A Drive Along the 1

I turn up the volume in my car to an old and familiar playlist - the same one that I would listen to when I would fly from New York to Fresno and back. It is comforting as I drove through Moss Landing headed towards Monterey, Carmel, and onto Big Sur - a place I have never been.

When I spot the Monterey Cypress trees I am immediately transported back to the spring of 2019, standing in the middle of the met in New York, staring at a painting of the Monterey peninsula, which I remember then reminding me of home: California.

The forecast says sunny skies in Big Sur, but I am not so sure as the misty marine layer doesn’t let up when I pass through Monterey and then Carmel. I pull over just past Carmel and sure enough there is a blue sky beyond the fog if I drive just a little further.

I spot the bridges first. The ones I have seen in countless pictures and advertisements for California. My pulse quickens and I am white knuckling the steering wheel as I am about to cross Bixby Bridge, suddenly nervous and scared by the scale and height of it all. Once crossed, I find a rhythm to this drive. I keep my eyes on the road with an occasional glance to the endless ocean to my right and green hills to my left.

The road keeps winding and I notice the blue sky and sun are streaking through the redwood trees. I roll down my window and take in that California scent - forest and the salty air making a perfect combination. I feel safe and comforted as I drive further and the clouds and fog begin to disappear.

Fifteen minutes after I have driven out of the forest, I pull over, walk a few feet and look down to McWay falls. This scene is as pretty as any picture I have seen taken in Europe. Paradise found. After months of chaos, this is quite the calming contrast. A welcome shot of light in a year that has felt dark.

I make my way back home to Santa Cruz not changed but energized by the fact beauty like this exists and I got to see it. I get to see it. I love California.