KUHL Weekly Musing

It’s 4 am along the coastline on Malibu. One of the most beautiful and abundantly wealthy stretches of coastline in North America. It buzzes with energy from both the ocean and its inhabitants. I sit here writing and wondering what am I doing here. Why I am here on this journey with these 4 incredible people I call family. Yes, we do get to do and see some amazing things, but there has to be more than that. More than just a fantastic adventure

I am slowly discovering what it is about…relationship. How we choose to do life and who we choose to do it with. I reflect on the relationships in my life (often sad attempts) and wonder again if I am getting it right. It all feels so loud and messy. Like a baby trying to take its first steps.

Throughout this journey, I never really thought that there would be learning in regards to relationships for me. I thought “This will be great! We will provide a small comfortable space, where all we need is one another and it will teach them how to really do intimate, vulnerable relationships.” It was about them…not me. I didn’t need to learn how to do that kind of relationship…I was good!

Funny thing happens though…when we are going about our agenda…

We met a family along the way that we ended up in a fast, close friendship with…and then I was the one learning. Learning how to flex, to give and understand, disagree, learn and teach…letting go of some of those walls of self preservation I had so carefully built for myself. I am quickly learning that I am as much a student of this journey as our kids are.

Southern California

Rolling through LA with a truck and trailer totaling just under 60″ is not for the faint of heart. The visual beauty accompanied by the smell of dirt and smog is confusing to the senses. Freeways crisscross, creating a strong sense of confusion. Irregular concrete that tested the structure of our trailer like none other. We had just spent 8 hours on a warm Sunday afternoon coming in from Vegas (with an 8 year old with a migraine) for what would normally be a 3 hour drive. BAD idea. We were all spent by the time we hit the freeways of LA (by the way there is nothing free about the ways in LA). Navigating with Mike is interesting. Once we learned one another’s rhythm and expectation, things got easier. He is a need to know ahead of time kinda driver…I am not! Only give me enough info to get me through the next couple minutes. I don’t process a ton of info at one time. He wants to know miles ahead. Which I now understand after watching him cut 5 lanes of traffic with a 35′ trailer on the I5 to make our exit …oops.

We booked a “cheap” campground close to Disney to surprise the kids with a gift from Mike’s mom. She flew in to join us for a week and surprised the kids with a couple days at Disney. So much fun driving into the Disney area and seeing their faces. They believed all along that Disney was not an option. Side note, I won the mother-in-law jackpot!!!

The “Ponderosa” campground lived up to cheap. A closed pool, no locks on the bathroom doors, backing onto a trailer park (and not the good kind) and directly below a freeway.   Jo was skateboarding at the Ponderosa and the manager came over and recommended that he not, for fear of getting mowed down by one of the angry residents. Jo was bummed. She then informed us the there was an indoor skate park 5 minutes away. We took her advice and hopped in the truck. Little did we know it was THEE Skate Park. Vans Indoor Park just so happened to be hosting a competition the upcoming weekend. To our surprise and amazement all the masters were there practicing. The boys (Mike included) got to meet and skate with old time skaters that Mike grew up following. Christian Hosio, Eddie Algeria, Steve Caballero, Mike McGill. Mike and Christian talked homeschooling and travel. It was the equivalent of seeing stars in Hollywood. If Jo hadn’t decided to pull his board out that morning, they would have never experienced this. This whole trip has been about gifts…I like to call them special kisses from the universe.

Our time in the LA area with fast and busy. After Disney, we moved to an RV resort along the magical coastline of Malibu. This was our launching point for the remainder of our time in the area.

The Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach is a feast for the senses. Santa Monica pier was extremely busy on a Sunday afternoon and the kids managed to ride the rollercoaster once and have ice cream. It is a bit of a tourist trap but still so cool to experience these places that the kids have only heard about. My advice, go during the week.

Venice was fun to visit…once, but not a place we are planning to go back to anytime soon. Watching old school roller skaters almost dance battle was a highlight, along with the skate park. The Venice canals are a couple blocks off the beach and are definitely worth a wander. At the end of the day we walked to the 3rd st promenade to enjoy local street performers and ended up on the patio of a family run Greek restaurant watching flamenco type dance lessons in the street. This is an event that runs every Sunday night and was so much fun to watch. Maybe next time we will dance!

Hollywood was a dream destination of Sarah’s. The buzz there is a touch alarming, particularly in the evening. We ate great Mexican food during happy hour, walked some of the stars and learned the history of the Chinese Theatre. Hollywood was short lived and we ended it with driving back to Malibu via Rodeo Drive in our big dirty stinky diesel half ton…a bit of a sight I am assuming 🙂

We actually call Sam “Little Houdini” because the kid has a habit of just disappearing on us!

Southern California is known for its amazing skateparks. Attempting to hit as many as possible including The Vans Off The Wall in Huntington, Fillmore Skatepark in Fillmore, The Cove in Santa Monica and Vans Combi Bowl in Orange County

The most memorable time spent in Southern California was definitely the beaches. The ocean has such an impact on our family and has always felt like a place of refuge. Watching surfers at Huntington and walking the pier, to just playing on Zuma beach. We loved spending this time with Mike’s mom and a week felt a bit too short. Mike and I were able to go on a date and hit up a weird sushi/Mexican patio for some great food. The Malibu Sunday Farmers Market had delicious fresh strawberries and blueberries and numerous food trucks that all smelled and looked delicious. This last bit was way more our style than the city touring. We said good bye to Mikes mom at LAX (that’s an experience!!!) and are making our way up the coast a bit to the Carpentaria area.

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