SURFIN' SAFARI SUMMER TWO - DAY EIGHTEEN - August 27, 2020


We took off to Beautiful Laguna Beach on Wednesday. It’s about 80 miles south of Los Angeles and, just like lots of other once out-of-reach locations, is now accessible because of the thinner traffic.



I love Laguna and have so many things to say about it, but the purpose of the Safari was to get Anna out of the house and I used a visit to her old friend Lori Kahn as bait.

Lori and Anna go back to a legendary trip in the ‘90s through Guatemala and environs. I had a good time watching her work with Anna. Every person takes a different approach, and it is refreshing to see them try their hand at so unwieldy a task (and get a freakin' break).
Without further ado here is Lori Kahn:

My Safari with Anna

I have been hoping Stephen would choose the waves of Laguna Beach for one of his Surfing Safaris this summer and bring my dear old friend Anna along and was so excited and happy to get his text and within a few hours to see Seabiscuit pull up in front of my house.

I felt like a kid at Christmas waiting impatiently for Santa to arrive with my gifts!! I ran outside to greet them and there she was, she jumped out of the car all smiles and laughter and recognition!! I swept her up in my arms and laughed too!

She was so familiar, bright and animated! We loaded up with beach gear and walked down to the shore looking for a spot to set up camp with access to waves for Stephen.



The tide was high and still coming up and a patch of dry sand took some time to find but we finally settled in. We walked together down the beach and I shared old stories of so many good times with Anna. She listened and acknowledged each story with a resounding “yes, yes!!” and we laughed a lot. We played at the edges of the water, held hands, hugged and felt joyful just to be in each other’s company.


There were moments I saw her slip into the recesses of her own thoughts and memories as if a dark cloud fell over her and she was filled with waves of sadness, anger and frustration. Her ability to express herself in complete sentences has escaped her, but the words she was able to say and the emotions that accompanied them were enough for me, just to simply be with my friend on this mysterious journey she is on.

We decided to leave the high tide in search of tacos and went to La Sirena where we could sit outside. Stephen and I talked and Anna was present, listening, interjecting her nods and smiles of acknowledgment.




We ran to grab Stephen’s board and set out for the right spot for him to drop in for a sunset surf. He can tell you about that. I helped Anna shower and dressed her in some of my clothes and shoes. It made me so happy to be with her, to care for her and listen as she struggled to express herself. I am so grateful to Stephen and have a newfound respect for how he has devoted his life to caring for Anna, truly living the marriage vows of “in sickness and in health” that none of us could imagine might happen when we actually make those vows.

It made me want to see her more and often. The darling Anna I have known for 30+ years is still in there. She looks the same, that curly hair and petite fit body. I could feel her inside that frame, looking out, with glimpses of familiarity and recognition and moments where she slipped away, but I held on and hold on, not just to the many happy memories but even more precious to me are these moments now, they seem to count so much more.



My heart is full.

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