That time Mother Nature schooled me.

According to most of my friends, I am an awful travel buddy.

Let me be clear. It's not that I'm a bad traveler. I pack incredibly fast, I fly through security checkpoints, I never check a bag, and my carry-on is a reasonable size. I'm a seasoned veteran of checking into hotels, I do an insane amount of research before a vacation, and I'm fairly skilled at figuring out subways and metros.

So, what's the issue?

Most people view vacations as a break - a time to relax, eat, lay out on the beach, drink, etc. I, on the other hand, view vacations as an opportunity to do anything and everything that I can't do at home.

I have been an incredibly lucky traveler. My parents have taken us to so many amazing places and my Dad instilled in me an insatiable thirst for knowledge and an overwhelming desire to see the world. Throughout my childhood (especially during my angsty teenage years when all I wanted to do was sleep or call friends), my dad repeated one phrase to me on every vacation: The action is on the street.

He was completely right. Over the years, I have randomly run into celebrities, I have gotten cheap tickets to games or shows, I have met incredible people with interesting stories, and I have seen things I may never see again - all because I ventured outside. So, I fill every vacation with endless museums, shows, sightseeing, tours, concerts, sporting events, and, anything else I can find. By the end of a vacation, I'm completely exhausted, but I have some amazing stories. So, while my friends lay on the beach or sit in the room, I throw a temper tantrum and leave, in search of some action.

On our recent trip to California, we spent one wonderful day in San Diego. However, after a morning at the zoo and lunch in the Gaslamp Quarter, we started to head back to Oceanside for the night. I must admit - I was kinda upset. It's not that I didn't love Oceanside, but it's SAN DIEGO and I didn't know when (or if) I'd ever be back.

When we got back, we decided to take a walk on the beach. As I huffed and puffed along the water, the sun started to go down. Slowly at first, the colors in the sky started to change. The ocean breeze picked up, carrying the sound of the waves crashing on the shore and the distant cries of seagulls. I smelled the sea salt and felt the smooth, cool sand beneath my feet.


I dipped my feet in the cold water and looked behind me to see my family sharing this beautiful moment with me.


As the sun dipped deeper on the horizon, I was reminded, yet again, that sometimes it's okay to go with the flow. It's okay to step back and let things play out as they should. If we had still been in San Diego, we wouldn't have seen this.


Sometimes, the best things in life aren't things you make happen. They are things that happen to you.


Well played, mother nature. Well played.