One of the things I like about domestic flights in America is how fast it usually goes to land and get your luggage. No waiting for security or anything, just walking to the luggage belt, picking up your checked bags and you’re good to go. It’s even better when one of your friends is there to pick you up.
My friend Brittany is waiting with her car at the entrance of the airport. It’s great to see her again after about three years. As we drive to her house I’m enjoying seeing familiar places in the city. It all feels so unreal to be back, it’s awesome! My hotel is close to her house so we stop there so I can drop off my bags. I have a great room with a view over the water, perfect! After dropping off my luggage and freshening up a bit, I walk to my friend’s house and she’s cooking a nice healthy pasta for me while we catch up on life. After dinner we go for a walk around the neighborhood. I’m enjoying the fresh air after been inside for almost the whole day. Already outside the airport I immediately noticed the particular smell of California. It’s hard to describe, but it’s a warm and fresh air. Even though it’s a bit colder these days, it still gives a feeling of summer. After our evening walk I head back to the hotel, because it’s time to get some sleep. Around 2.30am I wake up again thanks to the jet lag. I stay in bed for a moment, but when I realize that I won’t fall asleep again I decide to catch up on some work. It’s around noon back home, so there are a few emails from clients to answer. Also I take some time to post my first blog of this journey. I don’t think I’ll write daily, but we’ll see how it goes.
When I’m done with work and writing I go to the swimming pool. It’s my favorite thing to do in the morning when I’m staying in a hotel that has one. I find swimming a few laps a great way to wake up my body and start the day. It’s still a bit chilly outside, even in San Diego it gets a bit cooler in the winter. I plan on being a good tourist and buy a San Diego hoodie today.
But first breakfast. Since I’m staying in downtown there s a lot of choice for food and I today I try a place called the Breakfast Company. I get a typical American breakfast, eggs with bacon and potatoes and toast. And of course a cup of coffee. One of the things I love about American coffee places and restaurants is that you usually get free refills for your coffee. Wish we had that back home too. And super friendly service as well too. I’ve noticed that everywhere today in stores, restaurants and public that people are super friendly. I know some people back home find it over the top, but I just find it very social and pleasant.
I stay in the restaurant for a while to read a book and then my friend joins me. We walk around the neighborhood for a while to look at some apartments I’ve seen online. It’s nice to stay in a hotel for a few days to get adjusted here, but I’d like to move to an apartment so I can cook my own food and don’t have to out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After walking in the neighbourhood for a while we drive to a shopping mall in search for a nice San Diego hoodie. We don’t really find a nice one, but we find some Christmas presents for Brittany’s daughter, so it’s a successful trip anyway. It’s nice to walk around in a big shopping mall again, we don’t them that big back home. The weather is great today, blue skies and sunshine and we decide to have lunch at local burger place. It’s lovely to be able to have lunch outside and the food is good. We have great talks about life, my friend Brittany has a talent for asking questions that really make you think. Half way the afternoon I go back to the hotel and decide to take a short nap. I’m still struggling a bit with the jet lag, but it’s not too bad this time. I think the bright weather helps my body to adjust to the timezone quicker. After the nap I do a bit more sightseeing myself and I decide to try out public transport. I think that using public transport is a good way to get more of a feeling for local life, because you’re surrounded with locals who travel around in their own city and you get a better image of how big a city is. I go back to the mall and buy myself a nice hoodie, because that was the goal I had set myself for today. During the day it’s nice and warm outside, but in the morning and evening it’s a bit chilly, colder than I expected of San Diego. It’s funny, people complain here about how cold it is, even though it’s around 16°C / 60°F degrees outside.
In general it’s much easier to have a car when you’re in America, but the trolly is also quite fast and so it’s very doable to get somewhere with public transport in San Diego. It’s nice that almost everywhere is a store or restaurant with WiFi, so I can use Google Maps when I need it. After having a classical American breakfast and lunch, I crave a bit more healthy dinner in the evening and get myself a salad at a restaurant close to my hotel. Then I head back to my room for relaxing with some series on Netflix. The first day of vacation was very active with walking around almost the whole day. I think tomorrow I’ll take it a bit slower and will have a relaxed workday at a coffee place.
