It was a rainy, cold weekend in San Diego. I woke up on Saturday and headed to Imperial Beach to help the San Diego Coastkeeper beach clean-up. Imperial Beach is very close to Tijuana and is supposedly one of dirty beaches because a lot of stuff that washes ashore is from Tijuana. I have to say beach clean-ups require a sharp eye. The kelp along the beach was my go to spot. Once you picked that up and moved it around you found pieces of plastic, cigarette butts, and trash. I came no where close to filling my trash bag, which I suppose was a good thing! I enjoyed watching all the beach workout classes going on up and down the beach. Moms with strollers, weight lifters, volleyball players. Afterwards, I walked around the town which seemed very touristy.
On Sunday morning I said my final goodbyes to OB. I took a final walk to the dog beach and got a nice acai playa bowl which I ate at Sunset Cliffs. I said my final goodbyes my "roommate", her friend that was throwing up all night, her dog, the dog she was dog-sitting, I think I said good-bye to everyone...😂. It then started raining pretty heavily so I had to cancel plans for my one hike and head to Carlsbad. I decided to hike Lake Calavera which has an inactive volcano along the trail. I arrived to Kelly's townhouse around 5 and we got acquainted. She is super busy working as a teacher and taking classes at night to get her Masters. We went out to dinner together and called it an early night. On Monday, I saw all of "downtown" Carlsbad. There is a long sea wall walking path that leads to a small little village. I walked the sea wall and watched a group of surfers for most of the morning. I then walked all through the village and checked out some of the shops. I had lunch at the Swami cafe and had another acai playa bowl, my new favorite thing!
Monday night I took the "long" drive from Carlsbad back downtown to meet up with a member of my Max family from Toms River one of the coaches, Mark. I only say it's a long drive because I am so used to being right in the city and Carlsbad is about 30 minutes north of downtown San Diego. Mark is a pilot and was flying in for a couple days. I have discussed the Max before on this blog and I can honestly say it is the one thing I miss the most about being home besides family and friends. I would go to that class every morning at 7am and get motivation from these people. If anything they gave me the confidence to know that I could do this trip. I could make it on my own, out there meeting new people. It was fun to hang with Mark outside the gym and shoot the breeze. We ended up going to this bar that was having a game night with bingo, Connect Four, Family Feud, and Catchphrase. The entire Gaslamp district was dead so we were some of the only people in the bar winning all the candy and 'red-headed slut shots' we didn't even want.
Tuesday I was back on the trail in Ramona headed to Cedar Creek Falls or the Devil's Punchbowl. This was the hike I was going to do Sunday but the rain postponed it. I found this article that lists the ten best hikes in San Diego and I am trying to do them all. The hikes are rated in the article. I was nervous about this hike because it was rated more challenging than Potato Chip Rock which I was definitely huffing and puffing during parts of. I thought this hike was actually much easier than Potato Chip Rock. Either I am getting better at this or somebody made a mistake. The Devil's Punchbowl was suppose to be a waterfall but it was more like a trickle because San Diego is in a drought. I thought maybe because it rained for three days there would have been more of waterfall but there wasn't.
I spent the evening in the town of Encinitas. I have heard from a couple different people that if I were to live in North County Encinitas would be the place to be. It reminded me of Long Beach Island but more chic, like Asbury Park. Small boutiques, bier gardens, and fancy restaurants. I definitely liked the area but would be curious if its more families vs. young professionals. After being in OB for two weeks it was a nice change of scenery for sure. Kelly's townhouse has a pool and hot tub so I came home and relaxed in the hot tub before bed.
Wednesday was another hike, this time in San Marcos. Double Peak trail which overlooks all of North County with ocean views. I am going to try to hike for the remainder of the week and head to Dana and Daniel's Friday night. Kelly and I had sushi for dinner at home and relaxed.
Sorry ya'll I know its been a couple days but I am not sure what to talk about, I feel like I am just listing things that I did. Don't worry its going to be an action packed couple days so hopefully this writer's block will pass... AROO WOOO!!!!
Song of the Day
"Africa" Toto. This song is featured in the show Stranger Things. This show is set in the 80's and has a great soundtrack. I chose this song because it is my great friend Rob's favorite song and I really like it too!
"Solsbury Hill" Peter Gabriel. This song seemed like a nice transition from Toto's Africa. I also think that this song belongs in a town like Carlsbad.
"We Run The Night (feat. Pit Bull)" Havana Brown. Mark chose this song because it was playing on the big screen at the bar during game night.
"Lake Michigan" Rogue Wave. I chose this song because it was playing at the bar Monday night and I was planning to pick it until Mark chose the Havana Brown song. This Rogue Wave song is an old one and I have always really liked it.
"Find Your Cloud" Papadosio. I never listened to Papadosio. I really have been enjoying the band Cbdb and Spotify told me since I like Cbdb, I would like Papadosio and they were right.
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Friday, November 25, 2016
Thanksgiving
I went to a free meditation class on gratitude on Tuesday night. This was my first time doing a meditation class. I have been listening to meditation classes offered by Oprah and Deepak over the past couple months. They have an app and offer 21 day meditation experiences focusing on various topics. The most recent topic was about finding your inner peace. I was really enjoying it. Unfortunately, I didn't have Internet access for part of it and if you miss a certain amount of days they are lost.
The meditation class I attended was focusing on being grateful for the sun and your heart. The sun continues to rise and set for us everyday and helps make this world go round. It gives us the air we breath, the food we eat, the nature we see. Our hearts continue to beat without us telling them to. Bump our blood, bring us oxygen, get rid of toxins. It was nice to take thirty minutes to be grateful for those two very simples things that we forget about so easily. Not only that but I especially felt a deeper connection to the sun on this trip. I appreciate it as it sets every night and realized I have been taking it for granted for the past 31 years of my life. During the meditation and after I took the time to reflect how grateful I am for so many things in my life. Yes, I have had tradegy but I have an amazing support system. My parents are my rock. I love my life. I am so incredibly lucky in so many ways. I have my health. I have the opportunity to do a trip like this both financially and career wise. I think anytime somebody dies you appreciate life more and don't 'sweat the small stuff' as much as you once did.
The instructor Shawna who is from Atlantic County, go figure, performed Reiki on all of us during the meditation. Afterwards, we all picked a goddess card. I am not familiar with goddess cards and have never seen them before. My card was Aeracura, a Celtic Earth mother. The card said, "Blossoming- You are getting started, so have patience with yourself and the process, and do not give up." If that's not a sign, I honestly don't know what is. I need to continue to remember that and breath, especially when dealing with the board of pharmacy and the license transfer process 😡
On Thanksgiving, I was able to volunteer for Mama's Kitchen delivering meals to patients with AIDS or cancer and their families living in San Diego. The route I had was in the neighborhood of San Diego called Normal Heights. I only had 9 people on my route and the whole process took about two hours but once I do the route more frequently I think it will go fairly quickly because everyone lived fairly close to one another. The people were all super nice and grateful to have me there. One woman said to me, "Enjoy Thanksgiving with your family." I explained to her I didn't have family close by right and she said she didn't have anyone either. I tried to help her find things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, like her dog, the sunshine, and her life. I definitely feel a connection to those people, even after only one time, and want to continue seeing them. One guy even gave me a can honey roasted peanuts as a gift. It made me feel good to be able to give back even just a little bit before I went and stuffed my face with my new San Diego family Dana and Daniel at Daniel's sister house. As usual, there was so much food and I am paying for it today. I can't thank them enough for including me and making me feel like I was part of their family. It was really nice, and although the past few years Thanksgiving traditions have changed in my life, spending it completely alone like some of the clients I met would have been pretty lonely.
It's suppose to rain all weekend in San Diego....nooooo!! Tomorrow morning I am going to a beach clean-up in Imperial Beach and then I need to buckle down and start planning out my trip to Hawaii. On Sunday I leave my Air BnB in OB and head to Carlsbad which is about 30 minutes north of the city to stay with a family friend of my in-laws. I heard Carlsbad is a cute town and there is definitely a lot of hiking to check-out up there. I do think it's going to be too far from the city and also I have never met the girl Kelly I will be staying with. Dana stay I am welcome to stay with them as log as I want. Financially, staying for free with Dana or Kelly in Carlsbad is the best course of action until I head home for Christmas around December 15th...AROOOO WOOOO!!!!
Song of the Day
"Gratitude" Earth, Wind, and Fire. I think I have explained this one pretty well.
"Daylight" Matt & Kim. Today instead of shopping I for the second year in a row got behind the #optoutside campaign. Get outdoors, forget the retailers.
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
The meditation class I attended was focusing on being grateful for the sun and your heart. The sun continues to rise and set for us everyday and helps make this world go round. It gives us the air we breath, the food we eat, the nature we see. Our hearts continue to beat without us telling them to. Bump our blood, bring us oxygen, get rid of toxins. It was nice to take thirty minutes to be grateful for those two very simples things that we forget about so easily. Not only that but I especially felt a deeper connection to the sun on this trip. I appreciate it as it sets every night and realized I have been taking it for granted for the past 31 years of my life. During the meditation and after I took the time to reflect how grateful I am for so many things in my life. Yes, I have had tradegy but I have an amazing support system. My parents are my rock. I love my life. I am so incredibly lucky in so many ways. I have my health. I have the opportunity to do a trip like this both financially and career wise. I think anytime somebody dies you appreciate life more and don't 'sweat the small stuff' as much as you once did.
