I know, I know, I initially scoffed that Californians don't really understand hot. They haven't lived in the southeast where the temperatures top 98 degrees and are accompanied by an 80% humidity ratio. On days like these the heat cannot be escaped by dipping into the shade and the air is so heavy it is like breathing through a wet washcloth.
Heat in California means something different. Just look at that sky: endless blue. Which essentially equates to zero cloud coverage. The sun is just so powerful, blazing relentlessly, heating up the rocky earth and radiating from the ground and shriveled plant life. And it is sunny everyday.
It was on a day like this that Justin suggested we drive to the San Gabriel mountains.
We cruised up the freeway with the sun chasing us the entire way, soaking into the black interior of his old-school Porsche. The only relief was the rush of air through open windows and the beads of water sweating off my water bottle. Our skin was covered in a sheen of sweat and my hair was starting to stick to my forehead and neck as we entered into the Angeles National forest and started to climb.
It blows my mind that I live less than an hour from views like this. It is a long shot from the verdant sloping hills in Kentucky. Here is a beauty that no longer depends on foliage and waves of vibrant grass, but rather is about absence.
All around you is sky and air, broken by the jutting peaks, rocky cliffs, and spiny shadows of plants. Gone is the constant rush of traffic; the only sound is that of the wind. The roads are like ribbons of black tarmac winding themselves around the crests of mountains, barley contained by sandy shoulders. Succulents, cacti, and ghostly pines sit like lonely sentinels along the roadside.
It sounds romantic, but boob sweat is not. And that was the price I had to pay.
I will take a moment to talk about the dress I am wearing. I am absolutely in love with it. It is sewn using McCall's M6558. I used dress pattern "B" and modified to make it above the knee length instead of maxi. I deeply <3 off-the-shoulder dresses. It like showing skin but in an off-hand, bohemian way.
It is such a comfy dress, with an elastic waist and all those floaty layers. The fabric is a lovely navy polyester blend covered in tiny daisies. It is very light, feminine and flirty with the way the wind teases the ruching at the hemline. It probably took about three hours to make and I have worn it a million times.
In other news, yeah, Justin and I don't take selfies well together. Goofy meets clueless.
Despite the heat, I wouldn't trade our time in the San Gabriel mountains. It was undeniably gorgeous. Sometimes after I visit an especially beautiful place, I dream about it later. Last night I dreamt about the San Gabriel mountains. I heard the roar of the flat six, felt the engine vibrating through my seat, and watched the nose of the car hug the corners of the road where it met the cliff. Everything was sandy tones of green and amber.
And it felt like waking up.
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