Survivor

I DID IT! I survived my first camping experience!!! I'm not gonna lie, I was definitely nervous about it but I went with the right person and to a great place which only enhanced the experience. So the details: A classmate of mine from nursing school is travel nursing out here to the Bay Area with her husband (who is some sort of engineer) and for the past few weeks we'd been trying to get together for an almost 4 year reunion! Turns out we both had several days off at the same time, and it was the week her husband had to travel for his job so we decided it was the perfect opportunity to take our own trip and explore this wonderful NorCal territory! I was originally just thinking a day trip...but Christine had everything we needed for camping and given my major lack of camping experiences I was hesitant at first, but my desire to try new things eventually won out. I've had lots of friends throughout the years go camping and they all come back alive, so why shouldn't I, right? Yes, this was my thought pattern.

On Tuesday morning Christine packed her up gear, headed down to Palo Alto, and then after loading my car we hit the road south for an easy drive just under two hours, bringing us to a beautiful little beach town called Monterey. We packed a picnic lunch and pulled over at the first real beach scene that we came across. It was a little chilly because of the wind, and there may have been a few grains of sand that worked their way into my PB&J, but it was so worth it!

After lunch we made our way into downtown Monterey where we hit up the Visitor's Center in search of maps, brochures to spark some sight seeing interests, and campsite suggestions. After plotting out our itinerary we went down to the coast, parked the car, and walked the main drag from the Aquarium to the Wharf...and there may have been a little wine tasting thrown in along the way!



We decided to set up our campsight while it was still light and made our way to the Veteran's Memorial Park, just a mile outside of town. We drove around, picked a spot, and before we knew it had the tent staked out and set up! I was shocked at how easy it was to assemble. Thanks to Christine and her husband we had quite a cozy love bird's tent with 2 sleeping mats and big warm sleeping bags. After depositing our money in what looked to be drain pipe we headed back downtown for some dinner.

There is nothing quite like eating fresh seafood, while in an open air restaurant that has waves crashing against the rocks and beams below :) Needless to say, we were some happy and very well fed ladies that night. I felt as if I were eating my last meal, not quite sure how camping in just a few hours would work out for me! Once back at the campsite I trekked up to the bathroom to wash my face, put on my pj's, etc. I don't know if I can quite describe the look I was given by another lady in the bathroom as I was pulling my Oil of Olay face wash and moisturizor out of my Vera Bradley weekender bag, but I'm pretty sure the translation was that of "these just don't belong in a campground"-myself inlcuded! We stayed up for a few hours sitting at our picnic table, with our small campfire attempting to keep us warm, playing cards and just catching up on life these past few years. While we attended the same nursing program neither of us could really pin down what classes we may have had together, or clinicals, and I think we both were surprised by how much we didn't know about each other! It was finally time to brave the elements and attempt to sleep. This may have been the part I was most worried about. You see, to me, sleep is very important, and I require certain levels of comfort (pillowtop mattresses, soft sheets, the right temp, a sound machine) and all of this was out of my control in the wilds of our very tame campground. I then let irrational fears creep in about how we couldn't even "lock our doors" from other campers or wild animals (and we had come across an interesting camper earlier that day). I told myself to just relax, that I could fall asleep w/o the sound machine, that mother nature was going to be my sound machine and just as we were settling in, an eery sound of bugles drifted across the air playing Taps. It was weird, but we were in the Veteran's Memorial park!

I woke up the next morning, assured myself that I was still alive, and that yes, I do still get cell reception so I checked for signs from the outside world that I was not in a dream. Christine, in all her natural beauty, was kind enough to pack up our gear while I headed for the bathroom to make myself presentable for sightseeing. A few things I have learned from this experience:
a. setting up and taking down a campsite are relatively fast processes
b. self inflating air mats are a lifesavor
c. Vera Bradley should probably stay at home
d. I do not have the complexion or hair for going au natural, so yes, next time I will pack my make up and straightner again!
e. I could do this again, but only a few times a year :)

After loading the car, we grabbed a healthy and delicious breakfast at Subway, then headed a little farther south to 17 Mile drive and Carmel. The weather was spectacular, the company superb, the sound track rockin' (thanks to Christine's California mix)...and the sights were just breathtaking! The first marker along 17 Mile Drive is Pebble Beach, which in reality these are no pebbles but rocks! We stumbled our way to the water's edge, amazed at the color and smoothness.

As we made our way along the coast we saw the most beautiful blue waters, rocky ledges, jutting cliffs, beautiful wildflowers, seals and/or sealions make their way down a big rock squawking and squealing at each other, and of course, we saw the lone Cypress tree! This drive is worth the $10.

Next we headed to Carmel by the Sea which is a quaint little downtown, tourist trap filled with boutiques and yummy restaurants. After dining at French restaurant that we were not exactly dressed appropriately for, we made our way to Chateau Julien in the Carmel Valley. It had a cute cottage meets castle Euro vibe and beautiful landscaping. Visiting here was really nice because they give you a tour of the property and take you into the cellars and you learn all about the process of making wine AND your guide carries bottles along with her :) It still amazes me just how much goes into the art of wine making, and it makes me sad that I can't appreciate it like I should. Christine recommended a movie based on the story of Napa, and I watched it this past wkd and also suggest you do too, it's called "Bottleshock".



































To top off our 2 day trip we grabbed dinner with yet another Liberty nursing alumni and her husband, who also are travel nursing in Palo Alto. It's crazy how 3 girls from a college in VA can all end up in Cali together!