One Wedding, And A Funeral

....Well, not exactly a funeral, but our saying goodbye to something dear, loved and familiar- our apartment. Not just our apartment for that matter, but Santa Barbara, coworkers, friends, and a whole way of living was left behind as we officially entered into 'the new' last Friday.

While it may not have been an official funeral, it certainly felt like a death of sorts to us. As we received our last paychecks for who-knows-how-long, moved and packed our wonderful home into mainly one garage, and said our goodbyes to beloved people and places, I was keenly aware that we were closing a door on one season of life-one that we may possibly never open ever again.

This is where we ended up sleeping the whole last week of our apartment, as we put our mattress in storage

And just as it is in so often in the natural world, with death there can be a new life. As we turned our much fuller than we had anticipated car towards the new, the sense of sadness at what was being left behind was slowly replaced with the excitement of understanding that we were finally there-all of our scheming and planning was being fulfilled, and we symbolically headed towards the wedding.

We stayed with my dad and his family in Calabasas while anticipating and preparing for the wedding of my stepbrother Richard, and had a blast playing with my half brother, half sisters, and the rest of extended family at the house. The wedding and his bride were both absolutely beautiful, and as they shared their first dance as man and wife under the clear, starry sky, I realized that in a similar way, it was to mark a new beginning for us too. We hit the open road upsettingly early the next morning, my heart brimming over with the unexpected joy that comes when you suddenly discover something deeply symbolic that connects your external circumstances with what is going on in you internally. The metaphor of a wedding seemed to fit perfectly with the new season we were entering that very next day-entering unknown landscapes of life with your spouse.

The ceremony of my stepbrother and his new bride. My dad officiated the ceremony.

My dad and I at the wedding reception.

So, as we hit the road towards San Francisco and came upon the decision to continue on the 'familiar' straight path of the 101 or cut through the mountains on a windy road to a 'new' route, it was only natural that I found myself heading onto the you-might-be-stuck-behind-grandpa-mc-slow-car-for-several-miles without hesitation. After all, we had just had a 'wedding' experience, and it was the perfect way to officially mark the start of this new season of 'the new.'
*Was I thinking of the Pocahontas lyrics "Should I choose the smoother course? Steady as the beating drum?...Is all my dreaming at an end? Or do you still wait for me dreamgiver, just around the riverbend?" as I headed towards the windy mountain road? It's possible. It's also possible that I think of Disney lyrics far too much, but such are the thoughts of my psychology/analytical/aware of the symbolic/I love Disney mind.*

Here's a link to more pictures of the wedding: https://picasaweb.google.com/117860913937238604610/RoadTripApodacaWedding