Ranchos Palos Verdes, CA – Terranea Resort
California hates me.
The sun stubbornly will not shine. The clouds refuse to part beyond a teasing slimmer of light here and there. The temperatures take a steep decline as soon as the flight captain announces our descent into LAX.
And only (I speak from personal experience) on that last day’s drive to the airport do the clouds part. The sky is an uninterrupted blue. The sun – so blindingly bright – makes everything sparkle like new. And that deep blue-gray menacing, tumultuous Pacific ocean turns into an inviting, tropical turquoise blue playground.
Luckily the people who live in California don’t feel the same way. Well, not after years of therapy that is. 😉
Because California is the home of that friend you can call anytime – anywhere – and life picks up at that moment.
That friend who may drift apart over the years as your lives drift away in different directions. Whether it’s circumstances. Or geography. Or priorities. Or all of the above.
But when you call them out of the blue – or they you – there are no questions. No accusations.
It just is.
California is where Stacy lives. And has for 42 years. She’s my best friend since 7th grade.
When I got engaged, my sisters made it clear Stacy would be my maid of honor. No choosing between sisters. No hurt feelings. They made the decision years earlier. When Janet got engaged. Then Carol. They were each other’s maid of honor because they knew Stacy would be mine. The ink was dry on the deal before I even knew the pen was uncapped.
Stacy and I have reconnected in recent years. First over one tragedy (her high school boyfriend). Then another (her husband). And when she invited me to join her and her California girlfriends for a 60th birthday celebration at a five star resort, I said,
“When and where?”
That’s how I found myself in Ranchos Palos Verdes, CA at Terranea Resort during the days between Christmas and New Year’s eve.
Honestly, we had a few … qualms? questions? concerns? … over the lack of five star service at a five star resort. But in the end, it didn’t matter. Because we had each other.
And as I told Stacy on December 27,
“Welcome to my box.” 😉
P.S. If you see bright blue skies in some of these pictures that is 100% courtesy of Adobe Photoshop. I gave California a little color “boost” to show her off in her best light. 😉
Linda,
I was so excited to see that you visited Rancho Palos Verdes recently, but sorry to hear about Terranea Resort. They built that after I left Palos Verdes Estates, replacing the old Marineland, as I’m sure you know.
I graduated from Palos Verdes High School in 1974, in fact, lived across the street on Epping Road. I have such fond memories and will be heading back this summer for my 50th high school reunion.
Thank you for making me smile this evening!
Sue Swaw Sieg
That is so amazing! So then you are very familiar with the very scary stretch of Palos Verdes Drive (I think that was to road) along the coast that had some pretty steep up and down hills?
Hope you have an amazing time at your 50th(!) high school reunion and thanks so much for leaving such a lovely comment on the blog!!!
🙂 Linda