On Sundays, I try to get out and do something a bit out of the ordinary. That can be a long drive to a hike location, visit nooks and crannies of different nice cities, or visit different landmark locations as if I was an out of state visitor. It’s a great way to change my routine and allow me to think with a fresh perspective.
Head Above the Clouds
My sister and her husband took a hike out to Sandstone in Malibu. I was convinced to go when I saw their picture where they were standing above the clouds on a mountain top. It’s a bit of a drive getting out there though, roughly 1.25 hours with lots of winding mountain roads. I love driving so it wasn’t a big deal. Throw in some aggressive corning and I’m all for it.
Sandstone is about a 6-7 mile loop with a great view of the ocean from the top. The view is pretty incredible. It’s even better when it’s cloudy because you get that picturesque above the clouds look. Unfortunately, it was a sunny day (I know boohoo for great sunny weather during winter in California) so I didn’t get the clouds and had to settle for glistening ocean waters and undulating hills sweeping with trees and vegetation. Poor me.
This is probably the nicest hike I’ve been on so far in California. Highly recommended. I plan to come back for the clouds though.
Planning the Journey Ahead
It was a great hike and I had plenty of time to think about the future. I’ve been trying to figure out what my next moves are going into this year. I know that I want to be mobile again. I want to get my own place. I’m highly considering moving to another state (Austin, Texas being of highest consideration at this point). I think I just want to change. Most of my friends have left California and are starting new adventures. I feel like I’m still stuck. This stuckness tends to sap my motivation and creative energy.
My biggest challenge right now is positioning myself to have the autonomy to go anywhere I want. I’m thinking about different business paths that would lead me to total location independence. I’m getting more ideas but I still haven’t totally landed on something I’m fanatic about. I’m going to keep exploring and see where this next journey takes me.
Driving Across the United States to Virginia Beach
One cool thing I’ll be doing in early May is taking a trip across the United States with my best bud Jeff who got into the Chaplaincy program for the Navy. He’ll be relocating to Virginia Beach and I’ll be his copilot bringing his cars and some of his stuff to his new place that will be his home for at least three years. My goal is to get mobile by then or at least be on a very good path for that to happen. My goal is mid to end of this year to be completely remote.
Until then, I guess I’ll continue to enjoy the ridiculously nice California weather, amazing hikes, cultural diversity, and closed businesses…
