When it comes to vacations my favorite relaxation is watching ocean waves crash along the shore and smelling the sand warmed by sunshine. In Oregon we get the waves but rarely the warmed sand. So, that means getting it when we go to southern California.
This week I get to spend time with a cousin who I admired growing up but never really got to know. She lives in Santa Barbara. And, yes, that means I get to see both the ocean and smell warm sand as well…or hopefully, since it is only going to get up to about 68 degrees Fahrenheit while I am there.
What is so special about the trip? I could say it is the ocean and the sun (because I just said I love both), but in reality it is that I will have the opportunity to spend quality time with my cousin and get to know her. It will be like spending time with a sister. I never had a sister. She has a sister, so she may not view it the same as I will; however, I know she is excited, too.
I have some amazing female friends with whom I love to hang out, get coffee, walk along the beach and just be grateful for that special connection. With a cousin, it goes deeper than that. Maybe because of the blood relation? Maybe because you can compare life stuff and get some insight that you might not be able to get with a friend? You know, some ‘ah ha’ moments when you realize that it isn’t “just you” but it is a “family thing.”
My cousin is several years my senior as well, so I believe she has life experience that she can share. But
mostly, I am excited to have a female in my life with whom we both have similar connections and can understand the weirdness, or maybe I should special-ness *grin*, that happens in families. And, yes, we all have that in our families; we just don’t talk about it with people outside the family.
Also, I did not grow up around my relatives, so it is like I have new found family…long lost and yet found.
As for the sun and sand…oh, I am excited for that, too. It will just add that extra “oh yeah” to the visit.
This is a vacation that I have wanted for a few years now and finally get to do.
Sun. Sand. Awesome cousin. So excited!
