Visit La Holla beach, but remember to mispronounce "La Hoya" to "La Holla."Before we get into the details of one of the greatest trips of my life, I think I should send a tremendous thank you and shout out to Jesse Cunningham and Lea Stretch. Without them this trip wouldn't have been as great as it turned out. There are a lot of things that happened on the trip that clearly won't fit in any blog post, but hopefully I can get some of the finer points right.
Below are some photos and bulletpoints of the wild ride that was San Diego...
We all ordered separate kinds of burritos, but they all came out the same. Delicious.
- Though it's always a good rule of thumb to avoid touristy things, indulging in a California burrito is kinda manditory. Also, I learned that attractive people eat California burritos, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
SOE -- Not pictured, to the right, was a woman playing the guitar on her break. Only for a couple of her coworkers to join her for a jam session.
- If you find yourself falling for a city you're vacationing in, why not go on a job hunt? Seriously. Put one foot forward and see what that city has to offer you. If you don't get the job, hey, you're on vacation! Plus, San Diego is host to a lot of jobs that are a bit, well, hippie-ish. Even at Sony Online Entertainment there was a lunch break jam session. It seemed like half of the people there worked at a resort. The other half use to work at a resort.
I believe we were deciding which park had the most bees. Don't worry, we found it.
- I cannot stress this next point enough. Surround yourself with attractive people. Not attractive in the superficial sense. Attractive in the very literal sense. There's soemthing that draws you to being around these kinds of people. Okay, I guess that could include some superficial qualities. But still.
- Attractive people have attractive pets and no shortage of adorable hangout spots, in which you can be invited to. Not only this, but attractive people know where and what to eat. It's one of the building blocks of attractiveness. I got lucky with this bunch and because of that am looking at my diet and skin care products in a different manner.
Los Angeles -- At a tequila bar, a dance party thrown by DJ Kap.
- It may seem counterintuitive to vacation in San Diego, job hunt in San Diego, and go dancing at a tequila bar in Los Angeles. It made total sense in my book. I've only gone to L.A. a handful of times, within that handful of times, only slight enjoyment was had. However, if you're fortunate enough to have friends on the West Coast, visit them, at all cost!
- A subsection to this should be that, you should always bring the party. This tequila bar party was hosted and DJ'd by Kap, my pal Emiko, and Chikara Kurahashi. Yet, only a handful of people danced the entire time we were there! Shame on L.A. for allowing Ohioans abuse their floor the way we did. Also, never drink three jalepeno tequila drinks with Emiko. They are made of hot lava and will f**k you up.
Here we see Lea pointing at one of the many weddings occurring on the beaches of San Diego. Just...terrible.
- For years I saw the Pacific Ocean from a distance. I'd never touched it with my own hands. Until this trip. However, choosing which beach to touch said ocean had never entered my mind. I'd suggest finding the richest neighborhoods of San Diego, and trust me there are many rich parts, and frolicking in the sand. Have a sand fight before the well-off call the patrolmen to escort you off.
...not that happened or anything.
Here we see Lea pointing at Jesse's nipple.
- Go on the rooftops of San Diego! Though the thought of a city rigged with explosives at just about every major bridge can be quite unnerving, if terrorism ever strikes the west coast; plant yourself on a roof.
- To clarify the above image. Lea and Jesse had their first date on this very roof. This weekend they took me just about everywhere they could, but this place...this is what kinda sold me on San Diego. These two people from opposite ends of the U.S., found themselves sharing stories on a roof that overlooked battleships, beaches and a lit-up city scape. We should be so lucky.
Orfila Vineyard: Lea and I walk off some Moscato on a warm, fly-filled day.
- Get away from getting away. I'd rather see what someone likes to personally do in any city than to see what everyone does in a given city. If that makes any sense. Since this trip was technically my first vacation and I'd never had the ability to [financially or logically] plan a trip. By all accounts, someone would say I did it wrong. Who goes job hunting on a vacation anyway? This guy.
- Nearing the end of me and Lea's trek up this path, I realized that there isn't much difference between Ohio and California. Well, you know, besides the amazing weather and abundance of healthy food options. Everyone wants to be where they are most comfortable and, individually, we have to decide where that place is.
In Summation:
Mysterious vegetation found in Lea's apartment complex
The seals were too far away, apparently parents complained awhile back that too many seals were coming into the Seal Cove and disturbing the children. I saw three. No children were eaten.
Mochi The Wonder Dog
Brian's Chicken Waffles
Uprocking Practice at Balboa Park -- Here we see Bruce Illest [left] vs. Bandit [right]
On Comic Ground -- Where I purchased Incognito. Also, where Jesse discovered the adults-only section of a comic shop.
Kiki Sushi -- I believe this was the last meal I had with both Lea and Jesse. I think we both realized that Kiki Sushi uses a oily sauce on everything they serve.
It'll all be over in a second, so we might as well make the most of it.
Things I'm Taking Away From San Diego -- Lightening Round Edition:
- Ohio has a serious food problem. A friend told me this prior to my arrival, but when you see recycling bins at corner-stores. When you see farmers markets every other block. When you see food options that you normally have to travel miles for in the Midwest. One wonders what it takes to get a movement like that, locally.
- San Diego is for dog-lovers. For every two cats I saw, I saw twenty dogs, together. Sharing a house. My kinda city.
- Drink smoothies. Why? Because they're everywhere! My final count on smoothies-in-San Diego? 7.
- Visit L.A., but immediately go back to San Diego within a few hours. It'll make you see the city in a fresher light.
- Listen to the new Lil Jon single prior to your trip to L.A. It'll only heighten the experience.
- Fall in love...or at least a heavy amount of lust. Look it's San Diego folks. I saw 60-year-old guys with six packs. I saw middle-aged women wearing hairstyles and blouses a 20-year-old would wear. I can recount only a handful of lust-filled-episodes on this trip. All classy. All not being shared here.
- Value your time. On my vacation I was fortunate enough to eat a ton of great food. Interview at some amazing companies and hang with some incredible people. The times I remember most? When I was kicking back and not doing much at all.
- Drive carefully. Not since Atlanta have I [almost] ran into drivers who were so insanely pushy. Where are you going to any way? The beach? Me too? Know how I knew that? Because everyone in this damn city takes time out to go to the beach!
We all work hard to get what we've got*. Getting insight as to how hard my friend Lea works to maintain in this city puts it all in perspective. Jesse told me there are plenty of people who instantly 'want' to move out there when they are visiting. It's a feeling that fades. It's hard not to see that. At the same time, San Diego is the only city I've ever seen myself in. It's also the only city I've ever, actively job hunted in. Whether any fruit is born from that, we'll see.
One thing is for sure, San Diego is far more than what I expected. I'll be back. Not just because my friends are there, but because there's something else there for me.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a severe cold to get over thanks to this trip.
Maybe next visit I'll have a better lens? See ya around San Diego.
*it should also be noted that thanks to you guys visiting my little site and clicking on the ads occasionally, the money raised from that was able to pay for the entire trip! So thanks for reading!