Ventura Highway

Priya Kanayson

photo credit: Priya Kanayson

I was driving down the California coast from Santa Barbara to Thousand Oaks last September after celebrating the union of two dear friends in a civil ceremony. Their wedding, like so much else, was yet another milestone delayed and altered by the pandemic.

It was a beautiful evening for a drive. Clear night. Full moon. I was basking in the afterglow of the small celebration, and the special sense of freedom that comes with driving along that coastal road—windows down, wind rushing through the car, music too loud.

As I rounded the 101, the moon’s rays hit the ocean and illuminated the shore in such a way that made me thankful to be there – to be alive – in that moment, witnessing the beauty that is so particular to California, so unreasonably capable of inspiring awe, hope, and immense gratitude. My heart swelled.

I pride myself on my composure. I don’t usually cry, but I couldn’t help but fly down that beautiful stretch of coast, in this harsh and lonely time, in that bittersweet moment, with tears in my eyes.

Priya Kanayson is a voracious reader making a foray into writing. She calls many places home, but California claims the biggest part of her heart. She works in global public health and advocates for policies and programs that reduce inequalities to improve health outcomes. @priyamvadak