I woke up as I would any other day. However, it was amazing how much more relaxed I felt without the pressure of having to log into work at a certain time. Technically, I didn’t have to log into work at all, but there was one email that I was waiting to receive (and that I wanted to take care of before the trip). 

I went to the park just a few blocks from my apartment and did some HIIT cardio (but I didn’t make it through an entire routine). I had to pee, so I went back home, took care of that, then went on a short jog. 

When I came back, I showered, then checked my email. 

The email I was waiting for hadn’t come in, but I still took care of a few other things. Then I started packing. I basically had to ransack my house to find my reef walkers (those chic shoes made for the unknown surfaces of a river’s bottom). 

Throughout the morning I packed, checked emails, and was finally able to close my computer around 12:45PM. It was time to go! We (my neighbor and I) called an Uber over to a friend’s house at 1PM. With our masks donned, we loaded everything into the trunk and sat in the car until we arrived at the house. 

There, we used a special code to let ourselves inside, said hello virtually to our friends via the Ring security control, met their new puppy, said hello to my old friend the cat, and then took their spare car keys to borrow their car. 

Before we hit the road for Guerneville, we drove just five minutes away to a charming farmhouse where my neighbor’s friend is living for the year. Its white facade and pitched roof were idyllic but not nearly as idyllic as the spacious back patio which we moved to. A rustic picnic table as well as a wooden conversation set were placed six feet apart. To the left, tomato vines, mint, and lavender grew. In the back, an apple tree stood next to two beehives. 

After a short hello, it was officially time to hit the road. The heat was bearing down on us and we needed to get going. 

The drive wasn’t bad. We hit a few spots of traffic, but other than that it was smooth sailing. That is until we got to one town that had construction blocking what I can only guess was the entire road. We waiting in what seemed like an endless line, and even when we neared the front of it, we didn’t move. So, we took a turn which led us to the narrow, winding dirt path that led us to this house in the woods. 

The house is a modern, rectangular structure that consists of three levels. The bottom level is the basement where the laundry room and hot tub are located. The central level is where the living room and kitchen are (the living room has a smart TV which is essential for this trip. I must remember to log out though -- and we all know what my memory is like…)

The bedrooms are upstairs. The entire house is decorated in a light mid-century modern style making it feel open and spacious. 

We quickly set out to Mainstreet in town to grab some food. Neither of us had eaten since earlier that afternoon and by this time we were fairly hungry. 

We had a bit of an issue with parking. The street looked crowded with cars so I made a weird turn on a side street and had to loop around a second time. This led us back to the main road where we realized there was ample parking available. 

When we got out of the car, we were hungry enough to not only place our takeout orders at one of the local eateries Boon Eat & Drink, but also walk over to the adorable ice cream shop (repurposed from an old bank building) for some ice cream and slices of pie. I got a scoop of the vegan coconut fudge ice cream and a slice of the peanut butter chocolate pie. 

Back at the house in the Redwoods, we settled in and watched a new Netflix movie while enjoying our feast. I had a polenta lasagna with lots of spinach, a beet salad, half of a soft pretzel, and half of a brownie. 

Watching one more show, it was finally time to go to bed.