The instructor Shawna who is from Atlantic County, go figure, performed Reiki on all of us during the meditation. Afterwards, we all picked a goddess card. I am not familiar with goddess cards and have never seen them before. My card was Aeracura, a Celtic Earth mother. The card said, "Blossoming- You are getting started, so have patience with yourself and the process, and do not give up." If that's not a sign, I honestly don't know what is. I need to continue to remember that and breath, especially when dealing with the board of pharmacy and the license transfer process 😡
On Thanksgiving, I was able to volunteer for Mama's Kitchen delivering meals to patients with AIDS or cancer and their families living in San Diego. The route I had was in the neighborhood of San Diego called Normal Heights. I only had 9 people on my route and the whole process took about two hours but once I do the route more frequently I think it will go fairly quickly because everyone lived fairly close to one another. The people were all super nice and grateful to have me there. One woman said to me, "Enjoy Thanksgiving with your family." I explained to her I didn't have family close by right and she said she didn't have anyone either. I tried to help her find things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, like her dog, the sunshine, and her life. I definitely feel a connection to those people, even after only one time, and want to continue seeing them. One guy even gave me a can honey roasted peanuts as a gift. It made me feel good to be able to give back even just a little bit before I went and stuffed my face with my new San Diego family Dana and Daniel at Daniel's sister house. As usual, there was so much food and I am paying for it today. I can't thank them enough for including me and making me feel like I was part of their family. It was really nice, and although the past few years Thanksgiving traditions have changed in my life, spending it completely alone like some of the clients I met would have been pretty lonely.
It's suppose to rain all weekend in San Diego....nooooo!! Tomorrow morning I am going to a beach clean-up in Imperial Beach and then I need to buckle down and start planning out my trip to Hawaii. On Sunday I leave my Air BnB in OB and head to Carlsbad which is about 30 minutes north of the city to stay with a family friend of my in-laws. I heard Carlsbad is a cute town and there is definitely a lot of hiking to check-out up there. I do think it's going to be too far from the city and also I have never met the girl Kelly I will be staying with. Dana stay I am welcome to stay with them as log as I want. Financially, staying for free with Dana or Kelly in Carlsbad is the best course of action until I head home for Christmas around December 15th...AROOOO WOOOO!!!!
Song of the Day
"Gratitude" Earth, Wind, and Fire. I think I have explained this one pretty well.
"Daylight" Matt & Kim. Today instead of shopping I for the second year in a row got behind the #optoutside campaign. Get outdoors, forget the retailers.
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Potato Chip Rock and Thinking While Drinking
Today I did my pre-Thanksgiving Day hike at Lake Poway to Potato Chip Rock. It was an 8 mile loop up to Mt. Woodson summit which had the famous "Potato Chip Rock". The trail had a 2000ft elevation and as usual I was struggling with the uphill. I feel like no matter how many mountains I climb I don't seem to get any endurance! It was a nice hike and the trail was filled with lots of people and families.
Tonight I went to a meet-up group called Thinking While Drinking. This was my second time at this group. The idea of the group is that you get together at one of the hundreds of breweries in San Diego to discuss a topic. I went this past Sunday and the topic was entrepreneurship at Ballast Point. I was interested because they were actually releasing a beer the group developed and you got a t-shirt and pint glass. The beer was a saison barrel aged with oats and ginkgo biloba which helps with memory, which I thought was pretty clever. The topic of entrepreneurship turned into a very strange discussion about how entrepreneurs are the root of all evil. It was an interesting discussion for sure, heated at times, but went way off topic. I met two really nice girls who live in OB (Ocean Beach) Maggie and Shannon., and we decided to get dinner afterwards.
Tonight's topic was FOMO or the fear of missing out. For each discussion you watch a YouTube video to prepare. The video discussed that there are two types of people, the romantic and the classical. The romantics fear missing out on the superficial, the fancy party, the nice cars. The classicals fear missing out on making lasting connections with their parents or not procreating. It was a very interesting discussion about what drives people ultimately fear or love. This time we went to Duck Foot Brewery. I find the whole thing so fascinating because most of this stuff none of us take the time to even bother thinking about let alone spend 2 hours debating with a bunch of total strangers. I consider myself a book smart kind of person but I don't consider the why's in life as much as I probably should. I would definitely go to this meet-up again. Ask yourself if you fear missing out in life and if you do what is the root cause of that fear? Is it coming from a positive place or a negative one?? AROOO WOOOO!!!
Song of the Day
"I Can See Clearly Now" Johnny Nash. This song was about gratitude and thankfulness. I will discuss more in my blog tomorrow.
"Play Hard" (feat. Ne-Yo and Akon) David Guetta. It's the night before Thanksgiving. I definitely worked hard with my hike now it's time to play hard and despite the fact that I missing friends from home more than ever tonight I am going to enjoy my time in San Diego. This song also really reminds me of working out at The Max in Toms River. I miss them all terribly and although I feel like I am staying active I am definitely losing muscle tone!
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
Tonight I went to a meet-up group called Thinking While Drinking. This was my second time at this group. The idea of the group is that you get together at one of the hundreds of breweries in San Diego to discuss a topic. I went this past Sunday and the topic was entrepreneurship at Ballast Point. I was interested because they were actually releasing a beer the group developed and you got a t-shirt and pint glass. The beer was a saison barrel aged with oats and ginkgo biloba which helps with memory, which I thought was pretty clever. The topic of entrepreneurship turned into a very strange discussion about how entrepreneurs are the root of all evil. It was an interesting discussion for sure, heated at times, but went way off topic. I met two really nice girls who live in OB (Ocean Beach) Maggie and Shannon., and we decided to get dinner afterwards.
Tonight's topic was FOMO or the fear of missing out. For each discussion you watch a YouTube video to prepare. The video discussed that there are two types of people, the romantic and the classical. The romantics fear missing out on the superficial, the fancy party, the nice cars. The classicals fear missing out on making lasting connections with their parents or not procreating. It was a very interesting discussion about what drives people ultimately fear or love. This time we went to Duck Foot Brewery. I find the whole thing so fascinating because most of this stuff none of us take the time to even bother thinking about let alone spend 2 hours debating with a bunch of total strangers. I consider myself a book smart kind of person but I don't consider the why's in life as much as I probably should. I would definitely go to this meet-up again. Ask yourself if you fear missing out in life and if you do what is the root cause of that fear? Is it coming from a positive place or a negative one?? AROOO WOOOO!!!
Song of the Day
"I Can See Clearly Now" Johnny Nash. This song was about gratitude and thankfulness. I will discuss more in my blog tomorrow.
"Play Hard" (feat. Ne-Yo and Akon) David Guetta. It's the night before Thanksgiving. I definitely worked hard with my hike now it's time to play hard and despite the fact that I missing friends from home more than ever tonight I am going to enjoy my time in San Diego. This song also really reminds me of working out at The Max in Toms River. I miss them all terribly and although I feel like I am staying active I am definitely losing muscle tone!
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
Ocean Beach
It's been a long week back in San Diego. The she wolf had to get acclimated back into civilization. I got to my new Air BnB on Wednesday in Ocean Beach. It has been a totally different experience from my last place. My 'roommate's' name is Beth and her dog's name is Gunner. My first impression of her didn't go so well because she sent me a text message asking if I wouldn't mind checking in late because she had someone book at the last minute and needed to get my room ready. I am not picky and really don't require much but I hadn't showered in like 5 days, I didn't want to have to wait another minute to check into that place. I felt like she is running a business and if she wanted to make extra money by accepting another guest she should have these situations figured out. I normally would be a push-over and say, "No problem, I will come whenever!", but the paying customer in me said no! I went at the scheduled check-in time and she made it work. In North Park I had a guest house with a separate entrance and bathroom. At this place Beth and I share a bathroom as well as a kitchen and living space. As the days have gone I find myself wanting to be there less and less. I have done her dishes, cleaned her bathroom, taken out the trash. Honestly, she has a pretty good gig. Charge total strangers to live with you and they get so fed up with your living habits they clean up after you. The Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego is known as a hippie little beach community that is really into their dogs. Dogs are allowed in all establishments and there is a really popular dog beach. Beth is no exception to the dog lover. Gunner is a friendly old black lab. She also babysits a couple of Jack Russell Terriers here and there. Don't get me wrong I love dogs but to be living with a house full of strange dogs is kind of weird. I definitely get the hippie vibe from most people I see walking around. Hippie or homeless, I am not really sure which. Most people don't wear any shoes around here either. So for the most part there are people walking around barefoot with their dogs and dreadlocks. I wanted to come to this area initially to be closer to the beach, but it hasn't really been beach weather. The temperature has only been about 70 degrees and it even rained for two days. I don't think the neighborhood offers as much to do as North Park did. There are a couple bars and restaurants but other than that it seems pretty run-down. I have been really busy and have been leaving the neighborhood most days to do other things so I haven't given it a fair chance.
On Thursday I went to CVS training and had the opportunity to meet the district manager for the Target locations in the San Diego area. When I was coming out here my boss had reached out to her and she had said the Target stores were over-staffed but she told me that was no longer the case and I could definitely have a part-time position and possibly full-time by the time I got my pharmacy license. It was positive to know that I have that as an option available to me.
After training I went to the volunteer orientation for Mama's Kitchen. As I mentioned Mama's Kitchen is a meal delivery service to men, women, and children living with AIDS and cancer. They offer a lot of different volunteer opportunities. They have a pantry where people can come "grocery shop", they have monthly food drives, and they deliver hot meals three times a week to people's homes. At the end of the orientation they said they would have our applications processed and references checked in the upcoming weeks. I was like umm that's not going to work I wanted to help out on Thanksgiving. I am grateful that Gigi said they still needed drivers to deliver meals and was able to expedite my paperwork.
