I loved reading this. I’ve visited Morro Bay and Cambria and Santa Barbara for the first time last month and I get the appeal of California now. I never understood it before.
Right?! There’s something about experiencing California firsthand—the contrast of land and sea that just clicks. Glad you got to feel the magic for yourself!
Right? That would've been so fun. I loved that time in my life so much even though I was a mess haha, like really. It feels good to be on the other side of it, but the nostalgia for that life is still so so strong.
I loved reading all about your travels and it brought tears to my eyes. My family lives in California and I’m in Australia, so it’s a bittersweet feeling for me to leave that place too. I’d love to read more about your travels…
Thank you so much for sharing that—bittersweet really is the perfect word, isn’t it? There’s something so beautiful and heartbreaking about being far from the people and places that shaped us. California holds a lot for me too—both magic and ache—and I can imagine how layered it must feel for you, having your family there while you’re across the world in Australia. Where in Oz are you?
I’m honored my words touched something in you. I’ll definitely be writing more about my travels soon—there’s still so much I haven’t unpacked.
Yes it’s not where I grew up but it’s still a bit of home for me now since my parents and my brother have lived there for many years. My husband and I live on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland with our two kids, it’s a beautiful place to call home, I am very lucky.
Your words always make me want to write non-fiction even though I have no idea how. You blend poetry and feeling into your memories and it felt like I was on the trip with you. Loved seeing the photos also, just a beautiful essay.
Ahh, this means so much! Thank you. And listen, love, if your heart is pulling you toward nonfiction, follow it. You don’t need to know how—you just need to start. Start small. A scene, a moment, a feeling you can’t shake. The rest will come. There’s no one “right” way to write nonfiction especially when it’s rooted in truth and feeling. I hope you do write. I’d love to read it someday.
Thank you! It really was a special trip—one that’s still lingering with me in so many ways. California has a way of getting under your skin, doesn’t it?
Thanks for reading, love! And for the restack. Noted on the travel journal! I’m excited to see what I can make of it. What I’m learning is that home is a feeling. But the problem for me is that the feeling always shows up when I’m by the sea and I don’t currently live by the sea so I always feel kind of lost or like I’m stuck in longing.
Such a beautiful story! I would absolutely love to read more about this experience.
“The answer lies somewhere in how the river meets the sea and how it feels like an invitation to the life we almost had.” / “Because this trip wasn’t just about miles traveled—it was about returning to something that still had a hold on me.” - There were so many lines in this piece that I loved.
Thank you so much! That means a lot. This trip stirred up so much for me, and I’m still unpacking it all. Grateful to know those lines resonated with you—there’s something about that pull toward what almost was, isn’t there? More to come soon!
I enjoyed reading this story. Understandable that you needed to revisit the past you left behind. I don’t know how long you have lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but may I suggest the next time you long for the ocean, head due east to the Outer Banks. You may have already? I’ve been to both coasts, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore is my favorite. Thanks for your story.
Thanks for the reply. My first visit to the Outer Banks was in May, 1970. I knew about the area because as a freshman at UVA, I enrolled in a course called Waves and Beaches. Anyway, after the Kent State catastrophe, Finals were cancelled, and my roommate and I said screw it! We’re not going to demonstrations! Let’s go to the beach! He had a car, so we headed south to Danville, Va, picked up my girlfriend and future 1st wife at Stratford College. Headed straight to Nags Head. You would not believe it now. It was a sleepy fishing village with a few rundown motels. I mean, there was nothing there. Oh well, memories ! Heading there in July for a family reunion. Still a great place, but I long for the simpler days!! Thanks for your writing!!
Thanks for sharing! What a snapshot in time. There’s something so beautiful about those early memories—how they lodge themselves in us and never quite let go. I totally get that longing for the simpler days… it’s wild how fast places grow up around us. I hope your trip in July brings some of that old magic back, even if just in flashes.
Thank you so much for reading! And I love this suggestion—I’m a big fan of the Outer Banks. I’ve been to Hatteras, and it’s absolutely beautiful. Love the lighthouse there. I’ve also really enjoyed Ocracoke, too—there’s something so special about that stretch of coast. No matter where I am, the ocean always calls me back. It really doesn’t matter where to me as long as it’s the sea. Appreciate you sharing your favorite spot!
haha yay! I have so much to say about it all, and honestly, I’m still untangling what it all means. But the pull toward the ocean is getting stronger—so strong that I keep catching myself researching how to rent out my house just so I can live by the sea.
Thank you so much for this. I feel that push and pull so deeply. It’s wild how a place can get under your skin, how even when you love where you are, there’s still a longing for where you’ve been. Especially the Midwest. I go to Michigan a couple times a year and I swear it’s the most underrated state when it comes to beautiful diverse landscapes. And yes, there’s something undeniably magical about the central coast. I love SLO so much. The rhythm of it all.
Beautiful story. I really enjoyed reading about your journey. Thank you
Thank you so much for reading! It means a lot that you enjoyed it.
I loved reading this. I’ve visited Morro Bay and Cambria and Santa Barbara for the first time last month and I get the appeal of California now. I never understood it before.
