A doorway in the Old City of Cartagena in Colombia

San Diego in Cartagena

That blog post title is a mouthful - LOL!

I'm woefully behind in my photo editing right now. I've still got photos from Scotland that need editing, and I have tons of photos from Cartagena that also need editing, plus I'd like to get a Cartagena gallery going on my website. 

I have this picture in my mind of me at 90 years old, hunched over a computer, trying to get all my photo editing done before I die!

The cover photo on today's post was one of those moments of synchronicity, coincidence, or whatever you like to call it. It felt like a little nudge from God - "Here, this is the one for Wednesday's post." 

I was struggling yesterday with where to begin with some photo editing, and I wanted to get a jump on today's blog post. I pulled up some of the photos from Cartagena and here was this one with the words "San Diego" on the side of the house. 

I remember taking the photo on a Saturday morning in the Old City in Cartagena. I went with my son for the morning while my DIL and the baby stayed at the condo.

I was struggling a bit to find focus because it was so bright outside and even with a lens hood it was hard to avoid glare and lens flare. I kept sticking my hand up in the air to block the sun while trying to take the photo with my other hand.

There are always so many little things that can go wrong when you're trying to get a good photo!

I wanted to take photos in the old city that morning and not worry about the baby getting antsy in her stroller. It was a nice time with my son and we stopped in a cute little place for brunch along the way. 

I was getting lots of fun photos of the doorways in the city when we came across this one with the word "San Diego." It was the home's address, and it makes perfect sense that we'd see the word San Diego in Cartagena since San Diego is Spanish but it was still fun coming across this on the wall.

It inspired me. 

I had to get a photo, not only for the cool address but also for the vibrant foliage growing down from the terrace above. I was so taken with the doorways in Cartagena.

I'm not the only one. I saw tons of paintings of the many doorways while we were there. My DIL bought a couple of small ones herself. They now hang in their kitchen. 

The synchronicity of the photo? 

I'm on my way to San Diego today. I'm heading out for my (former) father-in-law's celebration of life. 

I mentioned in an earlier blog post that he (Hugh) died on Thanksgiving. March is his birthday month, so the celebration is this weekend. 

I'm looking forward to being in San Diego again. I haven't been for five or six years.

Since I moved to Georgia, I've never gone this long without going back. We used to go once or twice a year as a family. It's a good thing we had flight benefits!

After my divorce, I went and stayed with my in-laws a few years in a row but that tapered off and I hadn't had a chance to get back out there.

Sadly, now Hugh is gone, but in the last few years I don't think he would have known me, so I'm sort of glad I didn't see him like that.  

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and having all the "kids" in one place too!

I've thought a lot about how death is such a poignant reminder that life goes on...always, even when we want to stay in a certain moment or time or season of life.

In our youth-obsessed culture, it's easy to forget that growing old is a privilege, and it's one not everyone gets, so it's nice to celebrate someone who had a good long life. 

I'm taking my camera but I don't know how many opportunities I'll get for photos. I'll try! 

I'm excited to stay with a college friend I haven't seen in about six years and hope to see a couple of other friends in between the family gatherings as well.

I hope I get some good photos and maybe even get some time to edit them (and my Scotland photos, and my Cartagena photos...) when I get back!

See you between the raindrops!

xoxo,
Susan