Day One

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     Can I just say, in the nicest way possible, that Dani terrified me on the way there? I love her to bits and pieces, but I have a trauma response to passing the California welcome booth, because when her coolant relay gave out, that's where it gave out.

    I don't think my passenger noticed, because at that point he was starting to yawn, but I was white-knuckling that whole area. Whatever, I've dealt with worse.

    It was when we stopped to get gas that I might've fucked up a little. I say get gas, but that's a nicer way of saying my coffee ran through me and I was trying to let Nick sleep, but it was wake him up or pee myself. Needless to say, I pulled over at the next exit and woke him up. 

    When we got back from the bathrooms, a homeless guy wandered up to me-- me, who had decided to put gas in anyway, even though I had half a tank left, AND I saw the homeless guy, but I refused to be deterred from my mission-- and asked if I had a cigarette. Honestly, this is one of my biggest flaws. After working at a downtown McDonald's, I spent so long dealing with homeless people that I can pretty much size them up from the jump. Lanky dude with a blanket he was holding onto. No bulging in his pockets. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't have a weapon. Just probably not a long distance one. 

    I'm always wary. I know homeless people are people too, so I'm never disrespectful, but as a girl, I'm never not peripherally watching everyone around me. Nick had gone back in the car. The guy knew I was watching him so he never came too close to me, but wandered around to the passenger side of my car, and I turned around to fully face him then.

    He got too close. Nick told me later that the guy was peering in the backseat and then saw Nick, and that's when he decided to keep moving. Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if Nick hadn't been there. There's too many factors to consider in that, though, so I don't dwell on it. If it's my time, the universe will keep that appointment somehow, and I can't do anything about it.

    We made it to the hotel, where my platinum elite status ensured a super early check-in. And then we took a nap.

    Nick's dad had told him to go to La Jolla, and it wasn't until shortly before we left that I realized La Jolla was actually ON this bucket list, so I was thrilled and we headed there. Was October an ideal time to go to the beach? No, but it was still pretty nice weather. Mid 70s. La Jolla was GORGEOUS.

    I can't emphasize how beautiful it was. The things people were selling, the seals in the coves, the WATER was so GREEN. Gorgeous. I can't say it enough. Gorgeous. There were a bunch of cliffs that you could just sit and sun, and plenty of places to go down to the water and enjoy. 

    After La Jolla, we went to Coronado, my favorite, and it was so beautiful and sandy and kinda windy but we went into the water and the Pacific took me out a couple times. No joke, I went under. Nick laughed himself sick as he pulled me up. Then we went onto the sand to dry out before calling it a day and going back to the hotel. 

    Later we decided to go eat out, undoubtedly because we mostly stay in, and if we're going to be out of town on a vacation, might as well make it truly special, and we went to eat at an incredible Italian place that made me love Spaghetti Carbonara. We looked so cute in our outfits, btw. I was lucky enough that my sandals looked nice and went well with my tank top. 

    I... passed out at like 11pm, in the middle of a Youtube video Nick was trying to show me. Oh well. I was tired, full, and entirely too pleased with how everything was going.

        BUT JUST LOOK AT HOW GREEN!





BABY SEALS. Sea lions? What's the difference? I could google it, but who's going to tell? No narcs on this blog. 


He took a photo of us while flying his drone


this landscape? elite. 


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