California Dreaming

Just got back from 10 days in California.  Every year except last, we've flown to the Bay Area for a week to see my dad and sister.  This year, I decided to bundle a road trip to SoCal so Jada could see the UCLA campus.  We'll get to that part of the itinerary in a sec.

It was lovely returning to the Bay Area for the first half of our vacation.  We all had to stay safe in terms of masking and distancing, and unfortunately COVID meant some places and some people were off-limits.  But we were glad to have made the journey.  

Although traveling with Asher can be fraught, we managed ok, with a minimum of tantrums and outbursts, albeit some of them being quite spectacular and downright scary.  He would say he loved every minute, especially breakfasts with dad and hotel swimming pool also with dad (lucky me lol).

Hotel availability meant we were crammed in one room rather than two or a suite, and Aaron and Jada, being the typical teens that they are, felt that loss of space acutely, particularly since it meant sharing close quarters with a very high-energy and not always considerate 6-year-old brother.

It was all worth it to be able to see dear friends and family members, in all cases for the first time in two years and in some cases far longer.  And we did our fair share of eating good food and sight-seeing too.  Alas, I'd planned some outdoor activities, like hiking and taking Asher to local playgrounds, that were all washed away by constant rain.  

The drive to LA wasn't too bad, and including a customary trip to Casa de Fruta for fruit and snacks, as well as a harrowing drive through the mountain pass into SoCal (which by the way was closed off due to snow not long after we got through, lucky us).  However, we seem to have brought the inclement weather with us, because it rained the first two days we were in LA, a first in my memory of all the times I've been there.

Mercifully, the rain gave way to the usual sunny skies, and we enjoyed lots of sights and friends/family.  Highlights were a cousin gathering that featured endless good food, and a quick jaunt to Santa Monica Pier (Asher is still buzzing over the roller coaster I let him and his siblings ride on).

An important part of this trip was timing it with UCLA's first day of winter quarter, so Jada could be on campus when school was in session, to attend a tour, talk to students, and visit inside classrooms and dorms.  Alas, COVID meant UCLA pivoted to all-remote for the first two weeks, so tours were cancelled and students I'd coordinated with were no longer on campus to meet with Jada.  Thankfully, I was able to find four students who were going to be on campus and were willing to speak with Jada.  

Ah, but that got scrambled too.  In addition to and related to COVID making everything touch and go, I spent much of the trip wondering if we would be ok flying home or if there would be a cancellation or delay.  Thankfully no, but we still encountered some airline-induced stress.  

I had originally booked to leave LA on the afternoon of January 3, with enough time for us to see the  campus in the morning and be home that night (with school and work the morning after).  But two months ago, the airline changed our flight two to a morning flight, which would've meant we wouldn't have any time to see UCLA before having to fly out.  So I called the airline immediately to see if any later flights existed, and the only thing they had was a red-eye, which was not ideal but at least gave us the day to be on campus.  So I told them to make the change and braced myself for having to land the morning of January 4 and go directly to work and school.  But I otherwise forgot about our itinerary.

Except that the airline never actually changed our flight.  And, the whole time between when I made the flight change in early November to our actual trip in December/January, I forgot to check that they did.  So when I got a note on the morning of January 2 that we could check in, I knew something was up, since you usually get that note 24 hours before your flight, and I wasn't expecting to get the note until that night.  When I looked at the flight info, my heart sunk.  I tried to get through to the airline but was unable to, and when I tried to change the flight online it said there was nothing for later in the day.

So I had to cancel with the four students I'd lined up and tell them Jada would connect with them via Zoom.  And then I concocted a route for Jada to walk through campus in the early morning of January 3 so she could get a flavor of the place, and she (and Aaron) walked the three-mile route in about an hour before we had to zip off to the airport to catch our flight.  Not ideal, but not bad, especially since it meant we got home that night and could sleep in our beds before work and school the next day.

Maybe we'll be back again in 20 months to move in UCLA's newest Bruin.  We'll see how other college tours go and where she gets in.  Until then, I'm glad we stayed safe and got to all the people and places we needed to, especially getting home safe and in one piece.  It was eventful at times, not the best for someone who likes to plan ahead and hates last-minute changes and unending uncertainty.  But I'm happy we had a go.  We'll carry the memories forever.