I’m enjoying my last day here in Santa Barbara. It has been an incredibly relaxing and restorative adventure; plus hanging out with my best friend is awesome in of in itself. Now that she’s a mom (with another on the way), it’s safe to say the dynamic of our activities has changed drastically. 

6 years ago, when I first started making trips while Melissa attended UCSB, our shenanigans were more booze than diapers as they are now. Beer Pong, collective music events in people’s dorm rooms, and the post-drinking hangover bing-eating has been replaced with kid-friendly aquarium trips, frequent bathroom trips, and all-organic living. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate it, it’s just… different.

Being in that awkward adult without kids phase as your friends are being domesticated one by one is an odd experience. That said, we did have an absolute blast having brunch by the bay.

Me, little Kayra, Melissa, Jenn and baby Emily

Doing virtually anything by the water is a fantastic experience. We got together with some of the women in her church group and they were all lovely people. The kiddos were well-behaved during the whole experience and the food was pretty legit. Our conversation varied between current events, parenting, the decline of quality in television shows for children, etc. I’m hyper-vigilant when it comes to my conversations around children as I tend to have a potty mouth at times, ha. After brunch, we strolled down the art walk.

The art walk showcased many talented people with great works of art. I saw a lot of handmade goodies like pottery, baby/kid clothes, crochet/knit items, fine jewelry, and some beautiful canvas art. It was about 6 blocks long. Eventually I did cave and get little souvenirs for my niece and nephews. One of the biggest things I appreciate about Santa Barbara is the community support of local businesses, it’s such a neat thing to experience.

Overall, I’m embracing the evolution of my friendship. Though I have to admit that it’s a bit of a culture shock at times. Though there aren’t any babies in the near future for me (which I’m very happy about), I’m totally ok with my friends having them. Lastly, we’re still able to have a good time together, just less talk about hot dudes and more on play dates. 🙂