Impressions of Home

I mentioned in my last blog that I traveled home on my own for a very short visit last week.  In addition to visiting with Mimi, I was also fortunate to have seen a few friends.  What struck me most was what an incredible place we live in.  The San Francisco Bay area is one of the most beautiful places on earth, with a great climate, and a relaxing lifestyle.  We have a wonderful community of friends, many of whom are like family.  I had been concerned that after our experiences, I might find it difficult to fit into this lifestyle again, but on the contrary, it made me appreciate it that much more.

I was also concerned that I had no idea what so many people were up to, while everyone knew what we’d been doing thanks to our blog. One of my friends assured me that life there was like my favorite soap opera.  After a couple of episodes, I was all caught up. Everyone still has their daily struggles, their relationship issues, their parent/child issues, their schedule balancing issues, and so on – in a nutshell, all’s normal back home.  I love my friends and I love my community.

Now with Mimi’s death, the incredible community back home, of which I am proud to be a part, has once again jumped into action to prepare meals for her family – 20 people or more all together who are sitting shiva.  I am sure there will be hundreds of people at her funeral, and hundreds at the shiva over the following days. For us, though, we here in La Paz are feeling a bit isolated and wanting to be back home with friends as we grieve.  While there have been times since we left that I have felt that I wanted to be there for a friend going through a tough time, this is the first time I’ve felt this strongly about missing home.  I want to hear all the stories about Mimi that are told at the funeral and the shiva.  I want to help comfort Bob, Elana and Maya.  And I want to be comforted by my friends who knew Mimi.

Yesterday, we spent an almost surreal day at Ballandra Bay, perhaps one of the most beautiful places on earth, kayaking and exploring the white sand beaches and the mangroves.  Today we are heading to the islands near La Paz for some quiet time away from civilization with our friends on s/v Rocinante. We are expecting a whole slew of friends next week from NY and CA. And we hope to be back in the Bay Area for a visit and for the High Holidays in early September.  

-Barb
Ballandra Bay (near La Paz)