I spent that night with Dana and her husband Daniel and their friends. I am just going to start calling Dana my cousin because it's easier than saying my brother's fiancé's cousin, haha. They have the most charming, cozy house they rent in La Mesa, about 15 minutes outside the city. Just like Marianna she had everything decorated super cute for fall, candles burning, pictures of them on the wall. They are so welcoming and I like all their friends too. We had a great time all hanging out together and I really hope we continue to get together. Dana and Daniel's love story is pretty sweet. They both are big football fans and they actually met randomly at a Dallas Cowboys game. This past weekend they were flying to San Francisco to watch the Patriots/49ers game. They go to every Chargers game. I am going to go to the next one with them since I have never been to a professional game.
Over the Weekend I decided to check out some more meet-up groups. On Saturday was the Hike and Brew meet-up. My sorority sister and new friend Jade came along. We hiked Kwaay Paay Trail and Summit which was a 2.3 mile trail. It had about an 800ft elevation but it was definitely too short of a hike. The fun part was afterwards when we all went to Mike Hess Brewery in North Park. About 50 people went on this hike, so it was a really nice size group. I am glad Jade came with me because it seemed that everyone there was paired up with either a friend or boyfriend and no one was actually alone trying to meet new people. We had some nice conversations we some nice people and I would totally go again. This meet-up is only done once a month which makes it hard if you are busy that day. I enjoyed it and mostly likely won't be back until March!
On Saturday night I decided to go out in Little Italy with a new friend I made in North Park, Randy and his guy friends for boys night. That was my first time going out in Little Italy which is more "downtown" and definitely more upscale. We went to a bar called Kettner exchange. Not a place you can show up in flip-flops and a flannel. Randy is definitely an odd guy. He is 35 years old and basically seemed to have nothing in his life figured out. After meeting his two best friends from high school I don't understand why he is the way he is. They both seemed like normal guys and can't figure out why Randy can't seem to get his act together either. They told me that Randy would never have gone out in Little Italy he was only doing it for me, because he feels he doesn't belong there financially. Randy kept bugging us to leave Kettner exchange and go to the dive bar across the street because it his turn to buy us all a round of drinks. So we did and the bouncer wouldn't let Randy in because they said he drank too much. We all thought he put on an act to get out of buying us drinks, pretty pathetic. The downtown thing really wasn't my scene but maybe it should be. I ended up talking to a group of girls who were all medical residents at the hospital. I should be meeting those people. Not people like Ramdy that work at a brewery and I feel sorry for and want to try to help fix his life, after only knowing him for a week.
On Sunday I went to another meet-up but I am going to safe that for another blog because I am going to it again tonight. This week I have focused on the neighborhood of Ocean Beach more. Went to sunset cliffs and participated in free beach yoga. I also began the process of transferring my pharmacy license out here. Something that is going to be daunting task and I hope to complete all the components before coming home for Christmas, AROOOO WOOOOO!
Song of the Day
"Balboa Park" Matt Costa. As I arrive back to San Diego I thought this song was appropriate. For those who don't know Balboa Park is big park that was right by the place I was staying in North Park.
"Pretty Pimpin" Kurt Vile. The song talks about not reconizing yourself in the mirror. I recognize myself of course but I don't want to get too off task with going out. I found myself getting a bit lazy this week.
"Bad Decisions" Two Door Cinema Club. I picked this song because I was skeptical about meeting up with Randy and his friends. I didn't know him that well and I definitely didn't want to be making any bad decisions. In the end the only bad decisions made were by Randy and hopefully he figures himself out.
"Morning Eyes" Atlas Road Crew. I just really like the beat and song. It's a nice song for a lazy raining Sunday night in San Diego.
"From Finner" Of Monster and Men. "We are far from home, but we're so happy." Despite missing the people closest to me and being far from home, I do feel really happy. I still need to come up with a plan to get everyone to move out here with me...
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
On Thursday I went to CVS training and had the opportunity to meet the district manager for the Target locations in the San Diego area. When I was coming out here my boss had reached out to her and she had said the Target stores were over-staffed but she told me that was no longer the case and I could definitely have a part-time position and possibly full-time by the time I got my pharmacy license. It was positive to know that I have that as an option available to me.
After training I went to the volunteer orientation for Mama's Kitchen. As I mentioned Mama's Kitchen is a meal delivery service to men, women, and children living with AIDS and cancer. They offer a lot of different volunteer opportunities. They have a pantry where people can come "grocery shop", they have monthly food drives, and they deliver hot meals three times a week to people's homes. At the end of the orientation they said they would have our applications processed and references checked in the upcoming weeks. I was like umm that's not going to work I wanted to help out on Thanksgiving. I am grateful that Gigi said they still needed drivers to deliver meals and was able to expedite my paperwork.
I spent that night with Dana and her husband Daniel and their friends. I am just going to start calling Dana my cousin because it's easier than saying my brother's fiancé's cousin, haha. They have the most charming, cozy house they rent in La Mesa, about 15 minutes outside the city. Just like Marianna she had everything decorated super cute for fall, candles burning, pictures of them on the wall. They are so welcoming and I like all their friends too. We had a great time all hanging out together and I really hope we continue to get together. Dana and Daniel's love story is pretty sweet. They both are big football fans and they actually met randomly at a Dallas Cowboys game. This past weekend they were flying to San Francisco to watch the Patriots/49ers game. They go to every Chargers game. I am going to go to the next one with them since I have never been to a professional game.
Over the Weekend I decided to check out some more meet-up groups. On Saturday was the Hike and Brew meet-up. My sorority sister and new friend Jade came along. We hiked Kwaay Paay Trail and Summit which was a 2.3 mile trail. It had about an 800ft elevation but it was definitely too short of a hike. The fun part was afterwards when we all went to Mike Hess Brewery in North Park. About 50 people went on this hike, so it was a really nice size group. I am glad Jade came with me because it seemed that everyone there was paired up with either a friend or boyfriend and no one was actually alone trying to meet new people. We had some nice conversations we some nice people and I would totally go again. This meet-up is only done once a month which makes it hard if you are busy that day. I enjoyed it and mostly likely won't be back until March!
On Saturday night I decided to go out in Little Italy with a new friend I made in North Park, Randy and his guy friends for boys night. That was my first time going out in Little Italy which is more "downtown" and definitely more upscale. We went to a bar called Kettner exchange. Not a place you can show up in flip-flops and a flannel. Randy is definitely an odd guy. He is 35 years old and basically seemed to have nothing in his life figured out. After meeting his two best friends from high school I don't understand why he is the way he is. They both seemed like normal guys and can't figure out why Randy can't seem to get his act together either. They told me that Randy would never have gone out in Little Italy he was only doing it for me, because he feels he doesn't belong there financially. Randy kept bugging us to leave Kettner exchange and go to the dive bar across the street because it his turn to buy us all a round of drinks. So we did and the bouncer wouldn't let Randy in because they said he drank too much. We all thought he put on an act to get out of buying us drinks, pretty pathetic. The downtown thing really wasn't my scene but maybe it should be. I ended up talking to a group of girls who were all medical residents at the hospital. I should be meeting those people. Not people like Ramdy that work at a brewery and I feel sorry for and want to try to help fix his life, after only knowing him for a week.
On Sunday I went to another meet-up but I am going to safe that for another blog because I am going to it again tonight. This week I have focused on the neighborhood of Ocean Beach more. Went to sunset cliffs and participated in free beach yoga. I also began the process of transferring my pharmacy license out here. Something that is going to be daunting task and I hope to complete all the components before coming home for Christmas, AROOOO WOOOOO!
Song of the Day
"Balboa Park" Matt Costa. As I arrive back to San Diego I thought this song was appropriate. For those who don't know Balboa Park is big park that was right by the place I was staying in North Park.
"Pretty Pimpin" Kurt Vile. The song talks about not reconizing yourself in the mirror. I recognize myself of course but I don't want to get too off task with going out. I found myself getting a bit lazy this week.
"Bad Decisions" Two Door Cinema Club. I picked this song because I was skeptical about meeting up with Randy and his friends. I didn't know him that well and I definitely didn't want to be making any bad decisions. In the end the only bad decisions made were by Randy and hopefully he figures himself out.
"Morning Eyes" Atlas Road Crew. I just really like the beat and song. It's a nice song for a lazy raining Sunday night in San Diego.
"From Finner" Of Monster and Men. "We are far from home, but we're so happy." Despite missing the people closest to me and being far from home, I do feel really happy. I still need to come up with a plan to get everyone to move out here with me...
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Joshua Tree
I was planning to leave Idyllwild and head to Temecula, which is wine country of Southern California and also on the way back to San Diego. I wasn't really that excited about it because I had been there before and after just being in Napa I saw it as a way to kill time until my next Air B and B in Ocean Beach started on Wednesday. Averi suggested that I check out Joshua Tree National Park which was only about an hour and a half away. Being back in nature mode I thought that might be a better idea so I headed there. I arrived to the park after stopping at Walmart for some food and supplies. Car camping would allow for the luxuries of ice, food, fire, and tons of water. Joshua Tree is the desert. There is no water at most of the campgrounds and they recommend each person have about a gallon a day. That was my first time in a big box store in over a month and there was a sign that said, "43 days until Christmas". I was in shock! They were even playing Christmas music. One thing about being in an area with no seasons is you lose track of time. Here I am in 80 degree weather and you are playing Christmas music, it was strange. I arrived to Joshua Tree right around 4:30pm. I wanted to get to a campsite before it got too dark and to see what I thought was going to be the 'supermoon', come to find out later it was actually Monday night. Unfortunately, the first two campsites were full so I didn't end up finding a campsite and setting up camp until about 5:30-6pm. I was camped next to Willie and James two Navy brothers from Florida who were driving a 1979 VW van out from Florida for Willie to ship to Oahu, where he was living with his wife and kids working for the Navy as a civilian.
