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Thank You, Newport Beach

12/21/2017

2 Comments

 
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California is cool. I’ve always known this. But, the last time I went to California I started to understand why.

I stayed in Costa Mesa for few days to talk to art students about going to college. One of the things that I didn’t realize was that I was down the street from Newport Beach. The only reason I found that out was because I was Yelping for places to eat.

Cool thing number one about California: the variety of places to eat. I found a fast Vietnamese place a block from the beach.

I didn’t end up eating there my first night because right next to it is a Greek place. I’m a sucker for a gyro. When the sign said gyro and fries for $8.99 I walked in, ordered and walked to the beach.

I was listening to an audio book while I walked (gotta utilize my time to productive). As I was sitting down to eat my headphone fell out. Then I dawned on me, I’m at the beach. I should be listening to the waves.

The sound of the ocean is magic.

I watched families play in the sand and the surfers surf. There were so many surfers.

I couldn’t help but imagine what it would have been like 100 years ago. When the film industry started to move it. The excitement of being in a new place and doing new things. It must have been contagious.

That spirit still lives there.

The first time I went to California Adventure I felt the same way. Walking down Main Street and trying to imagine what it was like for Walt Disney to be a part of that. To imagine what was possible. Recognizing  the potential.

After eating I walked down the beach and felt the air. The heaviness of the humidity. It’s palpable.

The wet air of the Pacific Northwest sinks into my skin. I can feel it through to my bones. But in California it rests on top. Hydrates my skin. It’s refreshing.

When I get into a place like that I get excited about being a part of it. I want to be in it, living the life; surfing, frisbee on the beach, biking down the boardwalk, skateboarding, breathing the air, and eating the food.

The interesting thing is that I felt the same way on that same trip to Disneyland I talked about earlier. I get into the park and I want to work there. Be part of it.

A few weeks after that Disney trip I realized that that’s not what I want. As I walked across the Newport Pier and watched the sunset I realized the same thing. This is not what I want.

I don’t want Southern California. I don’t want to work for Disney.

I want the excitement that they represent. I want to do work that makes an impact. I want to help make the lives of those around me better. I want to be a part of something bigger than myself.

Then It dawns on me that that’s exactly what I’m doing. I have a job that I enjoy, in an beautiful part of the world, working with wonderfully creative people. I am married to a beautiful and smart woman and together we have two incredibly different and amazing kids. I have had some incredible opportunities to meet great people and visit places around the world.

While there are plenty of days that I wish I made more money, and that things were different than what they are, when I really think about it…what I’ve got is really great.
2 Comments
Jay Fisher
2/2/2018 08:38:05 pm

It's an interesting facet of life that what is important about it changes somewhat as we pass through it. It's definitely good to enjoy the world and the people in it, to keep a positive outlook, and to be grateful.

I think it's also a good thing to keep the really long term perspective in mind. Some of the things I really like doing or find a lot of value in become far less important on a long enough timeline. That doesn't mean I stop doing them altogether, but it's a reminder to always keep some focus on the things that will last forever.

Also, Greek salads can be great, too (though I'm still not a fan of olives).

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Wade
2/6/2018 09:29:49 pm

Couldn't agree about the importance of maintaining balance and about greek salad and olives.

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Wade Arave
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