Best Trip of 2009.

So today I am rolling out the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge inspired by Gwen Bell . A question of the day (every day) for the month of December, to prompt a look back at my personal bests for 2009. Do you want to play along?.... Please do. Either via your own blog, or feel free to play by leaving your own bests in my comments section.

December 1. Trip. What was your best trip in 2009?

traffic jam coming in to Santa Cruz

My husband had to take a business trip to Northern California, and uh oh...he snuck and took me along! We were supposed to go all the way up to San Fran, we didn't make it which was a disappointment, but we didn't let it put a damper on our trip. Part of the fun of the whole thing, was the fact that I was a stowaway. It was a secret mission of sorts (well... I guess I was the secret).

It was a true road trip in every sense, and we had a blast! We listened to satellite radio, we laughed, we ate snacks in the car, we played games, we ate at a couple of drive-thrus, we bickered, we sang, I took notes during his business calls, and we talked. I smile just thinking about it.

We had one night in a dowtown area that was absolutely scary. The hotel actually told us it would be better for us to stay in, since it was dark. Our hotel was like an island, and we were happily stranded.

On our way in to Santa Cruz, we had a traffic jam of epic proportions. But it was the most beautiful place to be stopped. It was so woodsy and beautiful, that I spent most of the time waiting just soaking in the scenery. I wish I had brought my camera along, because my cell phone camera does not do it's beauty any justice in the photo above.

On the next day there were a few tense moments. While driving around the streets of Monterey looking for Italian food, I thought we might actually strangle each other. The street signs are very hard to see in Monterey; they are so light in color that they just sort of blend in (especially at dusk). We did many laps around town. We had fits. We fought with the GPS. And eventually ended up grabbing a bottle of wine, and a pizza and taking it back to our room. We went from visions of a nice Italian dinner in town to dining in room, but I have to say that it was absolutely perfect!

The whole thing was not the best planned trip by any means, in fact most of the time we were flying by the seat of our pants. But there was a lesson in that trip. One about not always having to know all of the answers. About diving in with complete abandon. Giving yourself over to what may be. Letting go and just being in the moment. And take a look at the outcome....My best trip of 2009!