Coloma, Califonia - Family Reunion!

It's been years and years since my mom's side of the family were all together.

As children all of us cousins would have big gatherings over easter and fiercely compete over who was going to find the most Easter eggs. But then we all grew up and got busy with life. But now we are all in the parenthood phase of our lives and it seems only right that we have gravitated towards one another again. And it is so very natural that our kids should all laugh and play together, as we once did.

And so we headed east from the out skirts of San Francisco and through the wide, dry and hot Central Valley of California. Past Sacramento, the state's capital city, and up into the foothills of the mountains that rise up in the east. The foothills here are dusty and covered with oak trees. The rivers that run through it are filled with snow melt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. And once upon a time those rivers brought something else with them besides the all important ingredient of water... Gold...

But more on that interestingly shiny phenomenon later in the week. For now our family was happy to be transversing the Central Valley and finding our way to the small river resort of Coloma California. The town sits on the sight of the happy incident of the discovery of the first Gold Nugget. It's been deemed a historic site and is part of the national park system. Old remnants of the mill and miners equipment lie along the river, reminding us of the gold rush of 1849.....

My sister has been the instigator of this family reunion. And it was the perfect choice for our families all to come together in as we all share the summer memories of gold panning from our youths. I suppose it is natural when the generation before you passes on the balance of power shifts and a new shuffling comes about. My sister brings her quiet matriarchal mark to the family and if it weren't for her there wouldn't be 50 plus people coming from all over the United States to descend upon this sleepy little camp sight. Quite a feat really, especially when you think of the logistics of where everyone is coming from. Even though we get the award for longest distance traveled, a good many US states are represented: Utah, California, Texas, Arkansas, Georgia, New York.... 

I have always envied families that live close together and enjoy Sunday roasts and can watch every soccer match and ballet show. But fate didn't give that to me, and I supose that is what I am creating in my own lovely little family unit. But then I supose the grass is always greener and for me the idea of coming together after so long apart has such a charge that it must come from my childhood. Look out if there are any Cadburry Chocolate eggs!

Once we cross over the American river via a narrow one laned cement bridge we find our campsite sitting right on the river. Sweet! We are booked into what I think is just a cabin, but in reality when we get there we find it is actually an old care-takers house - complete with air conditioning, full kitchen, two bedrooms and a huge living room and wrap around porch! We have just scored "the" place to be for the weekend. Enough room for everyone to squeeze in and jostle around in good humored comradery.

And no sooner had we dropped our bags than we hit the river and start finding the cousins.... There is something very special about blood links, and within oh, about 20 seconds everyone had found friends and were busy in their "getting to know you". Commence a black berry picking good time!

And so the family reunion begins.....

And We're Off Again..... California Bound!

It's been a year and a half since the last time I traveled to California. The last time I boarded a states-bound Air New Zealand flight it was on a compationate fare to deal with my unexpectedly dying father.

So I must admit that I had some mixed feelings when we loaded up the car and headed to the airport. It has been a year and a half, and we've been on several trips since then, so traveling wasn't the issue. It was returning to the land that I grew up in, but this time without my parents to give me a homecoming. The weeks leading up to the trip saw me either stewing about past events or busily trying not to think about the trip. Not my usual prepared self. 

But real life is always a good reality check. The "quiet moments" that I got to sit and stew are few and far between. I am hardly alone in this world, traveling with my loving husband and four kids in tow and they surround me with a love that will break through any malaise. 

And, for the first time in my adult life, we are heading to California for a family reunion, so I'm not entirely sure why it was so hard for me to see past the pain and not realize the good! With all the loss in the previous year this new generation has decided to make a claim on our family and reunite for some long overdue bonding time. Cousins galore for my troupe and hopefully the closure that I didn't even realize that I needed. 

So here go the jet engines. California here we come!