It's been a bit since I posted a more personal journal, and I just got back from a big trip to California! My partner's family was generous enough to fly me out to CA to see his father's side of the family for Thanksgiving, in the Carmel area. It's difficult to put into words how different CA feels; from the vibe of the people to the very atmosphere in the sky, it felt other. The sun there is very bright, the days are quite hot and the nights are way chillier than expected. My favorite place we went to is called Point Lobos. It's a beautiful nature trail that goes all the way to some water, but the star of the show is definitely the forest covered in Spanish moss. It looks like something straight out of the swamps of Dagobah from Star Wars, little wisps of moss hanging off every branch and trunk, anything horizontal at all, there's moss on it.

Thanksgiving itself was very lovely as well, and one of the best I've had in a long while. I'll spare the details, but in short I haven't seen my own family in person for many, many years. Thanksgiving was my second favorite holiday growing up (second only to Halloween), because it meant all us kids got to hang out with our cousins, watch the adults get together and be silly and playful, and eat a bunch of great food. There wasn't nay drama over presents or having the Best Christmas Ever, so it felt more casual and loving than Christmas did oftentimes. This year, visiting my partner's dad in CA, it felt very close to those childhood memories. There was laughing and dancing, stone-faced adults broke down their barriers and became personable and silly, and at one point the song "The Real Folk Blues" from Cowboy Bebop came on the speaker, and EVERYBODY starting singing their hearts out to it! I feel truly thankful for this whole experience.

I will say that air plane travel is... not my cup of tea. Being on a plane feels so stressful, both logistically and physically. I don't know if it's like that for everybody, but for me like... it kind of hurt to be on the plane? The air pressure and noise level and the seating and the tight proximity and the bright lights were all so unpleasant!

Overall, the trip was great but I am very happy to be home. I like my cold air, and my snow, and my little house that has all my little things. I'm happy to be back in my space and back to art. And on that note, I've got some coloring books to doodle in and some tiddy to draw.