I had never really heard of Joshua Tree. Only from U2 and here and there in movies. I guess I was expecting more of a forest feel based on the name. I have to realize Southern California has been in a severe drought for years. Everything is a desert, part of the mojave desert to be exact. No forest would survive. The Joshua tree is a yucca or palm tree. It's rather ugly and something you would expect to see in the desert. There are massive rock formations here. Chris would have loved it. Chris loved bouldering, rock climbing without ropes and harnesses. This is a playground for that. The best part about it is that the rocks are like grippy artificial turf you find on a track so even I can climb things I never thought possible. There is no cell phone reception at all here. So the first night I drove out to inform my mom I had made it safely and post my daily photo. I hung by Willie and James' fire for the night and they invited a guy named Chris who worked in LA on lighting in movies and music videos.
I turned in pretty early, my body needed it after that backpacking trip. I ended up sleeping almost 12 hours on and off. I woke up around 7am and then went back to bed until around 10am. Willie and James left. I decided to do the geological off-road tour and then hiked Ryan's Mountain which was a 3 mile uphill loop. As if I didn't have enough steep mountains I thought I would do some more...😒. It wasn't bad at all and the top gave you a nice view of all the nothingness around you plus there was cell reception up there. After that I went to town to get more water and firewood since I decided I was going to stay until Wednesday. I wanted to be back in time to watch the moonrise. I got back and started heading to Skull Rock Trail which was right by camp and ran into Chris from the night before. We decided to watch the
moonrise together. He informed me that the supermoon was in fact Monday
night and although it was Sunday night as well it was now a full moon. We went off the trail and climbed some pretty crazy rock formations to find ourselves pretty high up and at the perfect view for when the moon began to rise. Unfortunately, the human eye sees this massive object due to our perception of the other objects in front of the moon and an iPhone cannot capture this like a high quality camera can. So the photos I took look like a white dot in the sky. I personally think Sunday night was better anyway because the sky had a lot pink and purple hues. On Monday night 'supermoon' was so orange rising it overpowered the sky and that was all you saw. Some fun 'supermoon' facts; the next supermoon will be in the year 2034, 50 moons can fit into planet earth, the supermoon is only 13% larger than the regular size and 40 km closer. I think Joshua Tree had a lot of visitors due to the 'supermoon' and I didn't even know anything about it until I was already at San Jacinto so I am glad I was able to be here for it.
moonrise together. He informed me that the supermoon was in fact Monday
night and although it was Sunday night as well it was now a full moon. We went off the trail and climbed some pretty crazy rock formations to find ourselves pretty high up and at the perfect view for when the moon began to rise. Unfortunately, the human eye sees this massive object due to our perception of the other objects in front of the moon and an iPhone cannot capture this like a high quality camera can. So the photos I took look like a white dot in the sky. I personally think Sunday night was better anyway because the sky had a lot pink and purple hues. On Monday night 'supermoon' was so orange rising it overpowered the sky and that was all you saw. Some fun 'supermoon' facts; the next supermoon will be in the year 2034, 50 moons can fit into planet earth, the supermoon is only 13% larger than the regular size and 40 km closer. I think Joshua Tree had a lot of visitors due to the 'supermoon' and I didn't even know anything about it until I was already at San Jacinto so I am glad I was able to be here for it.
On Tuesday, I woke up early and decided to do the Skull Rock Trail again, this time in the daylight. I found myself getting more and more confident, jumping from rock to rock. Then I thought of the movie 127 hours and what if I fell and got stuck and no one could find me. I decided I better take it easy. I left the trail and drove to Cholla Cactus Garden. It was basically a
huge cactus garden in the middle of nowhere, haha. From there I went to the Hall of Horrors, which is basically an outdoor rocking climbing area. I scaled pretty high up, bouldering various rocks. There were a handful of people using harnesses and rope climbing. It was pretty imitating. I thought instead of breaking a leg I better head to the Lost Mine Trail. The Loop was 6.2 miles. I finished that in 2 hours and 20 mins. The trail had some flat portions as well as some areas of incline. The park information considered it moderately strenuous and said it would take 4-5 hours. I left and planned to have a snack and watch the sunset at Key's view which overlooks San Jacinto Peak and the Saltin Sea. It was very cloudy and San Jacinto was actually blocking the sun. Not to mention it was freezing. Also, I thought I was going to have cell reception up there but I lost it fairly quickly. I went back to Ryan's Mountain but just climbed some of the rocks there to watch a ridiculous sunset. I felt like Helen Hunt in Twister only instead of chasing tornados, I was chasing sunsets. Back at camp the wind got the best of me. I couldn't get my fire going and finally gave up.
huge cactus garden in the middle of nowhere, haha. From there I went to the Hall of Horrors, which is basically an outdoor rocking climbing area. I scaled pretty high up, bouldering various rocks. There were a handful of people using harnesses and rope climbing. It was pretty imitating. I thought instead of breaking a leg I better head to the Lost Mine Trail. The Loop was 6.2 miles. I finished that in 2 hours and 20 mins. The trail had some flat portions as well as some areas of incline. The park information considered it moderately strenuous and said it would take 4-5 hours. I left and planned to have a snack and watch the sunset at Key's view which overlooks San Jacinto Peak and the Saltin Sea. It was very cloudy and San Jacinto was actually blocking the sun. Not to mention it was freezing. Also, I thought I was going to have cell reception up there but I lost it fairly quickly. I went back to Ryan's Mountain but just climbed some of the rocks there to watch a ridiculous sunset. I felt like Helen Hunt in Twister only instead of chasing tornados, I was chasing sunsets. Back at camp the wind got the best of me. I couldn't get my fire going and finally gave up.
I woke throughout the night and Wednesday to some intense winds. It was pretty chilly and cloudy out. It almost looked like it was going to rain. Then I remembered that's not possible, in Southern California it never rains. It was the perfect time to pack up and head out that's for sure.
Joshua Tree is an interesting place but I haven't showered in DAYS and I think it's time to get back to civilization. I miss San Diego. It's going to busy when I get back. Adam is having the ultra light backpacking course at his place on Wednesday night that I said I might try to make. I have training for work on Thursday. Then I am hoping to go to the orientation for volunteering at Mama's Kitchen. Dana invited me over for football at their house Thursday night, so I will probably go over there. Saturday is a different meet-up group doing a hike and then going to a local brewery in San Diego. So I think I will check that out. I invited some new friends I have made in San Diego to join so hopefully they come along as well. AROO WOOOO!!! Supermoon wolf transformation heading back to civilization!!
Song of the Day
"Heart it Races" Dr. Dog. I haven't listened to Dr. Dog is years but Spotify thought I should start again. Chris and I always used to listen to Dr. Dog. I think it's interesting that in this song they sing about making your wife a widow.
"Run Wild" Laney Jones. This is from following the Happy Folks playlist on Spotify. I like the sound of her voice and the beat of the song.
"Brain Damage" Pink Floyd. As the guy Chris and I were watching the moonrise high on these massive rocks a group of people in the distance were playing the Dark Side of the Moon album and howling like wolves. I thought this song had to make the cut.
"Wolf" Sylvan Esso. I love Sylvan Esso and they sing ARROOO WOOOO so well in this song!
San Jacinto Backpacking Trip
It's been awhile since I have posted. For the first time in my trip it was a struggle to even have cell phone service and internet access for the past four days! First on my backpacking trip and then in Joshua Tree there was virtually no service unless you left the park or hiked really high up both things I ended up doing a handful of times. Anyway, it has been a great couple of days getting out of the city and back into nature!
Let's start off with the backpacking trip. So Friday night I met up Marianna's cousin Dana and her husband Daniel or "D". We had a blast. They used to live in North Park before moving outside the city to La Mesa so they were excited to hang out in their old stomping grounds and see how much has changed and stayed the same. We bar hopped around and got sushi for dinner at one of their favorite places. It was a really nice time and I hope to hang out with them more in the future. Dana is really welcoming and has invited me to a handful of things they have planned already including Thanksgiving with Daniel's family, which is really nice of them.
I didn't get much sleep and had to be up super early to meet the backpacking group so I was a bit tired and had no idea what to expect. There were a total of eleven of us on trip and it was about two and half hours outside San Diego. Once we met at the trailhead we had to drive our cars on a crazy dirt road for about eight miles only going about 10 miles an hour. I decided to get my first car wash of the trip to save twenty cent per gallon on gas right before that...whoops!
The eleven backpackers varied in ages from mid-twenties to mid-fifties. Some people were very experienced and then there was me...😳. The one backpacker Adam just finished hiking practically the entire Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), for six months. He had to stop with less than 180 miles left due to an injury. We all weighed our packs prior to departing and I was the heavy weight coming in at 32.9lbs. There was one other girl, Averi very close behind me with a pack that weighed around the same. Most of the others had packs weighing between 12-16lbs, so mine was double! Now right of the bat I can tell you I didn't buy an ultra-light tent or sleeping bag because I didn't
know how much backpacking I was going to do and to save a pound in weight you are spending a lot more money. However, I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I thought "Eh, it's only a 7 mile hike with one overnight I am bringing whatever I want." Which meant I brought a camping chair, a huge lantern, a stake mallet, and countless other ridiculous items. Needless to say when the group saw some of these items they nearly fell over. They referred to my lantern as bug zapper and said that I could have bought something the size of my fist that weighs less than a half a pound and produces more light. I explained to them that I had that lantern for 10 years, I wasn't going to go buy something when I had a perfectly good one. I get it though, technology has changed so much. The one couple had a two person tent that weighed 22 ounces! It looked about as big as mine.
know how much backpacking I was going to do and to save a pound in weight you are spending a lot more money. However, I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I thought "Eh, it's only a 7 mile hike with one overnight I am bringing whatever I want." Which meant I brought a camping chair, a huge lantern, a stake mallet, and countless other ridiculous items. Needless to say when the group saw some of these items they nearly fell over. They referred to my lantern as bug zapper and said that I could have bought something the size of my fist that weighs less than a half a pound and produces more light. I explained to them that I had that lantern for 10 years, I wasn't going to go buy something when I had a perfectly good one. I get it though, technology has changed so much. The one couple had a two person tent that weighed 22 ounces! It looked about as big as mine.