Right?! There’s something about experiencing California firsthand—the contrast of land and sea that just clicks. Glad you got to feel the magic for yourself!
Especially an area that is still slightly raw like Cambria.
“Where bands played my rage and ruin” 👏 👏 👏 I absolutely relate. Ohhhh I wish we had known each other the last 20 years!
Right? That would've been so fun. I loved that time in my life so much even though I was a mess haha, like really. It feels good to be on the other side of it, but the nostalgia for that life is still so so strong.
I loved reading all about your travels and it brought tears to my eyes. My family lives in California and I’m in Australia, so it’s a bittersweet feeling for me to leave that place too. I’d love to read more about your travels…
Thank you so much for sharing that—bittersweet really is the perfect word, isn’t it? There’s something so beautiful and heartbreaking about being far from the people and places that shaped us. California holds a lot for me too—both magic and ache—and I can imagine how layered it must feel for you, having your family there while you’re across the world in Australia. Where in Oz are you?
I’m honored my words touched something in you. I’ll definitely be writing more about my travels soon—there’s still so much I haven’t unpacked.
Yes it’s not where I grew up but it’s still a bit of home for me now since my parents and my brother have lived there for many years. My husband and I live on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland with our two kids, it’s a beautiful place to call home, I am very lucky.
Ohhhh I've never been, but have seen so many beautiful things. What a dream!
Your words always make me want to write non-fiction even though I have no idea how. You blend poetry and feeling into your memories and it felt like I was on the trip with you. Loved seeing the photos also, just a beautiful essay.
Ahh, this means so much! Thank you. And listen, love, if your heart is pulling you toward nonfiction, follow it. You don’t need to know how—you just need to start. Start small. A scene, a moment, a feeling you can’t shake. The rest will come. There’s no one “right” way to write nonfiction especially when it’s rooted in truth and feeling. I hope you do write. I’d love to read it someday.
Loved reading this. Sounds like a magical trip. California is pretty special ✨
Thank you! It really was a special trip—one that’s still lingering with me in so many ways. California has a way of getting under your skin, doesn’t it?
Yes to the travel journal. This is a beautiful powerful post that hits the spot for all of us who no longer in that place called home.
Thanks for reading, love! And for the restack. Noted on the travel journal! I’m excited to see what I can make of it. What I’m learning is that home is a feeling. But the problem for me is that the feeling always shows up when I’m by the sea and I don’t currently live by the sea so I always feel kind of lost or like I’m stuck in longing.
Such a beautiful story! I would absolutely love to read more about this experience.
“The answer lies somewhere in how the river meets the sea and how it feels like an invitation to the life we almost had.” / “Because this trip wasn’t just about miles traveled—it was about returning to something that still had a hold on me.” - There were so many lines in this piece that I loved.
Thank you so much! That means a lot. This trip stirred up so much for me, and I’m still unpacking it all. Grateful to know those lines resonated with you—there’s something about that pull toward what almost was, isn’t there? More to come soon!
I enjoyed reading this story. Understandable that you needed to revisit the past you left behind. I don’t know how long you have lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but may I suggest the next time you long for the ocean, head due east to the Outer Banks. You may have already? I’ve been to both coasts, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore is my favorite. Thanks for your story.
Thanks for the reply. My first visit to the Outer Banks was in May, 1970. I knew about the area because as a freshman at UVA, I enrolled in a course called Waves and Beaches. Anyway, after the Kent State catastrophe, Finals were cancelled, and my roommate and I said screw it! We’re not going to demonstrations! Let’s go to the beach! He had a car, so we headed south to Danville, Va, picked up my girlfriend and future 1st wife at Stratford College. Headed straight to Nags Head. You would not believe it now. It was a sleepy fishing village with a few rundown motels. I mean, there was nothing there. Oh well, memories ! Heading there in July for a family reunion. Still a great place, but I long for the simpler days!! Thanks for your writing!!
Thanks for sharing! What a snapshot in time. There’s something so beautiful about those early memories—how they lodge themselves in us and never quite let go. I totally get that longing for the simpler days… it’s wild how fast places grow up around us. I hope your trip in July brings some of that old magic back, even if just in flashes.
Thank you so much for reading! And I love this suggestion—I’m a big fan of the Outer Banks. I’ve been to Hatteras, and it’s absolutely beautiful. Love the lighthouse there. I’ve also really enjoyed Ocracoke, too—there’s something so special about that stretch of coast. No matter where I am, the ocean always calls me back. It really doesn’t matter where to me as long as it’s the sea. Appreciate you sharing your favorite spot!
Yes!!
haha yay! I have so much to say about it all, and honestly, I’m still untangling what it all means. But the pull toward the ocean is getting stronger—so strong that I keep catching myself researching how to rent out my house just so I can live by the sea.
Thank you so much for this. I feel that push and pull so deeply. It’s wild how a place can get under your skin, how even when you love where you are, there’s still a longing for where you’ve been. Especially the Midwest. I go to Michigan a couple times a year and I swear it’s the most underrated state when it comes to beautiful diverse landscapes. And yes, there’s something undeniably magical about the central coast. I love SLO so much. The rhythm of it all.
OMG, really? Where in MI?