Holed Up, No. 5

I spent the first day of my 50s in the middle of a Pineapple Express.

A candle seemed like a stupid thing to buy in Olema, aka the middle of nowhere, California. It was $20 and candles tend to give me a migraine, so why I plopped down money I barely have is beyond me. However, as I type this on my cell phone by the flickering flame of my newly bought and pleasantly scented candle, it all makes sense.

I was meant to buy the candle so we could see around the room when the power at our next hotel goes out. Yup, we are ensconced in a powerless hotel in the middle of an atmospheric river event in the Monterey Bay Area.

In my defense, planning a trip around my birthday seemed like a fun idea at the time, everything is way less crowded in March. No one would have expected California to get hit with back to back to back weather events that dropped enough precipitation to fill reservoirs and take some areas out of drought.

No one could have predicted the first day of my 50s would be spent listening to the wind whip through our cute little balcony that I had to have when we booked the room. The top floor seemed like a good idea at the time.

Watching the dozens of emergency vehicles with sirens on constant blast pass by from my vantage point makes me grateful to be safe. We are safe. Whoever those sirens are for is not.

All things considered, this is a good way to spend the first day of the next phase of my life. Safe and with the one I love.

I have much to share from our adventures but for now, I’ll conserve batteries and read a book by candlelight.

*Kudos to the Carmel Mission Inn staff for bringing us a flashlight and food.