Monterey, CA

Wednesday, Sept. 1st. Los Angeles.
"What are you doing for the labor day weekend?"
"Nothing. You?"
"I don't know yet. I'm getting an extra day off."
"Come visit me! [pause] There's a cheap airfare on..."
"Yeah? Should I? Should I?"

Saturday, Sept. 4th. SFO airport.
"Haniiiiiiiiiiiii"
"Aaaaaaaaah"
And hugs. And greetings. And 'nice-to-meet-you' to her boyfriend. And talking.
"It doesn't feel like I hadn't seen you for awhile!"
"The last time was...last Thanksgiving when you came to visit me in LA."
Jean, her boyfriend, "That has been awhile then."
"Well, Jean, it just means that Harah didn't really miss me."
And laughter.

It has been this way for..about five years, now. Prompt decisions and appeals to travel. Harah has always been easy to talk to, who listened and gave advices, who was open for advices and contradictory ideas, who was there for you to cook for you and be with you.

We caught up in the car, on our way back to Monterey, Jean being our silent faithful driver. Harah informed me of our schedule for the next three days as if she was a travel agent.
Jean and Harah seemed like a married couple already--everything they did seemed natural, and I could sense the maturity and depth of their love when they talked about each other in the other's absence. They looked lovely together. Living in this beautiful city, one of the honeymoon places in this country, maybe they had adapted themselves into a honeymooney couple. And maybe it was them, maybe it was the place, but I had never missed Alvin as much as I did there.

Jean and Harah took me to 17-mile drive, an aquarium, and......many other gorgeous places I cannot remember the names of (sorry Harah :/). One of "Jean's pointers" in 17-mile drive insisted of a path through a luxurious hotel, right besides a huge golf course. The green pastures followed by rocky blue ocean. I couldn't stop letting out my admiration: Waaaaw. Aaah. Ooooh. Haaaa!! Pictures. Food. Food. Pictures. Everything with a good amount of time. And more food. Maybe that's why I like traveling with Harah so much.
I even got to visit a military base with two marines who go to Harah's church to practice their Korean. I expected something I had seen in Hurt Locker, but it was rather....well, unbusy and peaceful.

"You literally saw EVERYTHING around here," Jean would reiterate on my last day there, when we went to a sushi restaurant where Harah used to work at.
"Fiiine. I won't come back to bother you. You come to LA next time, then."

Beautiful people in beautiful places. Another awesome trip with Harah+1. Check.