Overall, I was not the least experienced person there. There was a couple that this was there first overnight backpacking trip as well. The wife, Adrianna, had a pretty tough time overall both the way up and back. They are going to Peru to climb Machu Picchu and are trying to do things in
preparation for that. When I signed up for the trip I didn't know what elevation and gains really meant or what to compare it to. I just knew that it was about 6 to 7 miles one way. I thought piece of cake I have been doing a bunch of long hikes and some high elevations. Well 30lbs on your back definitely makes a huge difference. Basically gain is how steep the mountain is. So how quickly the elevation changes. Someone like myself that really isn't used to high altitude or someone like Adrianna who has iron deficient anemia may have problems breathing. We took the Fuller Ridge Trail to our campsite which was a 6.5 mile trail and had 2,800ft gain. This took us about 4 hours. Once we set up camp and rested a bit most of us took the 1.3 mile trip up to the summit, an additional 300ft gain, to watch the sunset which was spectacular. You had a panoramic view of the sunset as well as the soon to be 'supermoon' rising. Three of us hung out at the summit until it was pretty dark which made it a little challenging to navigate our way back down the boulders in the dark. Back at camp the one thing I didn't spurge on was food. I brought my typical Clif bars and protein powder. It was extremely cold at the campsite and fires were prohibited. The temperature was about 30 degrees but I was not prepared at all for that. As some of you may remember I brought all my winter clothes home. We broke the rules and had a small fire anyways but overall it was chilly night. My sleeping bag was very good at keeping me warm, I was actually hot in it.
preparation for that. When I signed up for the trip I didn't know what elevation and gains really meant or what to compare it to. I just knew that it was about 6 to 7 miles one way. I thought piece of cake I have been doing a bunch of long hikes and some high elevations. Well 30lbs on your back definitely makes a huge difference. Basically gain is how steep the mountain is. So how quickly the elevation changes. Someone like myself that really isn't used to high altitude or someone like Adrianna who has iron deficient anemia may have problems breathing. We took the Fuller Ridge Trail to our campsite which was a 6.5 mile trail and had 2,800ft gain. This took us about 4 hours. Once we set up camp and rested a bit most of us took the 1.3 mile trip up to the summit, an additional 300ft gain, to watch the sunset which was spectacular. You had a panoramic view of the sunset as well as the soon to be 'supermoon' rising. Three of us hung out at the summit until it was pretty dark which made it a little challenging to navigate our way back down the boulders in the dark. Back at camp the one thing I didn't spurge on was food. I brought my typical Clif bars and protein powder. It was extremely cold at the campsite and fires were prohibited. The temperature was about 30 degrees but I was not prepared at all for that. As some of you may remember I brought all my winter clothes home. We broke the rules and had a small fire anyways but overall it was chilly night. My sleeping bag was very good at keeping me warm, I was actually hot in it.
The next day we all got up pretty early and started our descent down. It was much easier than the way up but still took about 3 hours. By that point my body was sore; my shoulders, my knees, my hips. Adam offered to have a class during the week on ways to lighten your pack. I would totally go. I mean realistically I didn't know what I was getting into at all and next time I will not bring a lot of the things that I brought. It inspired me to want to only bring my backpack with me when I go to Hawaii. I think I will want to bring too many outfits.
Of course at one point on the trip I found out Renee was a hiring recruiter for United Healthcare Optum Rx Mail Order. She said she mostly worked with pharmacy technicians but she would gladly get me a job as a pharmacist if I was interested. No one else in the group seemed to have to disclose there past, but Renee seemed to ask a lot of questions. So of course I said I was widowed and my husband worked for Optum Rx in Maryland doing medication therapy management.
It was a lot of firsts. My first meet-up group experience and my first overnight backpacking experience. I would definitely do both again. One major take away was that the amazing journey I think I am on is nothing compared to some of these people. Half of the group quit their jobs have blogs, Intagrams with thousands of followers, and are doing things I would never even consider. The girl Averi spend her summer cycling across the United States. She is applying for sponsors so she can get paid to blog and post on Instagram as a traveling cyclist. When I told her I had a blog and an Instgram that mostly my friends and family read and follow, she thought it was cute.
I am not doing any of this for sponsors or followers. I am doing this for me. I am hitting the reset button on my life and if people want to read along as I find my own inner peace and happiness so I don't feel so alone in this journey then that makes me happy...AROOO WOOOO!!!!
Song of the Day
"Come Alive" The Hip Abduction. Another song found through Spotify discover weekly playlist. I am really enjoying these playlists they come up with for me. The hip abduction is how my hips are feeling after being taking over by my 32.9lb backpack!
Friday, November 11, 2016
Last Day in North Park
This past week has been filled with exploration, relaxation, disbelief, and some serious thought and reflection. I don't think I will ever forget watching the election and the reactions and disbelief of those around me. There is a cloud of fear, worry, doubt, and concern hovering over the nation. Unfortunately, it's not going to go away. All I can say is that he is the president-elect and we as a nation put him there, so we have to stand behind him, united. All we can hope is that like most other presidents he never follows through on half the promises he has talked about in his campaign.
My mother also had the hard decision to put down Jager, which we all knew was coming. He had been getting worse the past couple of weeks making it extremely hard for her to care for him. inside. He had constant diarrhea and was vomiting. I am sorry she had to be the one to make the final call, but it was time. Jager lived longer than most boxers and although a lot of his life I was living in Maryland, we had a special bond. I am going miss him very much.
On a lighter note, the weather here has just been dynamite. Every day better than the last. Temperatures in the mid-90's and high 80's at the beach. I have been going to yoga, kayaking, and beachin'-it it pretty much every day. How could you not?! I have spent zero time downtown or doing cultural museums or anything indoors. I figure there is plenty of time for that once it gets "colder". I spent time looking into volunteering spots and seemed to have missed the deadline to apply for the November orientation to volunteer at the hospital. So I have to wait for the December orientation. I think I am going to go to the orientation for Mama's Kitchen which feeds men, women, and children living with AIDS or cancer in the San Diego area, which is next week. Hopefully then I will be able to help them out for Thanksgiving.
I went on my first ever night hike, which was pretty cool. Despite it always feeling like summer, it is still day light savings here, and gets dark at 5pm, which stinks. I hiked the South Fortuna Mountain, which is part of the Mission Trails. It was a 5 mile loop that features the South Fortuna staircase where you climb up and see the entire city of San Diego, which at night was pretty amazing. This weekend I am meeting up with 10 other hikers through the app Meet-Up and going on a two day backpacking trip to San Jancinto Peak, which is about 2 hours North East of the city. The lone she wolf is finding a wolf pack! My next Air B and B will be in OB or Ocean Beach section of San Diego. I heard mixed reviews from a lot of different people about it when comparing Ocean Beach to Pacific Beach, but that is what this experience is all about, it's not permanent.
Marianna's (my brother's fiancé) cousin Dana lives out here and I am meeting her and her husband Daniel for dinner tonight. They live a little outside the city in La Mesa but used to live in North Park! Last night I got the opportunity to meet up with Cerra and Nick. My boss growing up working at Medicine to Go and Kaplers pharmacy daughter Cerra and cousin Nick. She is school to be a doctor of Natropathic medicine and Nick is a pharmacy manager at Walgreens. Again, for not really "knowing them" we get along well and I am excited to continue a friendship with them.
I can't believe how fast it has gone. I know that I told myself I wanted to check out different neighborhoods, but I am really going to miss North Park and I don't know if I want to leave!! I know that after just 11 days of being in San Diego I can see this as a permanent move for me. I still want to go to Hawaii because that was all part of my plan but Hawaii don't seem like a permanent move. If I did like it enough to live there, I could see myself doing that for a couple years and then probably wanting to come back. San Diego feels so much more realistic. I am already making pharmacy connections out here and despite "not knowing anyone" I feel like I know a lot of people. The cost of living, although still high, is cheaper than Hawaii. The time difference of just 3 hours can be tough trying to call home, Hawaii is a 6 hour time difference! I feel really positive about everything at this point and am exciting for what the next couple weeks have in store, AROO WOOO!!
Song of the Day
"S.O.B" Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats. I picked this song on election night because pretty pretty much everyone in that bar was saying "Son of Bitch, get me a drink" as we watched the results coming in throughout the night.
"Slow Foxes" Cdbd. Another Spotify weekly discover find. Really funky and fun song!!
"Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)" Iron and Wine. This one's for you Jager. Love you buddy 😘🐶
"Girl" Jukebox The Ghost. Like this song a lot. Again, about new beginnings putting yourself out there. Doesn't have to be just in love but friendships and trying new things, talking to strangers, something I have done a lot of this week!
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
My mother also had the hard decision to put down Jager, which we all knew was coming. He had been getting worse the past couple of weeks making it extremely hard for her to care for him. inside. He had constant diarrhea and was vomiting. I am sorry she had to be the one to make the final call, but it was time. Jager lived longer than most boxers and although a lot of his life I was living in Maryland, we had a special bond. I am going miss him very much.
On a lighter note, the weather here has just been dynamite. Every day better than the last. Temperatures in the mid-90's and high 80's at the beach. I have been going to yoga, kayaking, and beachin'-it it pretty much every day. How could you not?! I have spent zero time downtown or doing cultural museums or anything indoors. I figure there is plenty of time for that once it gets "colder". I spent time looking into volunteering spots and seemed to have missed the deadline to apply for the November orientation to volunteer at the hospital. So I have to wait for the December orientation. I think I am going to go to the orientation for Mama's Kitchen which feeds men, women, and children living with AIDS or cancer in the San Diego area, which is next week. Hopefully then I will be able to help them out for Thanksgiving.
