Moorpark…..
The train ride to Moorpark was so comfortable. I think I have said in other posts that I am really enjoying the train system in Southern California. I just wish it went to a few other outlining areas. There was a very small Marta system in place when I first left California and it has grown by leaps and bounds so I am sure there will be more and more routes added. It would be great if more native Californians would use the system to encourage the growth.
Anyway, when I arrived at the station I was told to look for a short Asian lady with a hat on and a 2 year attached to her hip. We spotted each other with no problem. Connie the hat wearer!
I have been missing my Marley a lot recently and was so excited to get a bit of a kid fix. Eve is awesome. And I would venture to say she thinks the same of me. We had a time doing everything from playing with their chickens in the backyard to the training zoo to church and bbqs. And then we had art/craft hour and I taught Connie how to make yoga mat bags. She made such a pretty one. I made Eve a purse too. I let her pick out the material and went to making it.
The right one is the yoga bag we made for Ryan, Connie’s husband. We were busy bees that last nite.
I gotta say I fell hard for their 2 year old daughter, Eve.. She was with me from the second they picked me up from the train till they finally dropped me off 5 days later at my next couch surfing host’s. Here are a few of our pictures together…
We planted basil. We read books. We went to church together to watch her daddy play guitar on stage. We took walks. We played with her chickens: Pete, Pig, Bok Bok Choy…
After church, but before the bbq we went to the Moorpark Training Zoo. The only time I have been to Moorpark, California was 12 years ago when my ex-husband, Travis, had applied for the Moorpark Zoology Training Program. He ultimately didn’t get in but we were able to tour the zoo. So 12 yrs minus 1 day I was back again. This time only as a zoo visitor. It was a lot of fun.
We saw a show and my favorite part was the beaver. I am so excited about working with beavers in Poland and I was engrossed with the show.
I was upset a bit about how small and cage-like their living areas are. But I was told that these animals are not able to be kept at a zoo. They have to have constant one on one care. It was fun to go and to see all the work the students do.
After all the fun with the family and breakfasts with friends and a BBQ, Connie and I went out for a couple of drinks on Saturday nite. We went to the downtown local pub called Jekyll n Hyde’s.
It closed at midnight which was a bit strange, but we had a lot of fun. Got to talk a lot and just get to know one another a bit. It was an eclectic place and we think we saw a woman only wearing her nightgown. But the beer was cold and the music nice….
The night of our Nite Out I was getting ready and I heard everyone in the hallway talking about getting an umbrella. I came out to see what was going on to find out that a VERY UNCOMMON July rain was happening. It lasted 5 minutes, but I was able to catch all the excitement with my camera…
Oh and before we left Moorpark I had to hit my new all time favorite fast stop eatery…..Sonic Taco!
Then it was time to move on…. Santa Barbara was the next stop…
I was very lucky that Connie offered to drive me to Santa Barbara. Especiallty cause that gave me a bit more time with Eve and to enjoy talking with Connie. She made lunch and snacks for all three of us and we set off. After driving for a half hour or so we stopped in Ventura. I love it there. We went to several consignment shops and then on to the beach to eat our lunch…
After lunch we went on to Santa Barbara. It was only about 20 miles more and it was a beautiful drive. Once there we stopped by my new host’s home to drop off my luggage and then headed on to the beach. It was very cool, because my new hosts make specialty tea and Connie and her mom make specialty Kimchi so they were able to barter their foods. I love this couch surfing stuff.
Once we dropped off my stuff we headed to the beach at Santa Barbara. We relaxed and played. Eve was so excited. Fun to be had by each of us.
It was very bittersweet to say goodbye to Eve and Connie. I will miss them a lot. This is a great and fun family that I think in a different setting I would always be friends with.
To end this post I am going to put one of my all time favorite pictures of Eve. It is with my luggage as we were getting ready for the trip north. She looks so taken aback when I came to take a picture of her by my stuff at the car. She is still in her pjs and looks so guilty. She isn’t guilty of anything but caring about me. She has gone into their cabinets and got out some V8 juice < which I like a lot> and goldfish and was unzipping my luggage to put them in as a gift. It made me feel soooooooooooo great!!
Next stop… Santa Barbara
AFEWCA 