They grow up fast!
This holiday season I was fortunate to spend some time with my only child, my daughter Savita, who lives in Berlin, Germany. She is finishing her master’s degree in journalism at an international university in Berlin, as well as working part-time for a company also based in Berlin. She came home for two weeks to spend time with me, her mom, and with extended family and friends. Two weeks is not a lot of time with all the social obligations that come with the holidays. Fortunately, she was able to extend her trip by one week and I was able to go on a ten-day road trip down the California coast to end her time with us.
We started in Monterey, which has been a special place for us since she was a young child. I started SCUBA diving when Savita was six years old. The Monterey Bay Aquarium was a way for me to share my love of the ocean and SCUBA diving before getting her SCUBA certification when she was eleven years old. I have donated to the Aquarium every year since Savita was little, and we love going there together.
Our next stop was to San Luis Obispo to see Savita’s mom, Kristina, and her wife Adrian. We stayed in downtown SLO, a few blocks from Kristina’s house, and enjoyed our time there with them.
Next on the tour was the Bacara Hotel in Santa Barbara. Savita loved walking a few minutes from our room to the beach. We also enjoyed catching the sunset for the three nights that we were there. Most of all I think she was enjoying sunny California while not missing the grey and cold of Berlin in the wintertime.
Finally, we made it to Irvine to see my uncle and aunt, Gary and Maya Matkin. Some of you may know them and recognize them in the pictures I am sharing with this newsletter. Savita flew back to Berlin from LA, and I miss her already. Looking forward to the next time I get to see her either back home in the Bay Area or in Europe, for as long as she chooses to live overseas.
Hoping you all had a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year. More on mortgage rates and market trends in the next issue.
As always, your mortgage guy,
Viral (Vic) Joshi
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