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  • Day 2

    Life in La Jolla

    July 31, 2021 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    I had been procrastinating about starting the blog as I feared I’d run into technical problems, and I DID need Amr to find a box to tick to actually start…but now up and running so here goes!

    The leaving of Australia wasn’t as fearsome as we’d feared and all our tests, passports etc were in order ….phew….we had agonised so much and all was well. Cleared US customs so quickly and were driven very luxuriously down to La Jolla, arriving so early that Michael was out having breakfast, anticipating us to arrive an hour or 2 later! All fine - let in by Anita in her dressing gown - the lovely neighbour over the road. So good to see Michael, and Lisi, who had been in Panama with James, arrived in the evening, leaving James socialising with cousins and enjoying Spanish immersion in Panama. So for the moment it is just the 4 of us, like back to the pre children era! Cami is still in Pennsylvania- she has a summer internship with Nanoware. She is doing really well there from all reports, and she returns home on Friday and will have a week to relax with friends before school goes back. James comes back on August 16, just in time for school.

    We have plunged straight into social life here. On Saturday it was Ben’s 40th birthday party. Ben is a Farrell cousin - son of Peter’s sister Keryn. He has been living here for a long time now, originally working for ResMed. He is married to the lovely Jeannine and they have 2 boys Sam 2 and Max 3 months. Lovely afternoon party in the backyard - a whole pig on the spit (or had been!) and yummy food…and then the Olympics were on and Oz did itself proud in the swimming! A great Ben style laidback event!

    Then Sunday a dinner with Damian Vale, a Sertori cousin of Jess, Liv and Ted and the many others in the clan. He has been living and working in the US starting March last year- so he’s had a total covid experience and not seen Australian travellers coming through, or family and probably can’t even return for his sister’s wedding in November….anyway he is a lovely boy (man - he’s 30!) like all the other Vales, and we met at a Japanese restaurant. Peter F also there (he had flown in from Texas, and was at Ben’s party) and of course as usual he brought along a stray person that no one had ever met (Herb, who he had been playing golf with that day!)…he has this infuriating habit of bringing odd people to family occasions…it was a great dinner anyway, and we will see Damian again before we leave.

    Next week Michael and Lisi have a holiday at Whistler from Monday to Friday which will be a lovely break for them, and Amr and I will hold the fort here, with Cami and Nico the dog.

    I had been dreading the summer heat here, but had forgotten how cool La Jolla can be with the sea fog and walking fairly early is very pleasant, especially with the sea breeze. But I had also forgotten how feeling cool doesn’t stop the sun and am a bit sunburnt…stupid, must slather on the cream. But we have maintained our walking ready for France, and Amr also swims in the high school pool daily.

    I think I’ve chatted on too long but this is really an experimental start to make sure everything works! I will add photos, and post more news, but probably not every day while we are here. When we get to France it will certainly be daily! But meanwhile we are SO happy to be here, and are enjoying being with Michael and Lisi.

    Almost forgot to mention that I gave Michael and Amr haircuts!! And so successful we have ordered the clippers to use as we travel!
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