Sequoia

Even though I had a weekend to refresh, I still don't like being an accountant. I had a 9:30 meeting to discuss how to record purchasing pesos and recording them in USD. It is a good that  I am part of the conversation so I am aware and can give input to the process. I just would rather be the one spending the money than recording it.

Now I'm gearing up for Q2 close. Every quarter, I truly forget how much work goes into the two-week process. There are so many reviews. I understand we have controls. I understand we are under GAAP. I understand the reporting deadlines. I understand that I have the security of knowing when I'll be busy. I understand I have the dream accounting job.

But it is not what I want anymore. My heart is somewhere across the country, away from spreadsheets and reconciliations.

We stayed at an AirBnB on Lake Kaweah, which was just 6 miles from the entrance to Sequoia National Park. The drive from Los Angeles was peaceful and not as windy as the drive up Big Bear Mountain. Lake Kaweah is massive. The sun was setting as I drove up to the AirBnB. I stopped to take in the view. The sun's reflection on the lake is exactly the spectacular ephemeral moment I wrote about in my Phantom story. The following day, the wind blew my hat into the water, and I chased after it, which is another moment in that story. From the page to reality.

The park was well maintained. Roads were smooth. We waited in line for 30 minutes to enter the park. When we were inside, the drivers revealed their worry about running out of gas. The dial was on E. We only had 40 miles left, but we were going uphill. We were cutting it very close. One of my greatest fears when driving Route 66 was running out of gas in the middle of nowhere. Word to the wise: always check and have a full tank before the next adventure. The law of attraction aka the SECRET came to play. We saw a tow truck assisting another car. We were able to get some gas, much to the relief of the people in the front seat.

I did expect the trees to be taller. I must have been thinking about Redwoods. Still, I was grateful for the fresh air and to be away from the city where the pandemic is always in my face.