Back in 1999, when I was studying abroad in the south of France, I met the first person from California I had ever known. When we met they tried to explain to me the vast differences, and almost divisiveness, between Northern California (NorCal) and Southern California (SoCal), and the people who lived there. At the time, I had only visited Southern California, and that was for just a week, so I really had no idea what they were talking about. After spending the last four weeks traveling through both NorCal and SoCal though, I feel like I finally understand at least part of what they meant, especially when it comes to the climate. In San Diego (SoCal) in particular, it was, at least for the two weeks we were there, 75 and sunny practically every single day. Whatever way you look at it, all of California is beautiful. It may be expensive, but the scenery, and the geographic diversity, from one part of the state to another make it an incredible place to experience. I’m really glad we had the chance to see it for ourselves.
We definitely took advantage of the beautiful weather by being outside as much as possible. Our Air BnB was located in the Point Loma neighborhood about an hour on public transportation from Downtown San Diego. Initially I was bummed that we were so far away and after visiting the downtown area I had a greater sense of gratitude for where we were. We initially picked Point Loma solely based off of the fact that the Air BnB was less expensive. After visiting downtown we realized it was also more quiet and peaceful. Just down the hill from our Air BnB was the port called La Playa where there were several bars, restaurants and shops. There were other things to do as well like visit the somewhat secluded Kellogg beach with pristine water and sparkling sand or walk along the paths of Shelter Island which I did more than once.
We had one very full weekend while we were in San Diego and we packed it in. Friday the 18th we booked a sunset cruise around Mission Bay. Even though we didn’t see much of the sunset it was fun to see that area from the water and we met some nice people as well. Saturday we adventured to the downtown area. We started at the farmer’s market in Little Italy and then had lunch at Filippi’s Pizza Grotto re: our friend’s recommendation. After that we made are way down to the water and walked on the Embarcadero past the USS Midway on our way to Seaport Village. From there we wandered through the Gaslamp Quarter and finished our day at a rooftop bar in Gallagher Square overlooking Petco Park where the Padres were playing that evening. We decided that was a cheaper option than going to the game and I’m glad that is what we did.
On Sunday the 20th we took an Uber to the northernmost end of Torrey Pines State National Reserve and began our visit by hiking the Guy Fleming Trail which offered great views of Torrey Pines Beach and coastline. The trail also took us past Torrey Pines Golf Course, which for you golf lovers has hosted the US Open twice in 2008 and 2021, for you non-golf lovers, it has nice views. From the golf course we took the bus to La Jolla and visited La Jolla cove where all the adorable, albeit stinky, sea lions hang out. La Jolla is a beautiful area and I’m glad we went. Our next and last stop of the day was Pacific Beach. My friend had recommended a taco restaurant called La Ola Seafood, and for only $3, I had the best fish taco of my life! I’m still thinking about it. After the tasty taco we walked along the beach and took in the sights. The day ended with 25,000 steps and a deeper understanding as to why people love San Diego so much!
Last week we explored Balboa Park on Tuesday and were able to visit the adorable Spanish Art Village that is inside of its enormous expanse. I didn’t do enough research ahead of time to know that most everything inside of Balboa Park closes around 430pm so we weren’t able to visit any of the numerous museums or the Japanese Garden and it was still fun to walk around. Last Thursday we rounded out our two week stay with a return to Ocean Beach. On the way there I walked past the Sunset Cliffs which were absolutely gorgeous. We watched the sunset on the beach and enjoyed the pizza and beer at Pizza Port again. It was a great way to end our stay.
On Saturday the 26th we arrived in Mexico City for the next five weeks! We are SO excited to be back and to be able to be here for an extended period of time, so we can really immerse ourselves in the language, culture, and everything that Mexico City has to offer. Our Air BnB is in the neighborhood of Condesa which is known for its leafy, tree-lined streets, Art Deco architecture, and vibrant culinary and cafe culture. It is also very safe to walk around which I appreciate especially since Dave will be away at his whole company meet-up for one of the weeks. Sunday we did our customary grocery shop and then made our way the Palacio de Bellas Artes which is a fantastic Art Deco style museum that is free on Sundays. After that we crossed the street to Nivel 40 SkyBar to get a beer and take in the spectacular views from above. The Palacio is near Centro Histórico, or Centro, which is the historic heart of the city, built over the ruins of the ancient Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. We have yet to explore that area so we are excited to return for a walking tour this coming Sunday. We have also planned a couple other excursions that we didn’t have time to experience our last visit. The first one is Lucha Libre. “Lucha Libre, which translates to “free fighting” or “freestyle wrestling” is a popular style of professional wrestling from Mexico that features high-flying acrobatic moves, rapid holds, and iconic colorful masks.” We’re doing that on Friday and then the following weekend we reserved a bicycle taco tour. Mexico City, as I mentioned, is known for the culinary scene and tacos are at the top of the list, so we are very excited for that taste voyage!
In the weeks leading up to our return to Mexico City I was really focused on trying to find some sort of language school or immersion experience so that I can work on my Spanish while we’re here. I have never had any formal Spanish instruction so up until this point I have basically been speaking what I like to call “Spafranglais”. I start with the French (français) verb because that is the language I studied, try and give it a Spanish accent, and then finish with English, anglais in French. As you can probably guess I can barely pass with that method. 😂I wasn’t able to find anything before we arrived and just yesterday morning I found a group immersion experience only a 10 minute walk from our Air BnB! I am registered to start that next week as it is Monday-Friday from 9am-1pm. I also found a one on one opportunity that I will start tomorrow. I had a conversation today with my tutor to evaluate my level and what my goals are for our time together. I also sent out several emails this morning to inquire about volunteer opportunities. I am manifesting that all of this is going to yield big results, fingers crossed. I am very excited!
I feel like we are exactly where we are supposed to be right now. We’re trying to manifest everything we want from this experience and are remaining open to whatever the Universe wants us to learn during our time here. I feel like this leg of the adventure has been flying by with only a little over six weeks until we’re home. I imagine that part of it is that this leg is only five months instead of eight like the last. Maybe it is because we’ve been in the US more and have been able to see people? I don’t know and either way we are going to take advantage of every minute with a full heart of gratitude for just being a part of this big, messy, and as I just learned from my friend-brutiful, world. Sending you a Universe of love and light wherever you are. Until next time.
Love, Alison and Dave