I went on my first ever night hike, which was pretty cool. Despite it always feeling like summer, it is still day light savings here, and gets dark at 5pm, which stinks. I hiked the South Fortuna Mountain, which is part of the Mission Trails. It was a 5 mile loop that features the South Fortuna staircase where you climb up and see the entire city of San Diego, which at night was pretty amazing. This weekend I am meeting up with 10 other hikers through the app Meet-Up and going on a two day backpacking trip to San Jancinto Peak, which is about 2 hours North East of the city. The lone she wolf is finding a wolf pack! My next Air B and B will be in OB or Ocean Beach section of San Diego. I heard mixed reviews from a lot of different people about it when comparing Ocean Beach to Pacific Beach, but that is what this experience is all about, it's not permanent.
Marianna's (my brother's fiancé) cousin Dana lives out here and I am meeting her and her husband Daniel for dinner tonight. They live a little outside the city in La Mesa but used to live in North Park! Last night I got the opportunity to meet up with Cerra and Nick. My boss growing up working at Medicine to Go and Kaplers pharmacy daughter Cerra and cousin Nick. She is school to be a doctor of Natropathic medicine and Nick is a pharmacy manager at Walgreens. Again, for not really "knowing them" we get along well and I am excited to continue a friendship with them.
I can't believe how fast it has gone. I know that I told myself I wanted to check out different neighborhoods, but I am really going to miss North Park and I don't know if I want to leave!! I know that after just 11 days of being in San Diego I can see this as a permanent move for me. I still want to go to Hawaii because that was all part of my plan but Hawaii don't seem like a permanent move. If I did like it enough to live there, I could see myself doing that for a couple years and then probably wanting to come back. San Diego feels so much more realistic. I am already making pharmacy connections out here and despite "not knowing anyone" I feel like I know a lot of people. The cost of living, although still high, is cheaper than Hawaii. The time difference of just 3 hours can be tough trying to call home, Hawaii is a 6 hour time difference! I feel really positive about everything at this point and am exciting for what the next couple weeks have in store, AROO WOOO!!
Song of the Day
"S.O.B" Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats. I picked this song on election night because pretty pretty much everyone in that bar was saying "Son of Bitch, get me a drink" as we watched the results coming in throughout the night.
"Slow Foxes" Cdbd. Another Spotify weekly discover find. Really funky and fun song!!
"Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)" Iron and Wine. This one's for you Jager. Love you buddy 😘🐶
"Girl" Jukebox The Ghost. Like this song a lot. Again, about new beginnings putting yourself out there. Doesn't have to be just in love but friendships and trying new things, talking to strangers, something I have done a lot of this week!
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
SD Weekend 1
First weekend SD in the books! Filled with new friends and old friends! I got a chance to check out the yoga studio by my guest house. Two weeks of unlimited yoga for $25, I thought that was a pretty good price. Then I found out the other yoga studio has two weeks of free yoga, haha...guess I will go there next. The San Diego Beer Fest is a week long event that kicks off with over fifty breweries all day Saturday on the pier in the harbor. I really had never been down by the pier before and it was another gorgeous day of course. I had met this guy Randy who worked at one of the breweries, AleSmith and we met down at the beer fest. The highlight was the hydroflask give-away! After the beer fest I met up with one of my sorority sisters LeighAnn from USP. As annoying as social media can be it is also very helpful and now twice helped me connect to KE woman! Turns out LeighAnn is moving out here very soon which makes me very happy because I am already starting to feel like I could see myself here.
On Sunday after spending my morning with the pandas at the San Diego Zoo 🐼, I met LeighAnn for brunch and then we went apartment hunting for LeighAnn. We then met up with another Kappa Epsilon girl and USP alumni, Jade who is a pharmacist at UCSD. I had never met her before because she was a couple years younger than me but I felt like I had known her for years. I am hoping that she is the key to my job in SD. She has a wonderful job as a transplant pharmacist at the hospital and if she could do anything to help me that would be amazing.
Song of the Day
"Paper Planes" M.I.A. This song was rocking at the Beer fest. There were a lot of cool local bands there and some good dancing.
"Burn" Ellie Goulding. Love my girl Ellie. Probably my favorite performer from Firefly Music Festival this past year. Today was girl's day with my KE girls and we're gonna "Let it burn!"
"Like a River Runs" Bleachers. I love this song. Over the past year and half or so it has helped me through some of the darkest days. I saw Bleachers perform at the summer stage in Asbury last year with Chris's dad, Manolo, they were amazing. The past week has been tough. Between talking to Andy in Vegas about Chris, trying to explain what happened, seeing LeighAnn for the first time in years, and meeting new friends and explaining my story. As much I can try to move forward and be positive, its never going to stop being a part of who I am. My cousin Erin's friend from college who is now my friend recently walked for her husband Rob in the same American Foundation of Suicide Prevention Community Walk down in Baltimore that I have done for two years in Manasquan, this is what she wrote and I couldn't agree more.
"How do you describe what it is like to lose someone to suicide...my friends I hope you will never know. I hope you never know the pain, the anger, the sadness, the fear, and the guilt you feel. It is a constant pull on your soul, a scar forever, no matter how many seasons pass. You never forget, you never "get over it"you work through it. Sometimes it just hits you...stops you in your in tracks...a song comes on and you smile at the memory and then you start to cry at the empty feeling that follows after it in the pit of your stomach."
Suicide survivors truly never stop surviving their loss. We are the ones left behind. The ones left to pick up the pieces. I will never forget Chris and the love he brought into my life. Sadly, I will never forget the day he died and pain I felt. I was broken and had to rebuild myself, I still am. I have learned one thing. I don't like to tell new people I meet how Chris died because I want to protect him. I don't want anyone to pass judgement on him. Also, anyone who knew Chris, can understand that this is not the impression I want people to have of him, because it's not the person he was. Not only
do I not want his last act to define me I don't want it to define him because he was so much more than
his final days. In my opinion it shouldn't matter how someone died, does it make any difference, but it's always the follow-up question people ask....
AROOO WOOOO!!!!!
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
On Sunday after spending my morning with the pandas at the San Diego Zoo 🐼, I met LeighAnn for brunch and then we went apartment hunting for LeighAnn. We then met up with another Kappa Epsilon girl and USP alumni, Jade who is a pharmacist at UCSD. I had never met her before because she was a couple years younger than me but I felt like I had known her for years. I am hoping that she is the key to my job in SD. She has a wonderful job as a transplant pharmacist at the hospital and if she could do anything to help me that would be amazing.
Song of the Day
"Paper Planes" M.I.A. This song was rocking at the Beer fest. There were a lot of cool local bands there and some good dancing.
"Burn" Ellie Goulding. Love my girl Ellie. Probably my favorite performer from Firefly Music Festival this past year. Today was girl's day with my KE girls and we're gonna "Let it burn!"
"Like a River Runs" Bleachers. I love this song. Over the past year and half or so it has helped me through some of the darkest days. I saw Bleachers perform at the summer stage in Asbury last year with Chris's dad, Manolo, they were amazing. The past week has been tough. Between talking to Andy in Vegas about Chris, trying to explain what happened, seeing LeighAnn for the first time in years, and meeting new friends and explaining my story. As much I can try to move forward and be positive, its never going to stop being a part of who I am. My cousin Erin's friend from college who is now my friend recently walked for her husband Rob in the same American Foundation of Suicide Prevention Community Walk down in Baltimore that I have done for two years in Manasquan, this is what she wrote and I couldn't agree more.
"How do you describe what it is like to lose someone to suicide...my friends I hope you will never know. I hope you never know the pain, the anger, the sadness, the fear, and the guilt you feel. It is a constant pull on your soul, a scar forever, no matter how many seasons pass. You never forget, you never "get over it"you work through it. Sometimes it just hits you...stops you in your in tracks...a song comes on and you smile at the memory and then you start to cry at the empty feeling that follows after it in the pit of your stomach."
Suicide survivors truly never stop surviving their loss. We are the ones left behind. The ones left to pick up the pieces. I will never forget Chris and the love he brought into my life. Sadly, I will never forget the day he died and pain I felt. I was broken and had to rebuild myself, I still am. I have learned one thing. I don't like to tell new people I meet how Chris died because I want to protect him. I don't want anyone to pass judgement on him. Also, anyone who knew Chris, can understand that this is not the impression I want people to have of him, because it's not the person he was. Not only
do I not want his last act to define me I don't want it to define him because he was so much more than
his final days. In my opinion it shouldn't matter how someone died, does it make any difference, but it's always the follow-up question people ask....
AROOO WOOOO!!!!!
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
Friday, November 4, 2016
La Jolla
Today I went to my favorite place, La Jolla. The reason I want to move to SD. I hiked Torrey Pines like Chris and I had the last time we visited San Diego in 2013. We came out for a pharmacy conference for Chris's job and I tagged along. His boss and colleague Sheryl was also on the trip. We stayed in the "Gaslamp" district downtown and close to the convention center, where the conference was. Sheryl either rented a car or borrowed her friend's, which is how we were able to get to Torrey Pines and La Jolla which is about 15 means outside the city. I had a great day hiking all the various trails at Torrey Pines. The terrain there is very desert like with gorgeous cliffs overlooking the ocean. One of the trails you hike down to the beach with black sand and sandpipers.
After the hike, I walked along the beach. The water was warm and the waves were rough. The shores of the Pacific are so incredibly different from the East coast, rocky and aggressive.
