My birthday was on August 21st, and I’m happy to report that the transition from 28 to 29 was very smooth. I’m not sure that I’ll be able to say the same about the transition from 29 to 30, but I’ll enjoy the rest of my 20’s while I still can! Our good friend Daniella was visiting us for a few days, and on the morning of my birthday, we went to Kevin and Iryna’s house for brunch. It was so great – Iryna made delicious crepes, we all talked about our upcoming camping trip, and hung out until the early afternoon. Kevin and Iryna flew to Santa Rosa a few hours later for a concert, so they were unfortunately not able to join us for the rest of the day’s events!
Birthday dinner: Charlie, Soojin, Eric, Daniella, Jane, Desmond, Ross, Michelle, Richert
In the evening, we made our way to Laguna Beach, where we met up with many of our local friends as well as a few friends from Cleveland! We played volleyball (badly) on the beach, watched the sunset, ate great pizza and delicious cheesecake brownies made by Michelle and Daniella, and ended the night with some karaoke in Irvine. Couldn’t have asked for a better birthday – connecting and hanging out with great friends both old and new, phone calls from friends and family, spending the day with Michelle, and pizza. Pizza automatically makes any day great.
A few days later, Michelle, Iryna, Kevin and I embarked on a 4-day, 3-night hiking/camping trip to the Graveyard Lakes (not nearly as evil as it sounds) in the Sierra National Forest. It was about a 5 hour drive from Orange, and we stayed overnight in Fresno prior to starting the hike so we could begin early enough in the morning. On Sunday morning, we drove about 2 hours to the trail head on a winding, narrow “road” through the mountains. The hike to our campsite took about 7 hours, and was mostly uphill. By the time we got to the top, we were all pretty beat! We set up our tents and made dinner. Kevin, being an Eagle Scout, brought along all of the gear we needed to ensure our survival – stoves, pots/pans, water filters, and more.
Ross, Michelle, Kevin, Iryna
Our first night’s dinner was, believe it or not, Bulgogi. We’re certain we were the envy of any nearby campers, hikers, and bears. Over the next few days, we continued to explore our beautiful surroundings, fish (I learned that I’m not a fisherman), hike, eat, relax, and stare in awe at the stars each evening. Our final night, Kevin caught a bunch of fish which he and Iryna then cleaned and cooked. It was the ultimate camping experience! The hike back was tough but not as long as the hike up. We all had an amazing time and are looking forward to planning the next trip.
Now that we’re all back to reality, I’m really looking forward to the next few weeks. Visits from family and friends, lots of exciting cello things, and continued work on a bunch of personal projects.