My husband and I love adventure and like to keep things on the calendar so we have something to look forward to. This seems to help me from getting down especially in the dark days of Winter. This year our New Year’s trip to Monterey was marred with my getting the flu. Our second trip to Monterey in February was marred by my still suffering the depressed side of my most recent Bipolar Episode. Was our third trip to Monterey this year going to be a success. I will say to you – the answer is a resounding yes.
Visiting new places makes us happy and visiting familiar places brings us joy. We have many places on our ‘“Bucket List” that are still waiting to be enjoyed, but this past weekend we were able to cross two more things off that list.
Bucket List Item 1
Traveling down Highway 1 past Monterey and Carmel to Big Sur. God sure has blessed California with some magnificent scenery and Big Sur falls into the category of magnificent. I have always wanted to stop at Big Sur, but it had never been our destination in the past – only a place to pass through on our way up or down the coast during longer trips.
The California coastline is a mixture of sandy beaches and rugged cliffs each meeting the beautiful waves of the Pacfic Ocean. Big Sur has both sandy beaches and rugged rocky cliffs. One of the beaches Pfiffeifer State Beach which is famous for its purple sand.
We arrived at Big Sur on a wonderful Sunny Day. The ions from the ocean mixed with the serotonin from the sunshine is a great combination for a Bipolar brain. I drank in both like a sponge and let my eyes feast on God’s creation of colorful wildflowers, massive redwood trees, and the gentle and not so gentle water flowing down the Big Sur river that I knew would flow into the ocean not far away. Due to the crowds we were not able to go see the purple sand, but what I did see and experienced was glorious. I will save the purple sandy beach for another day…
I enjoyed each part of what I experienced at Big Sur and took some beautiful photos to keep as memories of the adventure but was happy to go back up the coast. We went back to Monterey with a short stop at Mission Ranch Inn in Carmel to listen to some music and to see “Clint Eastwood’s” sheep he had brought over from Scotland when he owned this ranch that is now a beautiful Resort Hotel. This is always a fun stop when we are in the area.
Bucket List item 2
Once we arrived in Monterey to spend the night, my second buck list item was crossed off. We had reserved an inland room booked at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa on Cannery Row – a hotel I’d always wanted to stay at. This was a place where dreams really can come true. When we arrived my husband surprised me with upgrading to an ocean view Executive Suite. What a wonderful room and a joyous surprise. We were able able to check in early and took the time to rest, relax and enjoy the view
I had always wanted to stay in a room that overlooks the ocean on Cannery Row. This room and this view at this time was just the refreshing I needed and I got to spend it with the person that walks with me everyday on this Bipolar journey. The ups and downs that we go through is not easy on family members & friends that help take care of us. My husband blesses me not only with material things but with the understanding and unconditional love that I need. This trip was a testing ground to see if I could handle a joyous exciting time without having another manic episode during this current episode that has seen so many highs and lows. Praise God, I was able to handle it and still come home feeling balanced. Another milestone reached.
Looking Down into the Bay…
One of the views from our room was looking down into a tide pool below our window. Staring into this small world that is part of our big world. I was mezmerized and it made me think about my current journey which sometimes feels just like this. My Bipolar Disorder causes my brain to suddenly become a very small place where I am “ME” focused trying to survive in a big world. Just trying to navigate through the highs and lows of the disease becomes all consuming. It is amazing at how much time I spend looking inside myself and my problems and I’m just a small part of a much bigger world. Not to say I don’t focus and care for others but during a depressive episode, especially the bad ones it is all about me, me, me.
“My Bipolar Disorder causes my brain to suddenly become a very small place…”
I was very blessed that at the time of this trip, I was not stuck in that place here I was super high or super low, but felt very much balanced. This trip allowed me to experience everything it had to offer – the sites and sounds of the things around me, the conversation and laughter as I interacted with my husband, a decadent meal in a wonderful restaurant, the fun of dressing up and enjoying the beauty of a sunrise coming over the bay.
It was less than a 48 hour trip, but felt much longer because so many things filled the time. I had such a great time making so many wonderful memories and took a lot of photos to remember it. I encourage everyone whether you suffer from Bipolar or not to create a “Bucket List” and spend your life checking off as many items as you can. Our list changes as we get older and find new things to see and do. Until next time remember to spend time enjoying the things you need to do to stay balanced, have fun and grow…
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