After Torrey Pines I went to La Jolla a town far too rich for my blood. There are a. Inch of boutiques and shops all around La Jolla. I walked up and down the block but was covered in sand and didn't feel right about going into many of the stores. I had some dinner outside and then went to the park to watch the sunset. In Ocean Beach last night the sunset was gorgeous but the pier blocked some of the view I was excited to see it tonight but it got stuck behind clouds, I guess there is always tomorrow.
Tomorrow I am going to finally check out yoga in the morning and then head to the SD Beer Fest downtown....arooo woooo!!!!
Song of the Day "2am" Slightly Stoopid. Slightly Stoopid is from Ocean Beach and after I had such a fun time hanging out there last night I figured I should pick this song!
After the hike, I walked along the beach. The water was warm and the waves were rough. The shores of the Pacific are so incredibly different from the East coast, rocky and aggressive.
After Torrey Pines I went to La Jolla a town far too rich for my blood. There are a. Inch of boutiques and shops all around La Jolla. I walked up and down the block but was covered in sand and didn't feel right about going into many of the stores. I had some dinner outside and then went to the park to watch the sunset. In Ocean Beach last night the sunset was gorgeous but the pier blocked some of the view I was excited to see it tonight but it got stuck behind clouds, I guess there is always tomorrow.
Tomorrow I am going to finally check out yoga in the morning and then head to the SD Beer Fest downtown....arooo woooo!!!!
Song of the Day "2am" Slightly Stoopid. Slightly Stoopid is from Ocean Beach and after I had such a fun time hanging out there last night I figured I should pick this song!
Thursday, November 3, 2016
North Park
I must say I really am enjoying this neighborhood. I really like the residential feel it has but yet walkable to so many different restaurants and bars. Yesterday I walked to a coffee shop and sat there for a couple hours just people watching. In the afternoon I headed to Coronado Beach which was a short 15 minute drive. The beach there was amazing, it went on for miles and miles. After the beach I headed back to North Park and walked up and down the block all night checking out all the various bars. They were pretty packed with people all watching the Cubs game so it made it a pretty fun night. I had a couple different people buying my drinks which was a nice way to welcome me to the neighborhood. I wasn't interested in any of them but I didn't want to be rude...😂 I did exchange digits with one person that I am hoping contacts me. This girl Lo that was a bartender at the brewery Modern Times. She said she works crazy hours but she was telling me she lives in Ocean Beach and that is definitely an area I should consider living. It would be nice to make some friends while I am here. I did spend some time researching meet-up groups in the area and joined a couple of them. There is a hiking one that seems pretty promising and I am going to check out some events they have coming up soon.
I wanted to check out a yoga studio in the neighborhood. I think I will do that tomorrow. There is this really amazing art studio I have passed a couple times. I wish I was an artist. Last night I was standing outside just watching the people paint, deep in thought. A guy came outside and asked me if I was an artist. Naturally, I said yes. He said I should go inside and check it out. Anyone can come use the space anytime they want and they have all kinds of classes and seminars, then he walked away. Maybe I will try it, but it seemed super intimidating, everyone was painting a masterpiece. I also want to find a nice place to volunteer. Not sure what I want to do yet. I worked with the homeless in Baltimore, I enjoyed that. Maybe try something different. Maybe the humane society? Or maybe something with kids? I looked into the humane society and they are currently accepting applications. They have a lot of requirements and interview their volunteers. Maybe I will look into volunteering at the hospital. That may help with future job placement.
Today I went to North Park's Thursday Market. It was a three block farmer's market. They had all kinds of weird vegan items I had never even heard of like coconut jerky. I got some fruit and hummus to keep at the house. Afterwards I decided to head back to the beach because it was another gorgeous day. I decided to check out Lo's spot Ocean Beach. It is a hip little neighborhood filled with surfers. I watched my first sunset of the trip and the pictures don't even do it justice. It honestly looked like a watercolor painting, just gorgeous, maybe I will recreate it at the art studio....arooo woooo!!!!!!
Song of the Day: "Here Comes the Sun" Beatles. Although the sun was setting this song seemed super fitting for the occasion.
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
I wanted to check out a yoga studio in the neighborhood. I think I will do that tomorrow. There is this really amazing art studio I have passed a couple times. I wish I was an artist. Last night I was standing outside just watching the people paint, deep in thought. A guy came outside and asked me if I was an artist. Naturally, I said yes. He said I should go inside and check it out. Anyone can come use the space anytime they want and they have all kinds of classes and seminars, then he walked away. Maybe I will try it, but it seemed super intimidating, everyone was painting a masterpiece. I also want to find a nice place to volunteer. Not sure what I want to do yet. I worked with the homeless in Baltimore, I enjoyed that. Maybe try something different. Maybe the humane society? Or maybe something with kids? I looked into the humane society and they are currently accepting applications. They have a lot of requirements and interview their volunteers. Maybe I will look into volunteering at the hospital. That may help with future job placement.
Today I went to North Park's Thursday Market. It was a three block farmer's market. They had all kinds of weird vegan items I had never even heard of like coconut jerky. I got some fruit and hummus to keep at the house. Afterwards I decided to head back to the beach because it was another gorgeous day. I decided to check out Lo's spot Ocean Beach. It is a hip little neighborhood filled with surfers. I watched my first sunset of the trip and the pictures don't even do it justice. It honestly looked like a watercolor painting, just gorgeous, maybe I will recreate it at the art studio....arooo woooo!!!!!!
Song of the Day: "Here Comes the Sun" Beatles. Although the sun was setting this song seemed super fitting for the occasion.
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Phish Vegas Halloween
4 nights in Vegas over Halloween for a Phish run...craziness. One thing is certain, I will not be going back to Las Vegas any time soon. So I should start by saying I just went to Vegas back in September for a pharmacy conference with my friend Jenn from pharmacy school. Now we mostly gambled and conferenced, with the exception of seeing Britney Spears. Also, as you all know I was just recently in Reno. To make any money gambling you have to committed and dedicated to it, unless you just happen to have a lucky day. I knew that I wasn't going to have that kind of time, Jenn and I were there from morning til night...haha. So this trip, although there was still plenty of gambling being had, it was not the main reason and had to take a backseat.
It took forever to get off of Catalina and then I hit a ton of traffic on my way to Vegas. I didn't end up arriving to Sin City until about 11:30pm Thursday. Dani and Steve had gotten there about an hour before that and Andy wasn't arriving until Friday afternoon. They were pretty tired from the time difference and I had a long day as well. We ventured downstairs to the casino for a few hours but decided to turn in early because we knew it was going to be a long weekend. Phish was performing at MGM Grand Arena which holds about 17,000 people. We were staying at the MGM Grand as well. It was going to mobbed with Phish "phans" all weekend! I was shocked the hotel would even entertain the idea of letting all these hippies trash the place all weekend.
On Friday we woke up super early and decided to take my car off the strip to Wal-mart to stock up on supplies for the weekend. I had brought some snacks, waters, and gatorades but we would definitely need more. We saved a ton of money in the long run I because just night one Steve bought an $8 bag of Doritos and Dani bought like four $8 Coors Lights. After the morning errands we took the monorail down to Bally's and Paris to gamble and have some lunch. Overall, we felt that MGM was too crowded to gamble there so we wanted to head to other casinos. Andy arrived and we met him back at MGM to get ready and head to the show. They let you bring in your own alcohol to the show which is nice so we don't have to buy any drinks.
So for anyone who doesn't know Phish is a jam band. People say they have a similar following to the Grateful Dead. They are definitely not known for their amazing vocal abilities. Night 1 they played a 25 minute Golden Age! One song 25 minutes long, that is pretty incredible. After the show we went to New York, New York to gamble and hang out. No one won big...but Steve was doing the best out of any of us.
The next morning we woke up early again and decided to go head to the pool area. It was the perfect way to start the morning relaxing in the lazy river. After that we decided to head to "Old Vegas" or Fremont street because Dani desperately wanted to get an $8.99 prime rib dinner. We had a good time playing some roulette and watching the people zip line over the strip. The Uber driver on the way back told us we had to go to the stratosphere which was at the very end of the strip. They let people bungee jump off it until 2 in the morning! All night everyone I met I asked them if they wanted to go bungee jump off the stratosphere and for the most part no one was crazy enough to do it. The second night of the show was more epic than the first!
I met up with some other Phish friends from Jersey and even ran into someone I met at the gorge in Washington, but by the third day we were all feeling pretty tired out. Andy wanted to stay back and get some rest, while me, Dani, and Steve walked to the Flamingo. Night three was probably my favorite of all four nights, it was the only thing keeping me awake! I went to bed immediately after the show was over the others followed shortly after.
Halloween, in Vegas! We didn't get dressed up, lame I know. Dani and I spend all morning in the spa getting rejuvenated with massages and hanging out in the sauna and jacuzzi. It was perfect. We both felt so much better afterward and couldn't wait to start the night up again. The crazies were definitely out and it was very entertaining to people watch. I learned a new term for Phish fans called "wook". According to urban dictionary a wook is a dirty, hairy, stinky, mal-nourished, dishonest creature without any ambition, motivation, or drive other than drugs and image. I witnessed some of these ungodly creatures and second guessed ever going to another Phish concert again. Google image search if you have further questions....haha...There is also apparently a Facebook group called the Colorado Big Game Trophy Wook Hunters where people post pictures like they found Big Foot.
I asked my masseuse why the MGM would sign up for this sort of mayhem. She explained to me that the spa is the busiest it's been in months. So despite the fact the rooms may get destroyed people are spending money and it's good for the hotel.
The four of us had a really great weekend together. Andy rounded out the group nicely and we all got along really well and had a ton of laughs. It worked out really well that he came barely knowing me and having never met Dani or Steve. Things could have turned out much differently. As far as Andy and I and whatever crush he or I may have had, I told him from the beginning that it was best to be friends since he lived in Michigan and there was no point in pursuing anything more than that. Being in that kind of atmosphere made it hard enough to get to know someone on any kind of deep level and I didn't want to pursue a long distance relationship.
