On the last day of our trip we left Gualala by 11am, after several rounds of Kona Coffee and delicious Lisa’s Jam on toast. It was a breezy windy drive through fog, and we made it to Monte Rio beach by 1pm. Rio Cafe serves delectable ice creams more like frozen custards and some basic meals. A hearty lunch and we were off the Russian River.

The river was quite shallow and the drought was clearly visible. The algae made it appear greener than I recall. We spend some time by the river before hitting the road again towards San Rafael.

Nothing special about San Rafael, except for the fact that it is the decision point before taking 101 or 580… we took 101. We wanted to go for coffee to Fox and Kit, but as expected we were distracted by the Copperfield’s Books. A warehouse of books awaited us. I am lagging behind and hence decided against buying Whereabouts, Jhumpa Lahiri’s latest. It’s about urban solitude. Hmm… as I read the short snippet on the covers, I wondered how similar the story seemed to the life I live. Sigh!

We had a quick stop at Lotus to buy Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade, and some sundry items. We were the tourists in San Rafael, figuring out the area and the downtown. It was fun.

We drove the final stretch and were home by 6:30. And after a night dinner and Sapporo we retired for the night. I slept the best sleep since last six nights. And woke up to the comfort of our home that we missed so much.

Tomorrow I turn 38! 2 years to 40! How do I feel? Strangely I wonder if I am mature enough to be 38. And at the same time I wonder if there other 38 year olds who have lived a life as colorful and varied as mine. At 38, I feel cautious of the years ahead, and fondly cherish the years behind me.