Going Back to California ‘26

A special trip to California filled with family, lifelong friends, and gratitude. 

This year, we skipped our annual European summer beach holiday in favour of going back to California.

Normally, we wouldn’t dare visit the Central Valley in August, when the dry heat can be seriously intense. But this year was different. There was an 80th birthday to celebrate. And that was a milestone we simply didn’t want to miss.

A lot has changed since our last visit to California in April 2023. In March 2024, Kenz’s mum sadly passed away, while seven months later, my kid sister welcomed her first child. It was a poignant reminder of the circle of life.  So this trip was always going to be about family: spending quality time with our immediate family, celebrating milestones, making new memories and catching up with lifelong friends along the way.

Celebrating 80 Years of “Pop Pop”

Turning 80 is a pretty special milestone — eight decades of memories, stories and wisdom definitely deserves a celebration. We kicked things off for Kenz’s dad, affectionately known as “Pop Pop,” with lunch and wine tasting at Wente Winery in Livermore. Our host was incredibly generous, allowing us to enjoy a leisurely tasting with a few extra pours of their premium wines. We even picked up a bottle of Zinfandel for dinner at Zephyr in downtown Livermore.

The following day, Kenz’s older sister organised a family dinner at Delfina’s in Palo Alto to celebrate Pop Pop’s 8th decade. The house was beautifully decked out with a 1946/80th birthday theme, making the evening extra special.

We gifted Pop Pop a voucher for a few rounds of golf at a local country club — because apparently, 80 is no excuse to slow down on the golf course! Most importantly, Pop Pop got to spend his special day surrounded by his two children and five grandchildren.

 

A Little Family Reunion

We also had a mini family reunion on my side. My older sister made the trip over solo, leaving her teenage daughter and husband behind in Hong Kong. Lady Yeya was excited to meet her two-year-old baby cousin, whom she absolutely adores.

We had a lovely family day at the Sacramento Zoo. It may be compact, but it certainly packs in plenty of big animals — lions, giraffes, orangutans, rhinos, okapis and cheetahs. But of all the impressive wildlife, the kiddo’s favourites were the red pandas and those mischievous meerkats. My dad also organised a few dinners with family friends. In between meals, we took the kids to the local park and made time for two other essential California activities: Target and Trader Joe’s.

Lifelong Friends

No trip back to California would be complete without catching up with our closest friends. There were plenty of updates to catch up on: new jobs, new homes, parenthood, newly married friends and newly pregnant friends. Life has certainly moved on since we were all younger, but lifelong friendships have a funny way of making it feel like no time has passed at all. One meal together and suddenly you’re reminiscing, laughing about old stories and catching up as if you were never apart.

Going back to California always keeps us grounded and reminds us of what really matters. Most of all, we’re grateful for family, for lifelong friends who remain part of our journey through every chapter, and for the precious moments we get to share together.