Mimi’s Voyage Begins
Mimi Sets Sail — First Stop: California
]日本語版はこちら →
https://note.com/mimisun549/n/nb79e77eb4a5a
Boooooo—! The ship’s horn sounds. And off we go…
After my husband passed away, I found myself alone in a big house in Rhode Island. I kept telling myself, I’ll figure it out somehow. It'll be okay.
And somehow, time just kept passing.
Then finally, I made the decision.
I sold my nearly 5,000-square-foot “palace,” packed up my life, and decided it was time to set myself free and start a new chapter somewhere new.
My destination?
California—3,000 miles across the country, where my younger son lives near San Francisco. And my first port of call: Sausalito, a charming little waterfront town just across the famous Golden Gate Bridge, and quite possibly one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Perched on a hillside is my son’s tiny apartment—not even 750 square feet. And guess what? I fell in love with it.
“I will be your guest for a while, whether you like it or not.” 😆
And just like that, I arrived in what may be my favorite town in the world.
A week later, the moving truck showed up. Boxes. Boxes. And MORE boxes. Things that could never possibly fit into this tiny apartment came pouring in. I can’t even remember what half of them contain anymore. Yet there they are—things I apparently could not bear to throw away, treasures from my former life that I will probably never use again—stacked practically to the ceiling, both here and in a storage unit. From a palatial American home…to a one-bedroom apartment. 😳
From a palatial home to a tiny one-bedroom apartment. 😳
Even my beloved Tesla made the transcontinental journey, arriving in California on a car carrier.
I take a deep breath.
The California air feels open, casual, completely unpretentious.
I haven’t felt this relaxed in a very, very long time.
“Hi! Good morning!” I feel as though I could become friends with everyone in town. I can walk to yoga, the hair salon, little ethnic restaurants…And every morning, I let my temptation win for for a croissant and latte at a stylish cafe. Why not??
I even found a street piano in the park. I played Chopin. And the tourists applauded. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Hahahaha! 🤣
Everyone walking around town looks tanned, healthy and active. Muscular, good-looking cyclists pedal their way up these ridiculously steep hills.Wait a minute…Some of those people are grandpas and grandmas in skin-tight cycling pants—and they are POWERFUL!!I. I want to do that too!! Maybe with an e-bike. 💪🏽💪🏻💪🏻
Ohhhh, I LOVE places like this. ❤️
From the Tesla radio come the familiar sounds of Hotel California and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
And suddenly I realize something.
This place reminds me of the town in Japan where I grew up. The hill from the train station to our house was steep enough to leave me breathless. But from the south-facing window of my childhood bedroom, I could see the Seto Inland Sea. That view is still etched into my memory. Back then, I thought it was the most beautiful place in the world.
Pine trees stretched their crooked branches toward the sky. And now, here on the other side of the Pacific, I see that same extraordinary strength in the roots of trees powerful enough to break through paved ground. Perhaps they are cousins of the trees I knew as a child.
My son’s hillside apartment has floor-to-ceiling windows—an entire wall of glass overlooking San Francisco Bay. With a view like this, who cares how small the place is? 😂
The air is crystal clear. Clouds float through a brilliant blue sky. Across the bay, San Francisco may be covered in gray clouds, while over here, the sun is shining. Below that endless blue sky stretches a cobalt-blue sea, dotted with white sails puffed proudly in the wind as the boats glide slowly across the bay.
Hmm.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll go kayaking. Or perhaps I’ll try SUP?
My list of things I want to do keeps getting longer and longer.
And I wonder:
Is it really possible to live like this—day after day, with nothing weighing on your mind?
Because only two weeks earlier, I was fighting my way through one of the hardest periods of my life.
I was desperately trying to sell the large American home that held more than ten years of memories.
From the moment I decided to sell it, I was confronted with countless decisions I never imagined having to make alone.
There were nights when I woke in panic, startled by the pounding of my own heart. And somehow, I got through those nights all by myself. I kept believing that if I could just make it through this, freedom would be waiting on the other side.
But sometimes that carefree life seemed to be drifting farther and farther beyond my reach. Again and again, I wondered whether I would ever be lucky enough to create the life I imagined for myself.
The stress and difficulties were unlike anything I had experienced before, and at times I felt crushed under their weight.
I let go of the business my late husband had built.
I let go of our home.
Belongings filled with memories left my hands.
Even my grand piano went to someone else’s home.
And whenever I suspected someone might be taking advantage of me because I was “just a Japanese widow who didn’t know how things worked,”
I planted my feet firmly on the ground.
No way in hell am I going down like this!!
Goodbye to all those bitter feelings.
Since Bruce died, I had swallowed my sorrow and frustration, telling myself that everything would work out if I were simply the one who endured.
But now, one by one, those feelings are beginning to disappear.
The frustration, resentment, and anxiety that had clung to me for so long are finally lifting—like the fog over San Francisco Bay, burning away in the afternoon sun until the sky becomes so brilliantly blue that you almost forget the fog was ever there.
Sitting on a terrace high above the bay, across the water from San Francisco, holding a glass of white wine before dinner and gazing at a view so beautiful it almost takes my breath away. Sometimes I feel almost guilty for being this happy.
But you know what?
I’m going to let myself enjoy it.
At least for now, I’m giving myself permission to celebrate—to enjoy this happiness as my reward.
No more worrying about what anyone else thinks.
I’m going to spend my time for me.
I’m going to try everything that sounds interesting, ridiculous, silly, adventurous and fun. I’m going to do plenty of things that make absolutely no sense for “someone my age” or for whatever other people expect me to be.
Because I’ve decided: This is my life now.
The voyage begins—wherever the wind takes me!
And so begins my voyage—wherever the wind takes me! ⛵️
Next stop… your town??? Here I coooooome!
Once she’s ready to sail, no one knows where the Mimi will drop anchor next. I’m certainly not expecting smooth sailing. I’ll head toward the next port, sometimes sailing against the wind, sometimes tossed around by rough seas.
And allow me to keep posting my articles and photos as randomly as ever—whenever the mood strikes me.
What do you think of a life like this? I’ve decided it suits me just fine, at least for now. In fact, I’ve awarded myself an official, medal-worthy PERMISSION to live exactly that way. No asking anyone’s approval. I’ll simply give myself to the wind and see where it carries me. If I can navigate the rest of this life that way, I’ll be very happy indeed.
P.S.
Oh yes, one small detail.
San Francisco is said to be one of the most expensive places to live in America. And YES‼️ It certainly is.
Unfortunately, every place I actually looked at seems to be outrageously expensive. 😂. If I sell my palace and use the money to buy a place one-tenth the size, apparently I’m supposed to consider myself lucky.
Are you kidding me?!
So, for now, I’ve chosen the rent-free option.
My son’s place is just a small one-bedroom apartment, and thankfully, I’m staying with him rent-free. Meanwhile, even a modest two-room apartment around here can cost somewhere around $7,000–$8,000 a month.
My rent? Maid service. 🤣🤣🤣
I’d love to hear your thoughts—and I’ll happily accept your cheers and encouragement too.
One of these days, I’d love to start broadcasting LIVE from this town.
When I do, I hope you’ll come along for the ride.
