"But sometimes in my sidetracks and impatience, in my fondness for a wander, in the odd sound of my own laugh, and the sense late at night that I am brittle and light and might blow away with the next gust of wind, sometimes I recognize the girl I used to be." Think of this book as notes from a journey, a field guide of memories and meditations. Its essays are set in pre-hipster Brooklyn and 1960s Long Island, various detours and stops along the way, and at last, the California coast, at a point of no return near Point Conception. There are discoveries within, and lingering questions, and a great deal of wonder and pain and love. "Getting There" is a search for learning and a road trip of remembrance. Cynthia Carbone Ward is a former teacher, a fellow of the South Coast Writing Project, and a regular contributor to the Santa Barbara Independent. This is her third book.