I'm going to be in San Diego for the next fives days (until Sunday) for our Family Reunion/ Grandparent's 50th Wedding Anniversary.
This means my dad's side of the family, which kinda scares me. Not that I don't like my dad's side of the family... I just can't relate to them on any level. Whatsoever. At all.
Most of this side of the family is very conservative Christian, and for my pragmatic, borderline-atheist family, that grinds every now and then. Not because we have any problem with their constant attribution of all things good to Jesus, and not because every other comment out of my grandparent's mouth lately is about "those damn liberals/ muslims/ gays" (yes, I know. down, everybody. violence never solved anything, except wars and shit).
On some levels, my family and the rest of my dad's family do share some spiritual perspectives... and obviously my dad was raised within that family, so from a purely cultural perspective we're kind of in the same category. There's just certain areas where things with us go one way, and things with everyone else goes way-the-fuck the other way.
However, no matter who I happen to be stuck with, I'm still going to be at a condo, right on the beach, in San Diego. Instead of 100-degree Phoenix weather, I get 70/80-degree San Diego weather.
As long as I get the chance to spend a lot of time on the actual beach, I should be fine. I couple hours just walking around, talking to people and getting seashells and checking out boardwalk tat shops is going to put me in a much better mood than I've been lately.
This is also the first time on a trip like this I've really wanted to own a laptop. Not that I'm computer- (or even technology-) dependant, but I just see this as a real opportunity to get some writing done, or to be able to still check email and talk to people despite being away from my desk at home. I have a lot of writing projects I'd like to start working on, and between my brother's graduation and my own work schedule, it's just not happening.
So yeah, six-and-a-half hours from now I will be on my way to San Diego. I expect multiple flirtatious and inspiring messages when I get back... if things with my family go shitty (and with my aunts and uncles, something always does), I'm going to need it. If things go ok, it'll still be nice.
This means my dad's side of the family, which kinda scares me. Not that I don't like my dad's side of the family... I just can't relate to them on any level. Whatsoever. At all.
Most of this side of the family is very conservative Christian, and for my pragmatic, borderline-atheist family, that grinds every now and then. Not because we have any problem with their constant attribution of all things good to Jesus, and not because every other comment out of my grandparent's mouth lately is about "those damn liberals/ muslims/ gays" (yes, I know. down, everybody. violence never solved anything, except wars and shit).
On some levels, my family and the rest of my dad's family do share some spiritual perspectives... and obviously my dad was raised within that family, so from a purely cultural perspective we're kind of in the same category. There's just certain areas where things with us go one way, and things with everyone else goes way-the-fuck the other way.
However, no matter who I happen to be stuck with, I'm still going to be at a condo, right on the beach, in San Diego. Instead of 100-degree Phoenix weather, I get 70/80-degree San Diego weather.
As long as I get the chance to spend a lot of time on the actual beach, I should be fine. I couple hours just walking around, talking to people and getting seashells and checking out boardwalk tat shops is going to put me in a much better mood than I've been lately.
This is also the first time on a trip like this I've really wanted to own a laptop. Not that I'm computer- (or even technology-) dependant, but I just see this as a real opportunity to get some writing done, or to be able to still check email and talk to people despite being away from my desk at home. I have a lot of writing projects I'd like to start working on, and between my brother's graduation and my own work schedule, it's just not happening.
So yeah, six-and-a-half hours from now I will be on my way to San Diego. I expect multiple flirtatious and inspiring messages when I get back... if things with my family go shitty (and with my aunts and uncles, something always does), I'm going to need it. If things go ok, it'll still be nice.