Oh, you mean me?

I spent most of the week in San Diego at the bay.

First impression:

It's so cold! I thought I was staying at the beach. I thought this was California with sand, sun and waves. What gives?

Second impression:

Look at the diversity of the downtown area. Cool outdoor mall. I love the bay. I love to see the ships, boats and yachts. Look at the pelicans, herons and egrets. Can you believe how amazing these ships are? The Midway is incredible. I can see why someone could spend everyday watching the water.

Last impression:

I'm going to miss the bay. The boardwalk. The cute little shops, the beautiful walk along the water and the diversity of people and things.

I know the road to where I want to be looks a lot like the first picture, and sounds a lot like my impressions of San Diego Bay. It's not "all that" all the time. It's probably going to take some twisting turns, a walk through downtown with a group of people dressed in black giving away free hugs and seeing how many homeless there are before I see how much more there is.

But even when I didn't see it, it was there. I just had to see it through a different set of eyes. I had to experience it to know.

Yes, we'll jump on the writing business and tell the same story. The more I write and read, the more I see the whole industry through new eyes. And yes, I still believe that in the end, I'll see the it, like the bay, for what it really is- a marvel of new and old, nature and man's creation all working together to be a thing of beauty.