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6 weeks might seem like overkill for a work break - especially when my salary is suspended while I am between contracts - but somehow I managed to pack my most recent vacation full of fun and adventures, and lived every minute to the absolute fullest:
Part One: Home, New York, Boston I was really excited to have an entire week at home simply lounging and recharging. I cannot begin to explain the ultimate luxury of sleeping in on a giant fluffy queen size bed (after twin sized bunk beds on the ship! Ick!), then crawling into my mom’s bed to continue a lazy afternoon of Law and Order reruns and repeat lunches at my favorite Thai place. This time is especially meaningful for me because it has become an unmissable tradition, and mom and I always set aside this time for eachother.
I then flew to New York to visit my east coast friends and to meet my newborn cousin Brenna. I stayed with Aunt Miriam outside of Manhattan and got some lovely time playing with my unbelievably gorgeous and even-tempered cousin. I also enjoyed my time with the boys, leaving with only minor bruises from a battering
of tennis dodgeball in the backyard. I balanced this family time with visits into the city - unfortunately the weather was overcast and rainy so I didn’t get nearly as much time walking around as I usually prefer - though I prevailed with a bit of shopping despite unavoidable soggy shoes and an inside-out umbrella. I also had a great afternoon catching up with a great friend from highschool, Becca, and a long-lost friend from college, Kim. After a quirky dinner at a Cuban restaurant, I stayed in Hoboken with my friends Courtney and Brian (not a bad option to live in Hoboken if you want to be only one stop from the city while staying in a cute affordable neighborhood…). I enjoyed a few (not nearly enough) hours with Aunt Wendy who let me crash on her couch while I was in the city.
One of my best friends in the world, Lisa, happens to live right near my Aunt Miriam in Bedford. This is a gift from heaven because not only do I get to see her every time I’m in town, but she acts as my buffer and takes me out whenever I need some time
outside of the house. I cannot begin to explain how much this girl means to me - the ups and downs of our friendship rival most, but always we seem to bring simultaneous peace and excitement to eachothers’ lives - now that’s true friendship. We had a few great meals at the all-night diner and sushi place, and then the best part of all was a mini-roadtrip, as she drove me into Boston, where I spent a few days with my friend from highschool, Becka.
The day we drove into Boston was a perfect sunny afternoon, ideal for walking around the city, which was exactly what I felt like doing. We spent a few hours strolling the Esplanade and sat in the Commons, people watching - there is nothing like Boston in the springtime. So many sun-deprived Bostonians come out to soak up the precious sunshine, as it only needs to be above 60 degrees for the bikinis and short shorts to come out.
Becka and I went out that night with a goal in mind - we were going on a Man Hunt. Neither of us had been on the prowl in a very long time, and
since we were eachothers’ original wingchicks back in highschool, it seemed appropriate to paint the town red like old times.
We wandered into a Karaoke bar but our hopes fell as we looked around to see it was an Engineering School’s Alum reunion. This, quite frankly, meant too many courduroy jackets and combovers. Somewhere against the wall we spotted a few surprisingly attractive guys and realized they were unwitting stragglers such as ourselves. We positioned ourselves at the center of the room for prime people-watching, and after a very short time, they came to us. I sang a duet with one of them (ACDC Shook Me All Night Long - classic!!), while Becka humored a musician as he waxed romantic about his passion for his guitar, or something.
When the Karaoke Bar scene got stale, we all went as a group to an Irish Pub down the street, and sat at a table, watching cougars pick up college kids and discussing the merits of pick up lines. The sun was coming up when we finally called it a night, and Becka and I were satisfied with our mission’s success.
We spent the next few days walking around
the city and developing an obsession for the French Toast with fresh berries at the café around the corner. We had dinner with a great friend from my study abroad program in New Zealand, as I haven’t seen her in almost 3 years it was wonderful to pick up almost like no time had passed at all.I had only been on vacation for two weeks and already I was completely relaxed and resuscitated…
Part Two - Coast of Cali Roadtrip A friend of mine told me he was thinking of moving to San Diego but didn’t know where to start with the process. I have a few good friends down there that I haven’t seen in a while, so I proposed the ultimate roadtrip - he flew into San Francisco and we rocked the Pacific Coast Highway all the way down to Southern California.
The night Eugene arrived he’d been upgraded on the plane and had taken advantage of the complimentary drinks. When I found him at baggage claim he was more than a little sloshed, and in the excitement he decided it would be a fantastic idea to take off his pants in the airport. As
I held up his pants by the belt loops in the elevator, I knew this would be a long adventure.
We spent a few days in San Francisco touring my favorite places such as the view of Golden Gate bridge from Bakers Beach, my favorite noodle house in Union Square, a lovely trek around Golden Gate Park, and Crepes with my awesome friend Serra. We also caught an A’s vs Red Sox game in Oakland. The next day we headed down the coast, stopping in Santa Cruz to visit the Mystery Spot, pausing in Carmel for a quick swim and staying overnight in San Luis Obispo.
The California coast is more beautiful than any port I have every visited on ships, because it is so pristinely dynamic in it’s textures and colors. Sweeping curves on 300 foot cliffs provide views of tidepools, rocks coated in orange ice plant blossoms, sandy dunes, and sunsets slashed with rocky roadsides. After a high-energy kayak in the ocean in Shell beach, we continued down the coast. Along the way we stopped in Santa Barbara and Santa Monica to watch fireworks on the Pier.
We spent the next night in Los Angeles,
staying at my friend Briana’s studio while she was out of town (so bummed she wasn’t there!!!). We did a mini-tour of LA, taking pictures of the Hollywood sign, cruising down Hollywood Blvd, and buying toothpaste at the local Walmart. True local sights of course.
We finally arrived in San Diego and went straight to the beach to catch the sunset. That weekend we went out with my buddy Shef and all of his awesome friends. I had lost my drivers license somewhere between San Luis Obispo and San Diego, only realizing it was gone when I tried to get into a pub downtown. Shef pulled some strings and got me in on the faith of the bouncer cushioned by a hearty tip. We partied til the sun came up, finally calling it a night after a soak in the hot tub.
The drive back was a blur, as we powered straight through the 9 hours, only stopping at In N’ Out for lunch. We had one more dinner in the city with a friend, and then I saw Eugene off at the airport for a red-eye.
I had another few days at home with the family
before my next trip, and mom and I happily resumed our Law and Order sessions.
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