3 minute read
California Dreamin'
www.DanvilleLivingCA.com @DanvilleLivingCA #DanvilleLivingCA
By Breann Bruschke, Junior Reporter
Over the course of my life, my family and I have moved a number of times. With each new change, my ability to cope and to adapt to new environments, schools, and social settings progressively enhanced, but it has never truly become an easy feat. In preparation for yet another move, I have found myself hating the all too familiar feeling of uprooting from a position of comfort to a state of unfamiliarity. Foreseeing my departure, I discovered a desire to fully re-immerse myself in the breadth of my fondest experiences over the years fixed within the expansive borders of this state. Bluntly, I wanted to revisit places in California that hold a dear place in my heart.
Sunset at one of our favorite beaches: Salt Creek
The first stop: the Orange County area. The vast majority of my life, my grandparents held residence in San Juan Capistrano. We, annually, if not biannually, trekked out to visit them and soak up some sun at the beach. I went back to the area they lived and was quickly bombarded with a flood of memories. The constant smell of jasmine reminded me of hours spent with cousins drumming up elaborate fairy tale games on the hilly property my grandparents lived. I recalled a notable visit to the Santa Monica Pier and riding bikes down Venice Beach. I remembered watching Fourth of July fireworks from the hills as they cascaded into the sky over Los Angeles. Memories from renting a beach house summer to summer for a family reunion overwhelmed me. As I recollected these experiences by revisiting their origins, my heart swelled for how fortunate I was to claim such an abundance of happy memories.
The famous Bixby Bridge, a familiar beckon as we approached our annual Big Sur camping trip.
The second major stop on my reminiscent summer tour: Big Sur. Five Memorial weekends were spent camping here, so I was beyond ecstatic to once again camp at one of my favorite places. A drive down to Pfeiffer Beach to watch the sunset triggered a silly memory of the last time I rode down the narrow road to this beach, cramped in a van with 14 other anxious teenagers. The viewpoint of McWay Waterfall reminded me of an image of my younger siblings and I, our faces caked with dirt but our smiles beaming, and the falls in the background. I remembered one particular night spent lying in an open field of the campground watching shooting star after shooting star in complete awe. Just beyond Big Sur, Highway 1 sparked memories of time spent in Santa Barbara, Cambria, and Monterey. Once again, I walked away from this trip with a thankful heart, both for the opportunity to return and make new memories with different friends as well as the enjoyable times it gave me in my youth.
It amazes me that I was capable of remembering so many fond experiences by recasting my eyes over the places I had once been. I would glance at a sign or drive on a road and something I thought I had completely forgotten would be redrawn with such vividness. It hurts to walk away from such a beautiful state that is home to so many beautiful moments, but I am excited at the prospect of once again exploring and creating memories away from California. However, California will always hold my heart and forever be home.
Breann Bruschke has lived in different areas of Arizona, Singapore, and California, but Danville is home. She just graduated from SRVHS, and will be heading to BYU in the fall. She enjoys participating in sports, playing the violin, and reading. Other hobbies include wakeboarding, snowboarding, and puzzling. She is a true nature lover, always seeking to find the next adventure.
