I have had a set of “built-in ways” of how to see the world and how to judge it.  Just like most everyone, it was installed by my parents, my school education, the society I belonged to, and the information and the people around me. Ultimately I created and installed a set of values by myself based on the ones taught to me.

But when I look at the things around me from a little different view point, my everyday life becomes so different. I feel excitement, peace, fun, abundance and more appreciation. It takes effort to switch on my awareness, and often I need to do it over and over. I try to look at the beauty hidden in things, and the beauty which people and events have. Maybe nothing is hidden, it seems to be just a focus issue.

I would like to write about culture, custom, sculpture, music and art, also about my favorite things and the things I think beautiful. I would like to share what I have learned and what I am learning. I hope something will resonate with your heart, something could give you a tiny new insight, and after all I could pour a piece of good energy to you.

Mendocino

Posted: 2017-04-02

      It used to be my absolute No.1 favorite place to visit.   My father had a collection of travel magazines and I found out one magazine which I loved so much.  I was reading it over and over and kept it with me. The magazine introduced the charming places in California.  This small coastal town was one of them, and there were many pages of beautiful scenery of the town on a cliff of the Pacific Ocean.  The subtitle said "the sweet and cute inns..... you would wish to stay once in your life....",  with several pretty B & B pictures.  A little house with a beautiful garden of colorful flowers, a small cozy room overlooking the clear blue sea from its country style window.... It was the time that people got information through books, and overseas travel wasn't  so common.   Mendocino written by Japanese alphabet (Katakana) "メンドシーノ" was so very foreign to me.  It didn't sound like English and so far away from any Japanese words nor any languages I knew.  This strange name seemed to be as if a dreamy place in a fairy tale story book for me, and it has remained in a special drawer of my brain.

    Ten years later, I planned a trip to California with my mother.  My drawer opened and I thought about including this unknown town in our schedule. I made the reservations for the airline tickets, rental car, and the hotels by telephone and fax.   I used a AAA travel book to make a driving plan and find out the accommodation.  At that time that was how you could make an arrangement ....

   Oh my God....!    It was such a sweet place.  We had never been to a town like that. It used to be an artist town and still is, and it has also become a laid back, nice tourist place. The town was a mixture of Victorian and rustic, surrounded by the clean and huge Ocean. There were many wooden water towers which made the little town picturesque, and made me feel like I was in a story book.   Most of the towers were converted to inn rooms, and even that fact was foreign to me.   The time was slow and its calm and peaceful atmosphere made the people walk slowly and relaxed.  The air of the day time is crisp and cool.  The night was cold and foggy even in August.  My mom and I enjoyed the fire place in our room for our first time. I think the combination of  its environment and the location created the special weather and the air. Located away from cities, right on the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by Redwood forest...    There are many little shops, galleries, and restaurants on a couple of major streets.  Next to the tourist area there is a residential area and some of the houses are also rustic and cute.  Unlike in a large city, the stores closed at 5 and the town switched off to complete quietness after 5.  



   There was a tiny gas station right before leaving the town.  The guy there asked me,  "how was your stay ?"  I said "this is such a cute place, like a fairy tale story!"  He laughed and said "hum, good guys and bad guys...?"    I didn't understand what he meant, but somehow I remember his words to this day, and also his pleasant smile.  It seems that  his fairy tale and my fairy tale are different.  Maybe just a boy and a girl thing...    After my first visit, I ended up visiting there more than 10 times over the next 14 years. The last time I stayed there for 3 nights.  I was excited to have 3 nights in this pretty place. Three nights means, 3 breakfasts, 3 morning walks, 3 sunsets on the ocean.... !    I barely went out of the town, and I was walking around the town slowly.  I kept on coming to the same spots over and over, yet I enjoyed it so much.   There are people living there and working there.   I thought how fortunate they are to be in that beautiful environment of the special energy.
 
I had a  conversation with a woman in a gallery.   She said "hello, how are you?"
"This is such a beautiful place.  You are so lucky to be here!" I said.
She nodded, " yes I agree with you!    Is this your first time here?"
"No, I have been here more than 10 times."
"What a lucky person you are!"

That's right.  Living in a peaceful and beautiful place is simply fortunate.  But to be able to choose visiting there so many times is a fabulous thing.   When I see that moment, she is working at the gallery, and I am traveling for my pleasure, and what about the moment I am soaking in a happy memories of my travel on an airplane and she is closing the gallery and cleaning the place...  Of course the comparison doesn't make sense and doesn't serve any good purpose.   Yes, I am very fortunate to have had so many visits to my favorite place, and she is very fortunate to work and live in such a beautiful town.  I love what I have and I can love what she has. 
   

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