Wine down.

Eat. Sip. Shop. Sleep. Repeat.

If you want to know how my last trip went, I would say this perfectly sums it up.

I mean, what else does one really do on vacation besides eating, sipping, shopping, sleeping, and repeating?

There we were, in sunny skied California, day in and day out, carrying out that deliciously exhausting lifestyle.

*long dramatic sigh

In reality, it was the most relaxed I had been all year.

Especially considering the year we’ve had.

(aka the summer from hell)

And yes, though I had to “wake up early” (from sleeping in a refurbished camper), and though there were “long drives” (from Sacramento to Napa Valley), and a lot of money spent (on vintage dresses and bottles of wine), I was in absolute heaven.

Most importantly? I wasn’t working.

As I sit down and try to reminisce about my trip, I find it difficult to encapsulate the entirety of my time in California in one blog post.

How can I?

I already find it challenging answering folks who ask me what the best part of my vacation was because in all honesty, there were so many memorable parts.

Was it the afternoon spent shopping in San Francisco at my favorite vintage store?

Or accompanying my sister as she said yes to the dress?

Perhaps it was getting tipsy, tasting 21 wines in one day? (yes 21 wines)

It could’ve been riding the Napa Valley Wine Train, or sipping bubbly at J while it rained outside and turned the vineyards a golden hue.

And we simply cannot forget the marvelous dining experience at Michelin starred restaurant, La Bouchon.

I think what really set this trip apart though was being on the other side of service.

Ask anyone who works in the industry and I guarantee they’ll tell you that this summer was THE most difficult, and stressful, and busy season they’ve ever worked.

At least, it was for me.

So, having survived it (miraculously), and then turning around and being graciously taken care of on the other side of the table… well, it felt pretty damn rewarding.

Aside from being greeted by red carpet and shown the best hospitality and accommodations around, I also discovered this shared sense of camaraderie, especially with those working in food and beverage.

It was like, Oh, you work in the industry too? Was it as crazy for you guys as it was for us?

Everywhere we went, we shared this connection with those who had also survived the monstrosity of the summer 2021 working season, and it felt like we were family, part of the gang.

Plus, not once did I get a call from work. Not once did I worry about staffing. And not once did I check my phone for sales.

Because for once, I was being taken care of on the side I’m used to serving.

This trip also reminded me of how rewarding it is to serve in this industry. While this year had me doubting the line of work I was in (I mean, seriously doubting), I was nonetheless inspired by the difference it makes when someone goes out of their way to create a memorable experience for you.

Because here I am now, recalling just that: the service and the accommodating nature of those whose job it was to make lasting memories.

It was the perfect trip. Yes, filled with eating, sipping, shopping, sleeping, repeating, and altogether “wine-ing” down. But it was also filled with inspiration.

And boy was I inspired.

Fingers Crossed.

You know it’s going to be a day of adventure when the first thing your dad says when starting the boat is: “I hope the batteries didn’t die. Fingers crossed.”

Fingers crossed indeed. Today was the day we were supposed to fish and then pull the boat out of the water for winter. Best hope the batteries aren’t dead.

And guess what? Batteries didn’t die.

So, after starting the boat, we motored out about 24 miles to our final destination.

“Destination” would be a secret set of coordinates that looked an awful lot like the middle of nowhere.

Middle of nowhere is often the best place to fish, and sure enough, my dad had fished the spot a few weeks before and came home with a ‘but load of fish (pun always intended).

And so, in the crisp morning air, we set out our lines and waited for the fish to bite.

Fingers crossed.

As luck would have it, the fish were biting. More particularly, they were biting my hook because not ten minutes in, I was pulling in the big boys.

20 pounder.

30 pounder.

Dare I say 40 pounder?

Pole dug deep into the crevasse of my hip, and left arm bent at an angle best suited for reeling in the the combined weight of the fish/current/depth, we managed to catch our limit within an hour and a half.

Now that’s some fishing for you.

Back at the harbor, as we’re pulling the boat out for the season, I notice a sea otter bobbing by us.

It wasn’t moving and my initial thought was, “Oh my gosh is it dead?”

So I went to check on him.

Fingers crossed.

He was alive (thank the Lord), just taking a mid afternoon siesta in the sea.

Once we got the boat out, we hit the road out of Homer, in search of lunch in nearby Ninilchik.

As we’re driving, the truck starts to slow down.

If you’ve never been to Homer before, there’s this big hill.

It’s lengthly, double lane, and a wee bit steep.

And our aged F150 pickup towing a 14,000 pound boat? It was too much for truckee to handle.

Because all of a sudden, the truck came to a stuttering stop.

In the middle of the Sterling Highway.

On a hill. On the very steep hill.

Uh oh.

And so, for the fourth time that day, we tried to start the car, you guessed it, with fingers crossed.

Unfortunately, our luck had run out because the truck did not start.

And so, we sat in the car, stuck on the Sterling Highway, on a hill, on a Sunday.

To which I say holy moly!

Anyhoo, we wound up getting a tow allllllllll the way from Soldotna by a guy named Buddy.

I have to say, despite things going terribly wrong there at the end, the day as a whole was productive and enjoyable.

And we all made it home safely.

Even the boat.

Fingers crossed…