Monterey Kind of Day

I am having a I-really-miss-Monterey kind of day.

Maybe it's because I'm a west coast gal who grew up on an island, but I really desperately miss the water.

I like being able to see the water every day - passing by it while I'm out running errands. Smelling the salty air. Feeling the breeze. Stopping by the beach ANYTIME I want. Walking along the bike path that skirts the shore.

In case you didn't know, there isn't an ocean here in the middle of Alaska. I suppose we have some rivers, but it's just not the same thing.

Monterey had beaches everywhere. And a world-class aquarium. And a wonderful farmer's market full of fresh veggies. And constant cultural activities - with the Defense Language Institute and another international school in town, there is a lot of cultural diversity and celebrations there. I miss that. There was always something exciting going on.

And Monterey had virtually no winter. Not really much of a summer either, but I didn't mind that. You could take a short drive to Salinas if you needed a suntan. :)

Oh, I would love to go back there again. I'm very thankful for the 4 years we spent there. Don't get me wrong - I don't hate where we are. It has its perks and it's been an adventure, but it definitely has its downfalls too. I'm getting antsy for some travel. A road trip. A PCS. It's time to start thinking about where we'll be going next - even though it's still a year away.

Maybe we'll never get to live in Monterey again, but I would love to at least go back and visit!!