Santa Barbara
It was long overdue to visit John, Cameron and the kids – a family living the California dream. I’ve always seen my cousins as the cool adults in the family – squeezed into the generation before mine yet after my parents.
Santa Barbara always felt like typical California; sunny weather, beautiful beach, laid back vibes, nearby mountains, Spanish influence. I’ve visited Santa Barbara over the years – but hadn’t been back since I moved to Spain. I was shocked to experience how similar it is to Dénia – in terms of the weather, architecture and natural landscape. Both places have easy access to mountains, a mere walk to the beach, beautiful Spanish architecture, vibrant local population. However, one is in Spain and the other in the U.S. Also, housing in Santa Barbara is about 5 times more expensive than in Dénia. Madre mia! However, it’s definitely an incredible place to live if one can afford it.
The kids grow up so fast – teenagers already! They’re too cool for school, too cool for us lame adults! I remember those awkward days.
We felt right at home and passed the days wandering through downtown on our bikes, hanging out at the house and catching up on life. We received plenty of sage advice about weddings and life. We went to a Western bar and gave Steph an authentic American Western experience. I gave John and impromptu cooking lesson on how to make an coconut curry using whole Indian spices. We went on an awesome hike in the mountains, explored natural swimming holes like little kids and toured around the ultra-rich enclave of Montecito.
We looked at old photos of the cousins and the Noonan boys and reminisced about the good ol’ days.
Sacramento
Herm and Alberta’s always felt like a second home to me. It was tradition to visit for Christmas, see the relatives, open presents, eat rigatoni. Being so close to Moraga, it’s always an obligatory stop on any trip home.
It was a brief visit, but action packed. The Lorenz crew is always fun to hang out with, chatty as ever, making jokes, curious about our lives, never taking life too seriously. Uncle Danny took us out to the classic Italian restaurant of Il Fornaio and the meal lasted 4 hours – Spanish style! It was wonderful to catch up with everyone, hang out and give Steph a chance to meet everyone – as well introduce her to everyone.
