Back to School

One of the most unique aspects of my life is that my only sibling is more than a dozen years younger than me.  For most of my early life, I was an only child.  And then, during the beginning of my adolescence, I got a new member of the family, who I treated as a pet of sorts.  I remember during my senior year of high-school, my friend and I used the then 4-year-old Naomi as a study subject for an AP Psychology class.  We followed her around pre-school to record her interactions with other children and made her do tasks to track stages of development. 

Now Naomi is a high-school senior and her college application and admission process is a family affair.  I offered to take Naomi on a visit to UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  She needed to see the schools and I needed a vacation. 

We did a four day road trip.  The first stop was Santa Barbara.  We went on an obligatory tour around campus with very good guides. 

Reading about UCSB on the sunny campus

 We also visited Isla Vista, the neighborhood right next to the campus.  As we were walking down the streets, Talking Heads were blaring from a speaker in a coffee shop.  By three o’clock, students were already starting their Friday night festivities, sitting out on balconies with beers, enjoying the ocean views and amazing weather.  I felt like I was too old to be there, and Naomi seemed excited that this may be her life in a few months. 

 This is right next door to the university.  Perfect location to relax, or receive a world-class education...

Next stop was San Luis Obispo.  We did a quick tour of the campus on our own and then went into town.  SLO is right on the border between Northern and Southern California, and I definitely felt a shift in culture.  There was a store that sold only flip flops-awesome!

We stayed overnight in Morro Bay, a fishing village right on the coast.  We didn’t get to hang out long, but it was very pretty and we saw a sea otter chilling in the harbor.

The last stop was Hearst Castle.  The place is obviously overwhelming;  centuries old antique ceiling, mantles, tapestries; ancient Egyptian and Roman statues throughout the property; two huge pools, with tiles made out of gold leaf.  

Naomi seemed a bit perplexed by the whole thing. The funniest part of the whole trip happened when we drove by several mandarin trees on the property and  Naomi asked “Is this a Cutie farm?  Is this where Cuties come from?”  Maybe they did, Naomi, I don’t know…

 The winning shot.  Gorgeous girl and a gorgeous view!