Waze: Don’t Leave Home Without It!

 I don’t know what California I had previously been to, but the one I visited this past weekend was a whole lot greener than I ever remembered.  I know my memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be, but I remember miles and miles of brown terrain and over the last few days, it was just not the case! Our visit brought us to a wedding in Southern California and then immediately afterwards, I headed further south to visit a dear friend in San Clemente.  All green.  In fact, lush green. Where had I been? Where was I now?  I felt somewhat vindicated when my friend said, “Isn’t everything so beautifully green now?  Everything is usually so brown but we have had so much rain lately, it was worth it!  Problem solved.  My memory isn’t as bad as I thought.  

I’m an east coast gal but there was one thing that I felt perfectly at-home with while on the west coast: understanding and conquering congested and fickle traffic patterns.  Whether I was with fellow wedding guests or my friend in San Clemente, many of our conversations centered around either when was the best time to leave for LAX or whether Waze or Google Maps was more accurate?  When I am with friends and colleagues from other parts of the country and I venture into similar conversations, I at best, get some rolled eyes, or at worst, I receive comments like, “We are in Omaha, there is no need to be at the airport three hours early.” I always beg to differ, because you never know.   My “airport planning” is just as important as how many pairs of shoes I pack for a long weekend.  They both have to be just right.  I know that my husband loves me when the last thing he says to me over the phone, the night before I am to travel, is “Don’t forget to check Waze as soon as you get up.”  (Clearly, Waze is our family fave.)

After quite a few hugs, smiles, a few tears and a few delicious margaritas, I am headed home. After four glorious weather days, I know the lushness of the scenery will continue… it just started to rain!

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