I'm heading to the coast of California

Fortunately, it stays warm and therefore becomes a little more comfortable now. I'm leaving St. George, briefly passing through Arizona, and visiting the 'Valley of Fire' State Park in Nevada. For me, it's an incredibly beautiful park. Located 2 hours away from Vegas, it's surprisingly not mentioned much, but I enjoy the intense red rocks, rock formations, and spot a few bighorn sheep.

In Las Vegas itself, I make a detour - I've been there before and didn't feel the need to go again. In Henderson, I take a swim break in a great public pool with 13 lanes - a dream for any swimmer. There are many more wild cities in this area that, surprisingly, always have the greenest lawns and most beautiful gardens. A good example is, of course, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, and Indio, where a lot of money is invested so that the rich people don't lack anything. The Indian Wells tennis tournament (Roger!) is well known here. At least they make good use of the sun and wind energy in this region.

I have a funny encounter to tell you about. A mature lady asked me, 'Are you looking for a wife?' My answer was, 'Oh yeah, I'm always looking for a wife, why? Do you have a nice daughter?' She replied, 'No, but have you ever heard the word cougar?!' And after my response of 'yes, of course I like this animal. What can you offer me? A nice house?' she got annoyed. Strange!

I spent another day at Joshua Tree National Park, it's certainly special with its trees and cacti, but it didn't totally convince me. Maybe I'm just a bit spoiled by the other parks.

And now, I'm back by the sea on the California coast, in Carlsbad with the Stults family. They live practically on the beach, only 450 meters away, and Marcia & Steve have warmly welcomed me into their beautiful home. It's a dream to live here - almost every morning, there is a blue sky, temperatures between 20-25 degrees, jogging along the beach, trying to catch a few waves with a surfboard, doing my swim training in the outdoor swimming pool with a water temperature of 26 degrees, exploring the nearby area by bicycle, taking walks on the beach during stunning sunsets, and playing volleyball with the locals.

Marcia & Steve have been retired for 1-3 years, so luckily their daily life is not too stressful and it fits well with mine. Their two-year-old grandson Colt is here twice a week, and I enjoy spending time with him. At home, we keep busy with eating oranges and mandarins (from the garden!), playing card games frequently, talking with each other, or watching a movie. They are incredibly wonderful and warm-hearted people. Sometimes I feel almost like the son they never had (they have 3 daughters, don't worry, they're either married or not in the country). I managed to finally go and watch a college football game with Steve - San Diego Aztecs vs. Hawaii, Liesl (their youngest daughter, 28) came along to watch 'Free Solo' with me (a highly recommended movie), and Marcia and I did some cooking together, shopping, and various other activities.

Thanksgiving turned out a bit different this year. We did a lot of preparation the day before, and I was excited to get up on the 22nd. Unfortunately, overnight, most of the household fell ill, so they had to cancel the feast. Therefore, we ate the turkey and all the other dishes prepared on the following day, but in a smaller setting. The day was still extremely precious, primarily focused on bringing the family together, having a good time, and being grateful.

I'm enjoying my life by the beach and I wish everyone a great week :)