day 1. magic.

my first day in cali was a beautiful one.
one i will remember forever.
i was super nervous about flying, and i had to take 2 planes to get to cali. i also had to wake my poor family up at 4 am so i could get to the airport to fly out at 6am. (so sorry family. such troopers they all were) after many hours and 2 planes, i arrived in san francisco airport where my friend picked me up. how do i have a friend in cali? oh the beauty of the internet people! i have friends all over the world now thanks to photography, flickr and blogging. we connect online and then some days, like this one, we get to connect in the flesh. sarah was so lovely, i on the other hand was a bit grubby and tired, but she was so gracious. (not to mention completely adorable!)

we scooted to an authentic taqueria (her sweet family's favorite little place) and shared a delicious plate of fish tacos, and fajitas. so yummy. then we had a choice to make, redwood trees (those glorious giants of the earth) or possible butterfly migration. (masses of monarch butterflies gather and make their journey to mexico stopping for a brief time in this spot in california to rest a bit along the way.) i had heard of the monarch migration, i am pretty sure i have even seen video of this phenom on youtube... to think that we may have the possibility to see this in person was just too great a possibility to pass up. so monarchs it was. we drove to the park. there were many cars, a good sign, if the butterflies were there, then people would be there too. we walked down the wooden walkway through some tall eucalyptus trees. at first you don't really see the butterflies, their wings are closed so the underside of them, which is far more dull and less obvious, makes them appear as if they are leaves. then suddenly what you thought was bunches of leaves, starts to move and pulsate and the orange appears and you begin to realize those are NOT leaves at all, those are ALL butterflies!!! (omg)

there are a few times in one's life when you know you are witnessing something truly amazing.
this was one of those times.
i was awestruck.
what a gift.

thanks to those magical butterflies and the ease and warmth of sarah, i knew i was in safe hands and setting forth on this big journey with the very best of beginnings. we had to leave the butterfly sanctuary and head to my destination, Pacific Grove where i would step out of sarah's car and into the arms and lives of the other shutter sisters that were gathering there. did i mention that except for 1, i had never met any of them in person before?!?!? (eep!) but just as i knew they would be, they were all beautiful amazing inspirational funny women, and just like me, all a bit nervous and a whole lot excited. we, like those butterflies were gathering and then setting out on a very big journey together the very next morning.... camp! little did i now that the magic of this first day would spill over into that beautiful night and into each day that followed...

thank you sarah. you were the perfect way to begin my big journey on the west coast...