The novel I am writing is 50% based on my personal experiences with my grandfather down at the Salton Sea in Southern California, and 50% based on my fucked up imagination.
Having said that, I have felt this irrepressible need to drive to the god-forsaken place and take some pictures; re-experience it if you will.
My husband actually agreed with me that it is probably important to do this, I was not expecting that.
So this Sunday, I will leave to drive out there with 6 other people in the van with me - I decided it might as well be a family thing and then invited a couple dear friends for good measure!
I plan to drive the same route, stop at the same stops, and generally re-create as much as I can from memory. My daughter is attending this trip down memory lane, so I might use her as a stand-in for some of the more important photos.
What I am struggling with is how excited I am to show my kids and husband this vital piece of land that is so ingrained in my history, in who I truly am as their mother - as a wife to my husband. The summers I spent there changed me. The shit that I saw affected my world view.
The Salton Sea was where I did a lot of growing up - growing up faster than any seven year old should. I've got demons down there, but I refuse to let them scare me - I'm going to go and have a good time with my family and I'm going to show my kids the fun "kid" things so that they have the experience they should.
I can't wait to stop at Hadley's and get a date shake, I haven't had one since I was seven! I can't wait to see if my kids love them as much as I do! I want to take pictures with the giant Cabazon Dinosaurs.
Everything we do will be based on having a good time...I promise you that!
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I hope the trip goes well for you and you can exchange some bad memories with some new, great ones.
ReplyDelete@Sarah: I, too, hope to create some great memories! I'll keep ya posted! :)
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, GORGEOUS pic! I hope you have a good trip and, as Sarah said, are able to exchange some bad memories with some awesome ones - preferably ones involving your kids loving those date shakes! Mmmmm... I'm craving a shake now...
ReplyDeleteAlso? HUGE kudos to you for facing your demons and not letting them scare you into staying away! :-)
Heather, its nice to meet you too! I am new to blogging too. Christine Tyler is Hosting a Spark Blog Fest at http://www.christinetyler.net/
ReplyDeleteA Spark Fest is where you write down what fisrt Sparked your interest in writing. Check out her website. It's really fun! Enjoy!
Have fun! I can't wait to see the pictures.
ReplyDeleteHave a great trip, and I really dig your "dark and nuturing" picture. :)
ReplyDeleteBest of luck on your trip. Sometimes you have to go backwards to fully go forward in life.
ReplyDeleteGo make some new memories.
Popping over from Rach's campaign to say hi. We're not in the same group, but a lot of people in my group are peeps I already knew. So it's nice to meet you--love the dark feel over here. Creepy mixed with a whole lot of cool. See ya around.
@Crystal: Faced those demons, didn't back down! :D
ReplyDelete@Michelle: Didn't get a chance to check out the Spark Fest, please let me know if you hear about another one!
@Liz: we only took 2 pics!
@Kelley: I LOVE LOVE LOVE gothic fairies!
@Angela: I went backwards, now I'm trying to figure out what forward entails...great to meet you too & I hope you come back to visit. I'm a whole lotta dark and creepy! ;)