Big Sur

  The empty blue sky of space says 'All this comes back to me, then goes again, and comes back again, then goes again, and I don't care, it still belongs to me.' 

Jack Kerouac, Big Sur

Spring Break 2014:

A time where most Prescott College students take full advantage of, and head off on road trips to Joshua Tree for climbing, Colorado for snowboarding and skiiing, Lake Havasu for recreation, or, like myself, the California shores.

 Now, we stopped in several places before and after we made it to Big Sur, but nothing really holds a candle to it, so I'm just going to fast forward!

The part of me that's romantic for the world and all it's wonders has been infatuated with even just the idea of a road trip to the glorious Pacific, particularly the central/north coast, where you venture away from hoards of people and towards full immersion into the stunning Santa Lucia Mountains. 

These mountains are what make Big Sur so beautiful. They cut sharply and steeply in, and the waves just crash like orchestral cymbals! 

For the Spanish-speaking connoisseurs out there, Big Sur is derived from "el sur grande," meaning the Big South. This is in reference to its location south of the Monterrey Peninsula, yet another breathtaking place I'll probably end up going to next spring break....

Anyway, with our car packed full of camping gear, food, and restlessness, we set out to Big Sur, arriving on a Wednesday afternoon. We claimed the very last spot at a campsite called Kirk Creek in the Los Padres National Forest, and promptly set up camp, made some dinner, and eagerly awaited sunset. 

When sunset came, we weren't even remotely prepared for the incredible color spectacle that is the only result of sun, sea, and a lack of outside interference. 

We also made some friends that night, a couple fellow campers, and threw together a make-shift party, celebrating the luck and life of the moment! (Let me have my romanticism..)

In my time camping, I've found that in the morning, when the sun's up, I'm up. So after a short night's sleep, I rustled together some breakfast for the group, and started getting ready for the day. 

Now come's my favorite part: actually going in (sort of) to the mighty ocean. 

So check this out: 

This is your typical "beach" at Big Sur... Not really sand so much as rocks.. lots and lots of sharp rocks, in fact... and not to mention that this is at the base of a cliff!

Basically it's kind of a moderately risky situation to think about coming here. If only I had a picture of the waves crashing over those rocks, that were literally fifteen feet above my head!

So what do I and my friend do?

We climb up!

We climbed up that rock in the middle, all the way to the top, and sat there in silence as waves crashed over us and around us. It was beautiful, honestly, and in those moments there was literally nothing else on my mind. 

You see, that's what places like this do to you-- they cleanse you and purify you, they release your negativity and allow you to be and to breathe. 

In an amazing array and combination of sense and element, I felt renewed. The waves, the sun, the wind, the rock... it all came together and allowed me to feel pure euphoria, even if just for our short time there. I cling to those moments, and that's what makes me such a romantic-- I seek more of them, more places that give me that and more people to share them with. 

So call me a romantic, a dreamer, whatever name you can think of, I'm in love with the world and I don't really mind all that much. It's too incredible to not experience. 

 Something good will come out of all things yet--And it will be golden and eternal just like that--

There's no need to say another word.

Jack Kerouac, Big Sur

--Steph Doss