Away

Well I was lucky to be able to head out on a much needed but very impromptu vacation. I desperately needed a change of scenery after the hell that work has been for the last few months. A week recharging in San Diego was too good to pass up, especially with the person I was invited by. I got the invitation on a Monday and had my ticket by Tuesday at lunchtime to leave on Saturday. I think some of my friends and family were a bit shocked especially since my travel partner is a new entrant into my life.

So with a little bit of nerves and maps in hand, I headed out. I received quite a nice welcome upon my arrival. In spite of still being on East Coast time we stayed up far too late catching up with each other on many levels.

San Diego was a blast. Since my friend was attending a conference, I had the days free to roam. I had a great time at the beach just people watching (hot surfer guys and alarmingly tan women) and body surfing in the ocean. The zoo was so much fun. I saw a lot of interesting animals and for some reason, all the big cats were on. The gorillas were zonked out in the heat pressed up against the glass. I always feel like I am in a Far Side cartoon when seeing gorillas like the display is reversed and we are actually the exhibit! Balboa Park was amazing and I stumbled into a great rose garden in full bloom. The bees were drunk on the fragrance, as was I. The Desert Garden was beautiful but the people using it as a jogging path were far braver souls that I.

I spent one evening in La Jolla. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It is home to Children's Beach that has been taken over by Harbor Seals who have no inclination to give the beach back. They were fun to watch zoom out of the water like bullets and become less sleek once terrestrial.

The food was great and I ate very well. I wandered into one cute trattoria an evening I was solo for a quick bite and had so much fun. The bartender has a sister up here and the man next to me was a New Yorker. We chatted about everything under the sun and the food was fabulous. I had a great arugula salad and gnocchi that were everything gnocchi should be but often aren't. It was such a great meal that we went there again right before I had to catch the red eye. The other meal that stands out was just amazing food and a great view of the water and the little military planes engaging in a faux dogfight.

All in all, a great trip to explore a new city and to learn much more about a new friend.