Visiting Yosemite and Storms Along the Way

Today we awoke to a rather chilly day in Berkeley and made our preparations to head out to one of the most spectacular parks in the world. One quick side note about Berkeley, the students and residents of the university and city were absolutely wonderful to us; we couldn't have asked for a nicer group of people. We also want to thank Aliou's roommate JIllian for being such a great host as well.
The drive to the park took about 4 hours and offered us an other fascinating vista of California. Green rolling hills, turned into lush forests which transformed into the magnificent Yosemite National Park. Pictures nor words can describe the immense beauty of this natural wonder. Sheer rock cliffs and towering formations overwhelm you the moment you cross into the park. It took us about an hour to get into Yosemite Valley which is the hub of the park. From this area you can explore all the well known sites such as Half Dome and El Capitan. We decided to check out a couple of things and not overwhelm ourselves with too much since we only had a few hours. The Park Ranger advised us to check out Yosemite Falls which is one of the highest waterfalls in the world. This was an extremely easy walk which ended up being a prologue to our arduous hike to Columbia Rock. This involved hiking a steep winding trail that led up a mountain culminating in reaching a fantastic rock that offered an incredible view of the park. We could have gone farther up the trail but it was starting to rain, and we had to get back on the road. We had originally intended to stay overnight but Alexandra was not thrilled about spending the night in an unheated tent. It ended up getting sold out after we debated the pros and cons for an hour. Personally, I would have enjoyed hearing Alexandra complain all night even if that meant I was miserable too. I have always enjoyed getting a good laugh at Alexandra's discomfort. Alexandra just told me I sound like a creep.....I hope everyone realizes that I am kidding.
Anyway, we set out on the road again determined to reach Los Angeles by this evening, so we could relax tomorrow. The following hours ended up being a metaphor for life. It rained the entire 7 hours from Yosemite to Redondo Beach and it took all my effort and determination to get us there safely. Torrential downpours swept the area at times and the winds gusts rocked the car but we continued on the journey. It kind of reminds me of these past five years. The road that I took was not easy but I did my best and I knew that all adventures good or bad will eventually come to an end. The crazy drive finally ended in paradise in southern California even if it is was still raining when we arrived. I hold out hope that tomorrow will be a beautiful day and the brilliant sun will break out and shine on the Boehm twins. We both could use a good tan. Despite the weather, today was a surreal day, and the inspiration I received from Yosemite will live on.