Simply Op

Walking around Corona del Mar, California has always been one of my go-to activities. Corona del Mar holds the number one spot for the most Opal steps taken in Orange County, the most pictures captured, and the most memories.

The stairs pictured above are significant because they are part of my beach loop walk. It goes a little like… cross walk, through the parking lot, up the stairs, sidewalk to the beach, across the beach, up more stairs, and back the same way I came. I can do it in under 1-hour (in case you wondered). I love a good walk loop; this one comes with an unforgettable view, too.

The Goldenrod Bridge is historic, charming, and always lined with flowers. It serves as a connector for inland streets to coastal streets. Sidenote: you can walk Goldenrod Street from Pacific Coast Highway (Starbucks and Bruegger’s Bagels on the corner) all the way to Lookout Point. Comment: We do have crime in CA (aka., why the police car photo bombed my pic).

This sign with a parking space count is actually new. At first, I was unsure if I liked the “upgrade”. However, now… I find it is kind of like a game. Before I walk the beach, I check the count. Then, when I pass it on my way back, I try to guess if it will be the same/different (pick a #). Today, I thought it would still be “full” and to my surprise I was wrong; there were 44 spaces opened up while I was meandering. (hah, sign-1, Opal-0, try again tomorrow).

The flower streets really do have beautiful flowers. The flowers (plants) here are actually one of my favorite things about Corona del Mar. It is like an endless game of “passerby, flower spy”. Corona del Mar (CA in general) is a photographer’s dream land. There is just always something to catch thy eye.

To get to the coastal streets, CVS, Mother’s Market, or my favorite CDM coffee shop (Reborn Coffee), you have to cross PCH. This crosswalk has taught me patience (a lot of patience). You know how people are always like, “Wait on God’s timing”… I feel like the crosswalk never ceases to remind me to wait… wait…wait. One thing California does have is … traffic (but you already knew that!). I will not miss the traffic; it is kind of exhausting.

Now that I have showed you a brief glimpse of Corona del Mar, it is time for me to take a moment to reflect. Since I have so many memories here, I will try to limit them and not write a novel. Let’s make a highlight list…
– My parents renting a house in CDM to Spring Break growing up (cue CA dream prompt)
– My very first traumatic California sunburn (a Spring Break trip in middle school); I was burned so badly after laying near the ocean on a cloudy day; when my mom told me to put on sunscreen, did I listen? … no. Lesson, learned (again).
– My first California kiss (like out of a Hallmark movie)
– My first California coffee shop “regular” status established at Reborn Coffee
– Walking through the Annual Newport Beach Sandcastle Contests
– Always walking the CDM Christmas Walk (despite immediate sensory overload)
– Walking through the Famer’s Market (rarely to buy anything other than a croissant from the Chaupain’s Bakery guy)
– Holiday(s) alone (I would take all the cards I received and go to the beach to read them)
– My parents canceling their annual trip to CDM (so, I stayed in their rental by myself for weeks)
– Staying in an Air b & b with mom (stressed by Opal buying a new car)
– My first studio apartment (that was not part of an apartment complex)
– Playing basketball at the small court near the soccer field (I would shoot hoops by myself for a few weeks and then not again for like 6+ months, lol)
– Lots of solitude (aka., walks around town, to the beach, to the library, etc.) and lots of photos (in my Instagram Era, I took thousands of pictures here)
– Hiking Buck Gully Trail with dad
– Eating (e.g., Bamboo Bistro, La Fogata, Zinc Cafe (until they changed owners), Dominoe’s pizza, and Mama D’s Italian Kitchen)
– Meeting new people and/or going on date(s) (e.g., library guy, military guy, mustache man, the barefoot man, landscape guy, plane pal, Peter, the man who lost his mom and visits the beach every morning to honor her, the cute little blonde family, etc.)
– Attending Tina’s Bible Study- we met on the sidewalk; after she complimented my cross necklace, she invited me to her little Bible group. Every once in a while, I would attend. She always invited me even though I was the youngest and definitely a fish out of water, so to speak.
– Watching sunrises and sunsets
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Living in Corona del Mar had always been a faint (seemingly unrealistic) dream. When I lived in Tustin, I had dreamed of living in Corona del Mar. I wanted to live near the ocean and not have to drive/locate parking every weekend. In 2023, with a well earning job and a readiness for change, somehow that dream became a reality. I think, I thought, maybe moving to CDM would give me new chances at connection and help me let go of a past chapter that held heartbreak. I quickly fell in love with morning beach walks (before work), appreciated the ease of access to stores (CVS, Mother’s Market), and held a lot of gratitude for the beauty surrounding me! As far as the connection mission, I achieved superficial statuses around town (aka., recognized by face/name) (e.g., the owner/baristas at Reborn, the lady who works the CVS counter, the boy who runs the cash register at Mother’s Market, the post office lady, neighbor1 (put her packages inside when I see them), neighbor2 (pet her cute dog), and the wise ones (chats with Peter and Tina who are both in their 70s). Moving to CDM, I suddenly had immediate access to everything within a steps reach. I actually had laundry in my apartment. I was slowly shifting from weekend coffee ventures to just staying put (8-years in a place will do that). Despite being exceptionally good at finding ways to entertain myself, I struggled with being alone all the time (loneliness) and I started to question my dream. I felt like I was watching everyone else enjoy life together… just an observer. The beach, the very thing that had once made me feel at ease also made me feel very small and very unknown. My dream was shifting and I was confronted with this question: should I choose family over California? I craved friends, family, and community (real ones). I wanted to enjoy coffee with someone else, walk with someone else, watch movies with someone else, play with someone else, go to church with someone else, and not miss out on holidays with family. This is where people will tell me… “You just long for a partner” (sidenote: I lowkey hate that remark even it holds truth). My heart was torn and it was the most confusing decision I have ever had to make.

Corona del Mar is the most beautiful, wealthiest, expensive, and loneliest place I have ever lived. I love it (the weather, the beauty, the walkability, the cafe culture) and I hate it (the loneliness, the crowds). Corona del Mar, I am going to miss you. I am going to miss the beach walks, the flowers, and the coffee shop that has been like my second home. I feel a strong sense of sadness because it feels like I have failed at “living the dream” and failed at “connection”. I am sad that choosing family was so confusing and so hard for me. Corona del Mar, thank you for teaching me a lot about myself, for giving me the opportunity enjoy solitude, for fueling daily creativity/exercise, for showing me what having people can look like, and for just being a large part of my California story. xoxo