happyalways' VirtualTourist Home Page

This is something a friend used to say to me. Despite the fact that I am an optimistic person by nature I tend to get sad when I think of leaving places or people I have met either while I am out on my own adventures or when it comes time for others to move on in their lives. Being reminded of this helped me to realize that it is not necessary to dwell on the idea that nothing can last forever. Instead I am learning to be appreciative of the experiences I have already had, to treasure them, and to look forward with anticipation to whatever my future holds.

I grew up in Oakdale, California on a dairy farm with my parents, my three sisters, and my brother. Next door to us on one side lived my Pake and Beppe (Grandpa and Grandma) and next door to us on the other side lived one of my Uncles, Aunts, and five of my cousins. Behind our house were the cows:) I thouroughly enjoyed growing up in the country; we were allowed to climb hay stacks, drive the golf cart, and have "snowball fights" with the cottonseed. Now that I am older things have changed -- recently my oldest sister got married, my little brother moved out on his own, and my little sisters got taller than me! Every time I return to Oakdale something is different, but the fact that it is my home will never change.

After graduation from high school I applied to Azusa Pacific University and the following August I packed up my belongings and headed down south to my new home, site unseen. Upon arriving I was pleasantly surprised with my dorm room, my roommate, and of course the school. Four years later I had become so attached to Southern California that I could not yet consider the possibility of moving away. And so, rather than choose between lving in NorCal with my family or in SoCal with my friends, I took one step farther and decided to spend my summer abroad.

I headed to Amsterdam to meet up with a friend and backpack our way around Europe for a couple months after graduation. After a slight panic attack when I thought we had missed meeting one anther (and I realized that my Father should have taught me how to speak Dutch!) we met up and began our trip.
From Amsterdam to Germany to Austria to Switzerland to Italy to the Netherlands and to Italy again we walked, trained, sailed, and bussed our way around. Experiences we had while travelling together taught me a lot about life in general...we dealt with rabid dogs, slept in train stations, experienced the effectiveness of the Austrian Fire Department, and of course ended up extending our stay so that we can enjoy as much of these activities as possible! There is now as much for me to share as there was to learn and I am looking forward to a time when I can again experience what I do not know.

It was only recently that I arrived in Manhattan Beach, California. On my fifth day here I can honestly state that I think I will love living in the area. As of now I still feel as though I am visiting but hopefully I will soon be able to learn the ropes and pass on tips about life in the South Bay. Here's hoping!