My parents are spending this week in Monterey. They’ve been there a million times, but I guess that’s what they like to do — go back to places with which they are familiar. Surprisingly, though, after I showed them photos from Point Lobos State Reserve, they actually decided to go there to hike it and see it themselves. I was really surprised because in most cases when I have given them recommendations on things to see and do, they rarely take me up on it because it’s new to them, and therefore foreign. My mom raved about how mild the weather was and the pretty scenery.

It makes me happy when my parents discover new things that they like and enjoy doing because it doesn’t seem to happen enough. They get too caught into their usual boring and everyday routines, and the curiosity to discover a world outside of what they know is rarely there. Maybe I shouldn’t doubt them as much as I do and keep suggesting new things to them.