for good.

Although I have never been religious or believed in a particular Higher Power, I have always believed in destiny and fate. It is phenomenal to observe the way life plays out, who we meet, where we end up going, and what we end up doing. People come into our lives, and we are presented with circumstances that appear to be nothing short of miraculous. Events occur that are very often unexplainable, and it brings up a single question: Why? Why was I given the chance to do this? Why did I encounter this person? Why didn't I end up in, let's say, Los Angeles and not New York and Boston? I like to tell myself that we're never in the wrong place, with the wrong people, or doing the wrong thing, because in one way or another, the adventures and situations that we immerse ourselves in are serving a purpose in the greater picture of our lives. Sometimes the situations are challenging, the people are difficult, and the places are lonely, but in the long run, it are these challenges and these miracles that complete our destinies. When I was in high school, I would often sing a duet with my best friend, and the lyrics match this idea perfectly: "I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn. And we are lead to those who help us most to grow if we let them, and we help them in return..."


Who we encounter and why we encounter them is fascinating in itself. Allow me to give you an example:

As I was riding down the bike path, a scruffy looking young man pulled up alongside me and asked me for directions to the library. We chatted for a little while, and soon enough I found out that he was a British recent college graduate, just finishing a cross-country bike ride. He found himself on the West Coast three weeks ahead of schedule, so he didn't research the housing options he had out here very well. Unfortunately for him, there is no camping in Sonoma, so I was suggesting he ride up into the hills and find a small plot of land to pitch his tent for the evening; however, just as I was making this suggestion, my dad rode up on his bike. The three of us chatted for a bit, when my dad offered for the young British boy to stay at our house. My dad had gone on a cross-country bike ride when he was in his twenties, and he has been waiting twenty-something years to return all of the favors that he was given. On top of it all, it was a Tuesday, which means Farmer's Market was happening later that evening, which means that it was the most perfect day to be in Sonoma.

Ben, the British boy, rode home with me, showered, pitched his little tent in the backyard, and ventured down to Farmer's Market with us, where he was able to really experience and observe the perfect evening in the small Wine Country town. Here is where I began to wonder why.. Why, out of all of the people in this small town, was I the person this boy decided to ask for information? I don't want to praise myself or anything, but he couldn't have found a more perfect person to ask; I grew up in town, so I know pretty much everything about it, my dad is an avid cyclist, so as far as chatting with someone who knows what you've been going through and experiencing, he couldn't have found a more perfect family. I just thought it was so amazing that I had been back in Sonoma for a mere sixteen or so hours and was immediately faced with this unfamiliar, interesting person. What about me gave him the idea that I would have been able to give him the information that he needed? As far as he was concerned, I could have been a random tourist who had rented a cute little bike for cruising around town. And for Ben's sake alone, why did he decide to come to Sonoma on a Tuesday? What if he had showed up the day before and missed out on such a lovely, hometown evening? I'm sure his life would have gone along flawlessly had he not come into town on a Tuesday evening, but it was an evening that wouldn't have otherwise been a part of the bigger story of his trip.

Last Winter, I became quite fascinated with Chris McCandless, aka Alexander Supertramp, aka the young man who gave away everything he owned, hitch-hiked around the US for a good two years, working his way up to Alaska, where he ended up dying in a small bus in the Alaskan wilderness. The book "Into the Wild" was written about his story back in the mid-90's, and ten years later, Sean Penn directed a movie about this young man. Ben vaguely reminded me of Chris McCandless, in the way that he interacted with our family. He was educated, beyond polite, lived very minimally, and was very vague about his own life. After reading about the different ways that both Chris McCandless and the people he had encountered were influenced by his travels, it made me feel honored to be able to be a part of this Chris McCandless-like experience. I would like to think that this twelve hour encounter somehow boosted our karma points, although dwelling on it may oppose the idea of a selfless good deed... Hmm... Either way, I hope Ben's travels end up being fantastic, and I hope that he never forgets us!

....

My trip home was delightful. It was a fairly non-stop trip, but I felt very relaxed the whole time, which I really love. Monday night, after my dad picked me up at the airport, we met my mom and Claire at Yu Shang for a delicious sushi dinner. Tuesday I went to visit Bethany, saw some friends, and had the Ben encounter (Bencounter?) Anyway, of course I saw every person I have ever met in my lifetime at Farmer's Market that night, which was fun, especially after spending the entire month of August alone. Wednesday and Thursday kind of blur together, but I know they must have consisted of a lot of bike riding, big hugs, and catching up with old friends. Sierra and I went to the beach all day on Friday and just talked and talked and talked, so much so that it was suddenly four o'clock and both of us were burnt to an absolute crisp (something neither of us fully realized until we were back in Sonoma. Ouch!) We had a really nice dinner at the Red Grape, and I swear to god we never stopped talking. It was so nice! That night, a big group of us went to a fun hookah bar on Haight Street, ate food, chatted... I'd never been to a hookah bar before and had only smoked from a hookah one time, but I had an absolute blast!

*Quick note: We're flying over Utah right now, and The Great Salt Lake is deep red in color, much like rust, with a white shoreline. How bizarre! I wonder if it looks like that when you're standing in front of it, not just from a bird's eye view...

Claire's birthday was on Saturday, so we spent all day in the city. We had a huge Dim Sum lunch in the Sunset District, and afterwards, my mom, Claire, and I went shopping at the Stonestown Mall. Oh, the thrill of new undergarments :) It was lovely being able to have some Anderson girl time, although Erika wasn't able to make it up there. (WE MISSED YOU SISTER! We understand though, you're a busy woman!) After we got home, Claire went out with some of her friends, so I packed and did some laundry before dad and I had a nice pasta dinner. I drove around, said my goodbyes to everyone, and woke up this morning at four AM to get to Oakland by six! My mom and I were hoping to have breakfast with a friend, but it didn't work out. But now, here I am, 36,000 feet in the air, about to actually begin my life in New York City. When the man at the ticket counter asked where I was going, I accidentally told him that I was going to Boston, so I had to correct myself. It's still going to take some getting used to, apparently.