Riding by the Giraffes

20 minutes of riding takes me to work everyday. Do I get sweaty and look disgusting for my PR job? Do I see any strange animals?


Early in the morning it's cold enough that I barely break a sweat - and luckily, for halfway it's downhill. Arriving at work I'm buzzing on adrenaline, not caffeine. The route is by the beach in Santa Barbara with the sailboats visible in the anchorage offshore. I look out with nostalgia.

The icing on the cake is the lake we ride by, full of ducks and lillies backdropped by the Santa Ynez Mountains. On the other side of the lake is the zoo, which I didn't actually realize was there. Then one day I saw a giraffe through the foliage. Wait, was that really a giraffe?? I keep my eye out now, and sure enough, there's three of them. I should go visit them, since I say "good morning" to them everyday.

Not having a car brings some unforeseen benefits.