So it has been a heck of a while since I wrote anything. I have had the busiest summer. More on that later. But now, a two week stay in California. I am going to try to get back into the discipline of writing each day as I’m determined to write something of value. This may not be it. I am in California with Matthew while he teaches his two week intensive course for Boston Scientific. I decided to come with him because this year I am working remotely doing speech pathology and I know soon I’ll be back in France which will mean a month away from each other.

Boston Scientific has a campus in Valencia, California. Valencia, California has two names and I’m not sure of the reason for this. It is also called Santa Clarita. Anyway, it is north of Los Angelos by about 40 miles and it is surrounded by mountains. It seems like it is hot and dry all the time here. Today was relatively cool topping out at 88 degrees. The rest of the week will be in the high nineties. It is dry heat and there seems to always be a breeze so I’m acclimating and wearing sunscreen all the time.

The landscape looks as different from Maine as possible. There are fewer trees, more brown than green and you can see so far in this valley. The mountains are different than ours. Partly because they have few trees but mostly because they look raw, alien and more like they just got formed. Sometimes in Maine I will be hiking a mountain trail and notice a huge rock in the middle of the woods. It looks so out of place in the forest. It seems like a forgotten marble left by a giant a long time ago. It serves as a reminder that mountains are alive and were once covered in glaciers that scooped out valleys and sprinkled boulders like confetti. These mountains that surround me here look chiseled and inhospitable. No shade, no trees, just sun and brown. It might make them more impressive.

I’m going to try in the next two weeks to slow down. I’m not good at this. I’ve written about this before. Some people can relax. They don’t feel this intense pressure to move and to achieve. I’m aspiring to be like those people. I want to take long walks without noting the mileage. I want to smell eucalyptus trees and rosemary hedges and let my mind wander. I want to take naps. I want to watch lizards run along the sidewalk. I want to take a reformer pilates class. I want to move slower, lay in the sun and float in the pool. I want to eat delicious organic Californian foods and I want to drink wine like it’s a job. Scratch the job bit. I want to just be. Let’s see how it goes.