California Bound

Last month I had the most amazing vacation with my most awesome friend :) I am just now updating and I still don't have all the good pictures downloaded. For some crazy reason I didn't take my good camera! Anna had a go-pro so I will have to get pictures from her. This trip made me realize just how small my little life in Senatobia is and how sheltered I am. I remember feeling a little more cultured when I lived in Ann Arbor and aware of things of the world. But that was a long time ago. A husband and two kids later, I just don't get out much. So I was introduced to a go-pro and much more!

My long time friend, Anna, decided to start travel nursing last December. She picked San Diego. Her plan to take her car required some cross country driving. She was looking for a passenger companion for January and for the trip home...whenever that may be. January is not a good time for me and her sister was making the trip with her. I think I texted her maybe in February and said - I don't know when you are moving back but I am going to ride with you and make it happen regardless. Her initial plans were to move back in May. from mid-April to mid-May our lives are crazy (here in Senatobia). Scott has annual golf tournaments, we have Gaines birthday, mothers day, other birthdays, this year we had baby dedication and Rob's graduation. I had already told Scott my plans and we agreed to make this trip work however we could. Anna ended up stay an extra 3 months so the timing worked a little better. The trip was the end of July. I just had to be back for Anne Walker's birthday and the first day of school! I fooled around getting my plane ticket because we weren't sure of her final work schedule. I was happy with one-way tickets in the $250-300 range. When I looked again they were $400+, so I waited some more. Finally I booked one day at work for $179!!! It made my trip even better :)

I was nervous leaving my family for a week and flying. I just wanted to make it back. You know all those travelling fears when you have kids. But once I got to the airport, the "alone" time was nice. I read a whole book! I started reading in Memphis, on the plane,  and during my layover in Houston. I was finished early into the flight from Houston to San Diego. It was a good feeling. I haven't read a book in years!! I landed in San Diego at 10:30pm. Anna and her sister picked me up at the airport.

We didn't really have plans for 3 days we were in San Diego. I knew Anna would have her plans for good byes with her California friends. And I didn't really care what I did as long as I saw the beach and some good sites. The best part .... I slept in each morning! It was awesome! Monday and Tuesday we did errands around town. She took me on tours of different parts of town. It was such a neat and different big city. It felt like a bunch of neighborhoods. It had a big downtown. But everything was just so accessible and within 15 minutes of everything everywhere. 

We went to Mission Beach, saw the ocean, and rode a roller coaster!

Then we went to Sunset Cliffs. Its the popular spot to watch the sunset. We didn't see the sunset but it was still awesome. 

 

Like I said I was introduced to alot. I took a "Lyft". 

Tuesday we had planned to hike some trails down to a nude beach :) But I slept in too long! We didn't hike but still saw a lot! Even naked people from a distance. 

My daily picture of palm trees to remind myself where I was :)

We drove up to La Jolla (la hoy-yah, not la jol-la) beach! I learned so much:) Anna really didn't want to go see the sea lions. She complained about their smell. So I felt obligated to make her go!! It was ... interesting! Sea lions everywhere!

Down below is the naked beach and these were the cliffs we were going to hike down! It was a hike enough from the parking lot. These people were gliding on the side of this cliff - very cool. We did see lots of white skin below!

We drove up to the highest point of the City. It was cloudy so you couldn't see far but we still saw a 360 of the City. 

That's San Diego in the distance across the water. 

We also went to Torrey Pines which will be the US open in several years. It was a destination for the hubby's souvenir. We went to cool places for meals, packed Anna's car, and said her good byes. Wednesday we started the trek to Los Angeles and ultimately east...far east!