It's come to the point when Q didn't know what to give me anymore. He has given me figures and toys that I've wanted for the past celebrations and he doesn't want to do that anymore. He didn't know what else I would want. Although he knows my style, he couldn't really shop for me either. So upon hearing that I wanted to go on a birthday trip, he decided that that'll be his birthday gift.
Originally, I wanted a big themed party. It was my 21st afterall. I've always wanted to organize an event. I felt that I'll have the most fun designing everything. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I can't have a party. Firstly, I have different groups of friends and given the age gap in those groups, I doubt that they would merge into one comfortable, happy mass of guests. I felt that the older ones are probably not going to even bother go since I don't plan on serving drinks. (I drank rebelliously when I was 15. But I never liked the taste. Probably because I drank cheap liquor but that didn't really encourage me to drink more as I grew up.) Secondly, I don't want to spend so much money to impress a whole bunch of guests and stress about their enjoyment. I thought that if there's anyone who should enjoy the most on my birthday, it should be me. So I decided that I will spend my money on a trip where I could sit back and relax.
With that decided, I shopped for places I could rent at AirBNB.com. I found one that I fell in-love with but I waited on booking it. When I got back from my trip in the Philippines, it was already taken and I had to look for another one. Q preferred just booking a hotel but I explained to him that I wanted a house or a little cottage; something that'll feel like home. I instantly fell in-love with the Chicken House. But it was an hour drive from Monterey where everything is so I passed up on it. I tried to book another place but the owner said that she'll be away during those dates so I kept looking. There were lots of affordable yet luxuriously poignant houses but they were all too big for two people who don't even plan to stay indoors at all.
Q suggested that we should just take the Chicken House. He told me that if it is THE house, we should just go for it. He assured me that he's fine driving an hour to Monterey and back again every day during our three-day-two-night stay. I knew how much I wanted to stay in the Chicken House as well so we went for it. Before I could even book it, Q immediately took over the computer and insisted that he'll pay for it. I really didn't expect this because I thought he was just planning to pay for everything else we'll be doing over there like eating out and visiting the aquarium but apparently, he planned to shoulder the expenses all this time. He didn't even want me to pay for gas but I insisted in an effort to not feel spoiled as much as I actually am.
Like I've been saying for the past couple posts, my life has been pretty stressful lately. The drive to Carmel Valley was long yet scenic.
The farther we went, the better I felt. I guess, I literally needed an escape to somewhere I wouldn't have to think about school and/or interact with people who I have difficulty getting along with.
Our host diligently reminded us to follow the directions she provided. I Googled the address beforehand and cross-referenced it to the one she e-mailed us. Google seemed to have given us the correct directions so we got there no problem. The Chicken House was at the very end of its street. I cannot express how happy I was when we got there. I haven't even set foot inside the house yet and I already felt at home. The air was very fresh and the weather was much better than I expected. While it's summer in L.A., it was already fall in Carmel. And fall is my favorite season!
Karen, our substitute host, greeted us upon our arrival. She apologized that the owner of the place, Susan, couldn't be there to greet us. When she showed us the house, I couldn't be any happier. It was a lot more beautiful than I thought and had the nicest feel to it.
There's no TV in the house which was fine since we were out most of the time anyways. However, there is a nice couch in the living room (which I got to sit on for a couple minutes and never again for the rest of our stay).
There's also a wonderful wood stove for heating up the place which Karen allowed us to use. I really wanted to try it since I never experienced a fireplace such like it but it seemed quite unreasonable to do so since it never got too cold during our stay.
The kitchen was more than we could ask for. There were plates, bowls and utensils in the cupboards. I'm pretty sure that if Q and I weren't fixed on trying some food places in Monterey and Carmel, we could easily cooked something in this well-equipped kitchen.
There's even food in the fridge.
Karen explained that they always leave some food in the fridge for guests since some of them arrive so late and there's no more food places open. Also, since the house is far from the village, some guests are too tired to drive once they arrive.
After showing us the house and letting us know where everything is, Karen suggested some places we could check out. She said that they would have taken the time to create a guide for their future guests if it weren't for the fact that they would have to close the Chicken House for a couple of months for personal reasons. Apparently, we were the very last guests before the close too.
Normally, I would be itching to go out but the Chicken House was too lovely that I have grown attached to it in so little time. It was around 3 when we got there anyways and so we decided to take a nap first and just head out around dinnertime.
The bed was the most comfortable bed ever. I don't travel a lot so I can't say I've tried different beds in different hotels but I definitely loved their bed.
I guess, a huge part of it was that the whole set-up felt very homely and intimate just like I wanted it to be. It was like living my dreams of having a cute house one day where I get to spend my entire life with the person I love most.
We took a shower before going out. I realized that despite having all of my vanity paraphernalia, I forgot to bring basic things such as shampoo, conditioner and my toothbrush. Good thing that the house supplied these items too.
In fact, there was a lot more things there than we needed such as body scrubbers, facial tissues, dental floss, Q-tips and pain relievers.
Last but definitely not the least was the dining area.
It doesn't look like much but it was my favorite part of the house. The sunlight just seems to flood this part beautifully every time. It overlooks the patio shared by the Chicken House and the main house which has some benches and a BBQ. We were actually allowed to use it too but we didn't. If only we had more time or if we didn't get married to the idea that we will go out around the area, I would have definitely spent more time in this house. I would have made ourselves some hot chocolate, sit down and talk.
I'd have to say that the Chicken House alone made everything worth it. It was the loveliest house I've been in and the most comfortable I've ever felt. If I didn't have these photos, I'd doubt myself if I was actually able to experience something so beautifully surreal. I would keep on going about how much I loved the house if only I have the words to paint it as gorgeous as it actually was but I don't. Besides, there were more things I enjoyed in Carmel and Monterey to talk about.
