California

Today was my last day in California. Although I was glad to be going home I was also sad to be leaving. Today's plans were to finish packing, I wanted to take Chris and Meg out for lunch, but first, I was going to church. Chris and Meg attend St Andrew Presbyterian Church just a short drive away, I was looking forward to it, they spoke highly of the minister and the congregation. The building was set in nice gardens, with plenty of grass and trees to one side and a kind of zen type garden and more trees to the other.

Meg forewarned me that there might not be many people out today but I was already prepared for that, attendance at most churches drops over the summer in an ebb and flow of people going and returning from holidays. I was given a warm welcome, everyone seemed friendly. I was pleased to see that there was a full program of the liturgy, I think that approach is really helpful for visitors, and something my own faith tradition could learn from. I loved the fact that the first thing on the service programme was a quote from Robert Heinlein. I didn't know many of the hymns but the music and singing were good(the pianist was Lara Garner, she was excellent), and during the service, The Summer Handbell Ensemble played Amazing Grace, it was lovely. The Minister, Rev Brian Camara, was young, joyful, and very easy to listen to, he got a little bit flustered when he realised he had lost the last page of his sermon but he handled it with grace and humour. I knew how he was feeling as the same thing had happened to me. After the service there was tea/coffee and biscuits and a chance to chat, and again, people made the effort to speak to me, a stranger among them. I genuinely enjoyed the service and if you are reading this and you're going to be in Pacifica on a Sunday, you could do worse than go along. You can find out more at https://www.standrewpacifica.org/

After the service we went for lunch to a place just a short drive away, I had pizza and it was very, good, I was grateful that Meg and Chris let me pay this time! I needed a bit of help with the protocol for paying, in the UK tipping is not a big thing, and you never let anyone take your card away, but they steered me in the right direction.

As we finished lunch I gave them a gift that I had brought with me from Scotland, a pewter quaich with a line from Auld Lang Syne inscribed on it. It is also known as the cup of friendship. I had the most amazing time in California, and that was almost entirely due to the hospitality, kindness and generosity of Meg and Chris. I will never be able to repay them for all they have done for me, and I guess that only magnifies the grace of it.

When we got back to the house, Chris poured some whisky into the quaich and we drank from it thereby ensuring that there will always be peace between my house and theirs. It was actually a very moving moment. I said that I felt if I lived in Pacifica, Chris and I would be in a band together, and I really meant it.

Way too soon it was time to head to the airport. I like to be there early to avoid stress and anxiety. The airport is well laid out with clear signage as to which area to stop at for each airline. I said my all-too brief goodbye to Chris and headed in with Meg, who, knowing I'm an anxious traveller, came in with me which helped me relax considerably. Airports are confusing places and suffer greatly from too much signage but we were right at the check in, and before I knew it my bag was check in, I had my boarding pass and was standing at the security gate. It felt like I had just abandoned Meg as we reached security, but to paraphrase Loudon Wainwright III, I didn't want to hold her because I knew I would have to let her go. When I think about Meg and the camino ladies, and all that I have experienced with and through them, I realise that I am one of the most blessed people on the planet. Who am I to have known such beauty and kindness?

I wondered if this was our last goodbye. God I hope not.

After the usual hanging around, we boarded and set off, homeward bound. The flight was uneventful except for the fact that they had forgotten to load the allergens information book so they couldn't tell me the ingredients of any of the food except for a chocolate dessert. I didn't fancy having an anaphylactic reaction at 30,000 feet (or anywhere actually) so I opted to skip the meal. The staff found me some apple juice and a piece of fruit and I had two chocolate desserts, one courtesy of the passenger beside me who didn't want hers. Still, It was going to be a long day, when I arrived in Dublin I would have almost 7 hours to wait for my connecting flight to Edinburgh (bad planning on my part).

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