Destination Complicated: Fleetwood Mac: Rhiannon

I have written before about how my yearly exodus to Napa was a trip I looked forward to all year. The first time I went was a revelation; opportunity to taste my favorite wines, eat amazing food, be in the company of those I held close. I know for many of my friends it was not as contextual. For them it was a nice trip, with a bit of debauchery and the March sunshine after a northwest winter. Honestly, that alone made it a lovely getaway, well worth the two day drive.
I always loved watching the rolling golden hills buzz by, and the stops for coffee, the music, and passing the time. The first time, I read the Omnivores dilemma out loud for most of the way, with breaks of Aretha wailing “Rock Steady” or Fleetwood Macs greatest hits. She had a voice like Stevie, and I would grin as she sang along.
Each trip came with its emotional challenges, my life changed so much in the three springs I escaped there. Struggling with my sexual identity, gaining my footing as a culinary instructor again, and the loss of my mom. All so different, but all part of the context and pacing of the adventures. I was still content to use a moleskine to document every detail, joyous and painful. How it all made me feel, knowing the love for a woman, the frustrations of adulthood, trying to reclaim joy after loss.
It is a blessing to have someone in your life that knows you well, down to the meaning of your breath. It is a blessing we become blind to with selfishness and fatigue. Giving in to frustration meant giving up on joy, and that is never a winning choice. You dont see it when youre faced with it, only when its in the rearview.