Since my return from Minnesota just over a month ago, I’ve been hiding out at my house rarely venturing out into the real world except to go grocery shopping or have lunch at Tony’s Darts Away with my hubby that one Friday. The only person I’ve seen on a consistent basis is Tom, the master gardener who has been helping me with my veganic garden. Other than that, it’s been mostly hermit mode (which probably has a lot to do with this).
But lately, I’ve had the urge to see people. Well, not just “see” them. I mean REALLY be with them. One on one. In more intimate settings that allow for attentive listening without distractions like servers, hipster 20-somethings yucking it up at the next table, or loud background music. And to couple a great get together with great food. This feeling all started last week when my friend Lori and I got together for happy hour. Her friend Diane was invited to come along, and while Diane’s a great person and fun to be around (she’s a 32-year-old version of Lori and me…what’s not to love!), I left the bar more than two hours later feeling like I hadn’t see Lori. The next day I called her up and said we needed happy hour at my place, next week, just the two of us. She happily agreed.
This past Sunday I briefly saw my friend Linda at a gallery show in Marina del Ray and I don’t think it was two seconds before the creative business ideas started to flow between us. A date with her is in my near future. I next called my friend Tamra and invited her to dinner. Tam and I usually do lunch once-a-month together but it’s always squeezed in during her workday which sometimes results in rushed conversation. Last night, we enjoyed a leisurely happy hour followed up by a lovely dinner at my place. And today, my friend Ann is coming over for a day of marbling. Ann is on a scary, exciting, adventuresome journey right now and I’m THRILLED to death that she’s spending a creative day with me.
So this week has been busy connecting with friends and next week will continue with happy hour at my place with Lori and another get together with a friend who doesn’t know it yet but will be getting a call from me soon. Then I head out the first part of May to spend five days exploring Point Reyes National Seashore with my girlfriend Stephanie from Minnesota.
All this makes me feel like a whole person again. While I was in Minnesota, I got to experience some wonderful one-on-one time with friends and family I don’t get to see often. And that was precious to me. But those connections are very different from my California ones. This is the place I call home. And these are the people who are in the immediate moment with me. The combination of the two is what feeds my soul.