London

The last time I was in London was in 2001 with one of my girlfriends whom I met at Deloitte who later has become one of my closest friends.  We toured with Contiki and were ecstatic to travel on an international trip independently for the first time.  Eleven years later I am back, this time for work, but that doesn't mean I wasn't able to squeeze in some leisurely time over the weekend!

@ Westminster Abbey back in 2001

Back at Westminster Abbey again!  So much has happened since 2001, namely, the wedding of the century!  All I could talk about was how Kate wed Prince William at this very spot!

Purchasing a tube daypass.  Exhausted the 7GBP the pass cost in one day!

Big Ben

Ready for the changing of the guards @ the Buckingham Palace where Will and Kate shared their first kiss on the balcony (yes, I am serious!)!

Brunch @ 202 in Notting Hill.  They allow dogs IN the restaurant and we sat next to a cutie pie who reminded me of Echo.  Sigh, I miss that little rascal.

Getting festive at the Winter Wonderland @ Hyde Park.  Similar to a county fair in Los Angeles, but the rides are 10x better and legit (can we say freefall and coasters?).  Tons of vendors for eating and shopping!

It's only been 2 days and I already cannot wait to get back to my little guy.  I hope he is having a good time at boarding/daycare and does not feel abandoned.  Luckily, they have webcam access there where I can see him during daycare hours.

Next stop...Paris!

Ojai Valley Inn

Back in August, we spent a weeked at the Ojai Valley Inn in Ojai.  My weekend getaways have usually entailed getting on a plane, but this time, I wanted to explore a local gem.  We absolutely loved this resort and all of its amenities especially the adult pool and the spa!  But best of all, this resort is pet friendly so we were able to bring Echo with us!  Echo had a welcoming treat of his own (bone cookies) and a bed for comfort.  This was the first time we had let him run around without one of us holding on to his leash and boy, did he have a great time!  I had forgotten we had taken all these pictures and just came across them last night so I wanted to share a few of my favorites!  Needless to say, we hope to make it a tradition to visit the Ojai Valley Inn each year!



Go fetch!



I got it! Here I come!

 

Wait, where are you going? I guess he hasn't mastered the art of bringing it back yet!

All this running around is making me tired!



High five for a good time!



Ahh, this is the life!  Let's do this again soon!

Homeland

I just got Showtime and am hooked on Homeland.  Claire Danes' character annoys the heck out of me, but it is so funny because if your mind is alert and and your heart is receptive, you will find that there is a lesson to be learned in almost every situation.

The other night I was watching an episode of Homeland.  For the most part, I have stayed mum, quietly cursing Claire Danes' wrecklessness and disobedience in my mind careful to not disturb J as he enjoys watching his shows in silence whereas I like to add my colorful commentary because what I have to say is that important.  But this particular episode pushed me over the edge.  "She is so annoying!  I hate her right now!" and "She's going to ruin everything!" and "Why are you not sharing the same level of frustration with me?!" were the words that kept pouring out of my mouth.  I couldn't take it anymore.  Her character was so impulsive that it was driving me bananas.  And then it all came together...

Though her actions were not premeditated, there was an outcome born from her choices.  Meaning, at the time, her choices didn't make any sense, but the result that came after gave meaning and purpose to those choices.  An outcome was born, though not conclusive, did contribute to the overall direction her team wanted to move toward.  More simply put, everything happens for a reason.

I reflected on this and wondered how many times I got frustrated and annoyed in the moment because I didn't understand why something was happening or why something had to be the way it was only to find out that oh, there was a reason for this.  That everything always works out in the end.  Maybe to my benefit, or maybe to my detriment, but someone else's benefit, but bottomline, there is a purpose.  A purpose that comes to fruition immediately, or perhaps a purpose that I will never come to realize because my world is only so big.  The lesson learned is to try to be still and trust that God is always in control. 

This is a theme that has been recurring in my life lately, a thought that has been marinating in my mind.  I don't think it was a coincidence that I came across a plaque recently that I immediately purchased that reads...

"Your journey is unfolding exactly as it should be."