We all said our goodbyes and parted ways. I now get to begin my time in San Diego and I couldn't be more excited! I will be staying in an area known as North Park for the first 12 days at an Air BnB guest house. I arrived last night at about 5pm and got settled in. There are a ton of restaurants, microbreweries, and coffee shops within walking distance, which is really nice. Last night I went out to eat at a place called One Door North which is described as "camp" style dining, whatever that means. I figured since I had been camping I was intrigued what this glamping restaurant had to offer. The decor was pretty. Tables underneath big antler chandeliers and canvas tent drapes. I had a nice hearty beef stew. Today, I am taking it easy. Doing some training for work, walking the neighborhood, and enjoying the gorgeous weather in the "zen-like" backyard. The neighborhood of North Park is very residential with craftsman style homes lining the streets, my favorite. Chad, who I am renting the guest house from works in pharmaceutical sales and knows a ton of pharmacists in the area. Hopefully his connections can open some doors because I already love this hipster neighborhood. AROOOO WOOOO!!!
Song of the Day
"Born to Be Alive" Patrick Hernandez. From Vegas Vacation. Staying at MGM Grand meant the elevators were always packed with fans and a very entertaining part of the day. This song was a big hit to get everyone pumped for the weekend and I played it every time we rode the elevators.
"Animals" Martin Garrix. I used Siri to figure out the name of this song. Dani and I had a good time dancing to it at the pool today. Let's face it...it's Vegas, it's Halloween, it's Phish these people are animals!!
"Birds of a Feather" Phish. So I kind of made this rule with myself that I would not pick the same artist more than once on this trip. Since Phish was playing four nights I had to be very selective which night I was going to pick a Phish song for my playlist and then the hard decision of which song to pick. Birds of a Feather is definitely not my favorite Phish song and actually it implies people just flock along with the crowd instead of being their own person. I chose this song because we went to the Flamingo during the day and Dani and I had our "Flamingo" pose going. I also picked it because Phish rocked it that night, it was awesome. I truly think Dani and I are birds of a feather, in a good way. We get along so well!
"Ziggy Stardust" David Bowie. For the Halloween mystery musical costume set Phish performed David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Spiders from Mars. I really didn't know this album too well at all and because Phish doesn't have great vocal talent, I don't think they sounded too much like Bowie. It would have been really cool if Trey would have dressed like David Bowie. This was probably the only song that I recognized from that album.
"Lemonade" Adam Friedman feat. Mike Posner. I found this song using Spotfy's Discover Weekly playlist. I like its catchy beat and of course it's about California! Plus, I am 5'5 with big brown eyes, I don't know about the sweet like Lemonade part...😘!
"Floating Vibes" Surfer Blood. "If you're moving out to he West then you better learn how to surf..." Definitely on my to-do list! This album is a couple years old but Chris really liked it and I have to agree I like it a lot as well.
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
It took forever to get off of Catalina and then I hit a ton of traffic on my way to Vegas. I didn't end up arriving to Sin City until about 11:30pm Thursday. Dani and Steve had gotten there about an hour before that and Andy wasn't arriving until Friday afternoon. They were pretty tired from the time difference and I had a long day as well. We ventured downstairs to the casino for a few hours but decided to turn in early because we knew it was going to be a long weekend. Phish was performing at MGM Grand Arena which holds about 17,000 people. We were staying at the MGM Grand as well. It was going to mobbed with Phish "phans" all weekend! I was shocked the hotel would even entertain the idea of letting all these hippies trash the place all weekend.
On Friday we woke up super early and decided to take my car off the strip to Wal-mart to stock up on supplies for the weekend. I had brought some snacks, waters, and gatorades but we would definitely need more. We saved a ton of money in the long run I because just night one Steve bought an $8 bag of Doritos and Dani bought like four $8 Coors Lights. After the morning errands we took the monorail down to Bally's and Paris to gamble and have some lunch. Overall, we felt that MGM was too crowded to gamble there so we wanted to head to other casinos. Andy arrived and we met him back at MGM to get ready and head to the show. They let you bring in your own alcohol to the show which is nice so we don't have to buy any drinks.
So for anyone who doesn't know Phish is a jam band. People say they have a similar following to the Grateful Dead. They are definitely not known for their amazing vocal abilities. Night 1 they played a 25 minute Golden Age! One song 25 minutes long, that is pretty incredible. After the show we went to New York, New York to gamble and hang out. No one won big...but Steve was doing the best out of any of us.
The next morning we woke up early again and decided to go head to the pool area. It was the perfect way to start the morning relaxing in the lazy river. After that we decided to head to "Old Vegas" or Fremont street because Dani desperately wanted to get an $8.99 prime rib dinner. We had a good time playing some roulette and watching the people zip line over the strip. The Uber driver on the way back told us we had to go to the stratosphere which was at the very end of the strip. They let people bungee jump off it until 2 in the morning! All night everyone I met I asked them if they wanted to go bungee jump off the stratosphere and for the most part no one was crazy enough to do it. The second night of the show was more epic than the first!
I met up with some other Phish friends from Jersey and even ran into someone I met at the gorge in Washington, but by the third day we were all feeling pretty tired out. Andy wanted to stay back and get some rest, while me, Dani, and Steve walked to the Flamingo. Night three was probably my favorite of all four nights, it was the only thing keeping me awake! I went to bed immediately after the show was over the others followed shortly after.
Halloween, in Vegas! We didn't get dressed up, lame I know. Dani and I spend all morning in the spa getting rejuvenated with massages and hanging out in the sauna and jacuzzi. It was perfect. We both felt so much better afterward and couldn't wait to start the night up again. The crazies were definitely out and it was very entertaining to people watch. I learned a new term for Phish fans called "wook". According to urban dictionary a wook is a dirty, hairy, stinky, mal-nourished, dishonest creature without any ambition, motivation, or drive other than drugs and image. I witnessed some of these ungodly creatures and second guessed ever going to another Phish concert again. Google image search if you have further questions....haha...There is also apparently a Facebook group called the Colorado Big Game Trophy Wook Hunters where people post pictures like they found Big Foot.
I asked my masseuse why the MGM would sign up for this sort of mayhem. She explained to me that the spa is the busiest it's been in months. So despite the fact the rooms may get destroyed people are spending money and it's good for the hotel.
The four of us had a really great weekend together. Andy rounded out the group nicely and we all got along really well and had a ton of laughs. It worked out really well that he came barely knowing me and having never met Dani or Steve. Things could have turned out much differently. As far as Andy and I and whatever crush he or I may have had, I told him from the beginning that it was best to be friends since he lived in Michigan and there was no point in pursuing anything more than that. Being in that kind of atmosphere made it hard enough to get to know someone on any kind of deep level and I didn't want to pursue a long distance relationship.
We all said our goodbyes and parted ways. I now get to begin my time in San Diego and I couldn't be more excited! I will be staying in an area known as North Park for the first 12 days at an Air BnB guest house. I arrived last night at about 5pm and got settled in. There are a ton of restaurants, microbreweries, and coffee shops within walking distance, which is really nice. Last night I went out to eat at a place called One Door North which is described as "camp" style dining, whatever that means. I figured since I had been camping I was intrigued what this glamping restaurant had to offer. The decor was pretty. Tables underneath big antler chandeliers and canvas tent drapes. I had a nice hearty beef stew. Today, I am taking it easy. Doing some training for work, walking the neighborhood, and enjoying the gorgeous weather in the "zen-like" backyard. The neighborhood of North Park is very residential with craftsman style homes lining the streets, my favorite. Chad, who I am renting the guest house from works in pharmaceutical sales and knows a ton of pharmacists in the area. Hopefully his connections can open some doors because I already love this hipster neighborhood. AROOOO WOOOO!!!
Song of the Day
"Born to Be Alive" Patrick Hernandez. From Vegas Vacation. Staying at MGM Grand meant the elevators were always packed with fans and a very entertaining part of the day. This song was a big hit to get everyone pumped for the weekend and I played it every time we rode the elevators.
"Animals" Martin Garrix. I used Siri to figure out the name of this song. Dani and I had a good time dancing to it at the pool today. Let's face it...it's Vegas, it's Halloween, it's Phish these people are animals!!
"Birds of a Feather" Phish. So I kind of made this rule with myself that I would not pick the same artist more than once on this trip. Since Phish was playing four nights I had to be very selective which night I was going to pick a Phish song for my playlist and then the hard decision of which song to pick. Birds of a Feather is definitely not my favorite Phish song and actually it implies people just flock along with the crowd instead of being their own person. I chose this song because we went to the Flamingo during the day and Dani and I had our "Flamingo" pose going. I also picked it because Phish rocked it that night, it was awesome. I truly think Dani and I are birds of a feather, in a good way. We get along so well!
"Ziggy Stardust" David Bowie. For the Halloween mystery musical costume set Phish performed David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Spiders from Mars. I really didn't know this album too well at all and because Phish doesn't have great vocal talent, I don't think they sounded too much like Bowie. It would have been really cool if Trey would have dressed like David Bowie. This was probably the only song that I recognized from that album.
"Lemonade" Adam Friedman feat. Mike Posner. I found this song using Spotfy's Discover Weekly playlist. I like its catchy beat and of course it's about California! Plus, I am 5'5 with big brown eyes, I don't know about the sweet like Lemonade part...😘!
"Floating Vibes" Surfer Blood. "If you're moving out to he West then you better learn how to surf..." Definitely on my to-do list! This album is a couple years old but Chris really liked it and I have to agree I like it a lot as well.
Instagram: lone_she_wolf
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4
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