We recently enjoyed a visit to Northern California for Thanksgiving and to Southern California the week after. It is always good to see family and friends – in person. Skype and WhatsApp video calls are great, but they are still no substitute for actual hugs from the people you love. We enjoyed catching up with everyone and learning, well confirming, that everyone’s family is crazy in some way or another.
This was our first trip to the US since December 2017! And to be honest, our friends and family remain the main draw. Ok, them and Trader Joe’s. We don’t miss driving at all. Jeff probably drove more during our two-week visit than he has in two years. We didn’t encounter too much traffic by planning our travels well, but there are just so many cars in CA!! We brought some much-needed rain with us from San Sebastian, so we didn’t enjoy as much sunshine or time outdoors as we would have liked. But CA always needs rain, so – you’re welcome. We did enjoy eating Mexican food a lot. And we tried not to be too overwhelmed by how expensive life in CA is in comparison with San Sebastian. The prices on good running shoes and peanut butter, among other things, are better in the US though.
We were supposed to stop in Paris on our way home to see the special Leonardo DaVinci exhibit at the Louvre, but due to the transport strikes in France, we didn’t want to take any chances on getting stuck if our train back was cancelled. So, we changed our flight and flew back from London to Bilbao instead. We were sorry to miss the exhibit, but happy to be home.
Another hearty thanks to all those who hosted us during our visit. Your hospitality was sensational.
We’re back to the routine and ready for the holiday season here, which starts December 21 and lasts officially through January 6, with the added bonus of Tamborrada on January 20.
Hasta pronto,
Shana & Jeff
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