but at this point I would have driven a scooter to Mendocino I just wanted to get there
Firing up the putt-putt-mobile, I consulted ot stuck in traffic Then hit the open road! Then more traffic
Determined to keep my adventurous spirit intact, I rolled down the s to breathe in that California air Certain that it would be laced with flowers and sun, I was surprised when it smelled the same as Pennsylvania But no ain
Two hours later, I finally saw signs of the shoreline The state highway began to wiggle back and forth along the coast; I started noticing tiny slivers of peekaboo blue Rocks roseup and out toward the deep blue water The Pacific looked angry, crashing against the shore as though it was taking it personally I found it invigorating; it could thrash itself as much as it wanted to I loved the sea spray it created; the hidden caves bubbling the water back out as quickly as it was pushed in
As I neared the seaside town at a grandmotherly pace of forty-seven miles per hour (thank you, weenie car), I decided that it was a blessing to have to go slow To take in the beautiful surroundings, to not have anywhere in particular to go--and I’d get there when I got there It was liberating, it was freeing I had a devil- I wanted--