Bryana, one of the close friends I made here in California, left today to go back to Los Angeles for the weekend before she is back on Tuesday for Torrero Days. T-Days is similiar to our orientation program that we have on our campus. It was really tough saying goodbye. I had made here a cube photo spinner because four of us were really good friends. It was Jonnie, Jeanie, Bryana and I. We called ourselves “J Cubed + B” so I thought the cube was symbolic of that. Two other things are still in the mail so she will get them late.

Its hard to leave people you have become so close with over a few months. It felt like I just got here yesterday. It was such a great relaxing and drama free summer that I just didn’t want to see it go. Bryana gave me red and white baby socks. She was looking for Red Sox ones, but couldn’t find any. We always used to laugh because we would go out and all of a sudden she would take this sock out of her bag…she used it to protect her camera and cellphone. She gave me a four picture photo frame, pictures, and then a Nordstrom gift card with specific instructions to be used for tax on sunglasses I have been checking out.

Eyes got all watered up as we walked out to her car…I was really treated so special since I have been here. I felt as though it was my home since the day I arrived. These relationships are unlike any other and some of them I am going to really miss a lot, like this one. The many inside jokes…like…Montessori, pinche gordona, and so many more.

Anyways her mom doesn’t think a flight to Florida is feasible, on the other hand we DO! 

It is self serve and you can choose to layer, mix in, or top off your yogurt with toppings. Pack it in like my friend Jeanie does, and your small frozen yogurt will be overflowing with goodness. My favorite is cake batter or chocolate peanut butter. SIMPLY DELICIOUS

We got our frozen yogurt and then went to the back of the KIPJ (Institute for Peace and Justice Studies) to watch the fireworks from Sea World. It is the best view in the city. USD is situated up on a hill so the fireworks appear at eye level.

Wicked was amazing. We had seats in the mezzanine on the left side. The show was outstanding. All the songs that Jonnie and Bryana have been singing in the office finally made sense. The actress that played Alhaba was the understudy and she was unbelievable. She was a very strong talented actress.

We finally got home at 1:30am….AMAZING!!!

I really didn’t know what was going on at first…everyone around was acting like nothing was wrong until it really began to shake. When it had come to a silence, Disney personnel came running through the park announcing “keep moving, everything is okay”. Sometimes they take the ALWAYS HAPPY a little to far, especially if there is a natural disaster going on.

 

We tried to call out on our cell phone to see if everyone else was okay- “all circuits are busy”. I tried text messaging my best friend SA, who was in LA, – “sending message” covered my screen until I eventually canceled it. It was a 5.8 earthquake and we were told it was not the end. People were stuck on rides. All Bryana kept saying, “I wish I was in Space Mountain when they put the lights on.”

Eventually Bryana was able to get ahold of her parents who live in LA and they were fine. It hit 20 miles southeast of LA, which was in the are we were. News reports said that it was going to hit again, but there was no telling when. All the rides shut down for 2 hours while they tested everything and made sure nothing was destructed….and the mad dash for lunch began!

I have been so intrigued to see how Disneyland and Disney World compare. Disneyland was the original theme park, but the moment you set foot on Disney property the feeling the fun just fills the air.

It took about an hour and half to get there….the park is set up very similar. The location of mainstreet and the different areas are the same as Disney World, but there are some differences. They have the crazy roller coaster called the Matterhorn Bobsleds…Jeanie and I held on to dear life. We were both in the same cart, Jeanie in my lap….I thought the cart was going to derail at points.

Space Mountain you sat in doubles whereas in Orlando it’s singles. Splash Mountain is the opposite and you ride in singles, still getting soaking wet. Before we left everyone at work was telling me certain rides that I needed to experience like Indiana Jones. Of course when I go to the park the ride was not working…ugh…

We staid until the end of the night, midnight…just before leaving we stopped at Blue Ribbon Bakery on Main Street to get Hot Chocolate and Cookies… so so so good!!!

Show was descent, but not my favorite musical. Jonnie, Bryana, Jeanie, and I went to Hard Rock before the show. Tourist as I am I was taking pictures of the US Grant Hotel and the downtown area. At one point the three of them were about 50 yards in front of me and they didn’t realize I had stopped to take pictures.

The show started and the lights went down when I was silencing my phone and turning off the back light. Two older ladies in back of us started whispering because I was making commotion. Where did patience go in some people???? Anyways, I refrained from using my phone the whole show, it was an accomplishment.

The catered events here are very unique and different. Tonight there was a Mashed Potato Martini Bar. What are your thoughts about this one? No, it isn’t adding alcohol to mashed potatoes. It is simply two ice cream scoops of mashed potatoes served in a goblet wine class and then there is bacon, cheese, chives, sour cream, and other fixins that are in huge martini glasses for you to add to your potatoes. Simply delicious…

As check-in started to get really busy Jonnie and Michelle realized that the excel file that was sent to us for housing was incorrect. Michelle, the conference contact, had completed the housing chart in a different version of excel than ours. For the regular participants this wasn’t an issue, but all the spouses were lined up with different partners than they were supposed to be with. This glitch in the spreadsheet had us re-arranging housing assignments for the rest of the afternoon. Pretty crazy and intense…but you have to do what makes the customer happy.

I went to the mall and got some cards. My grandpa’s birthday is coming up and a couple of my friend’s too. I got the new EV2 Phone, but the top screen is becoming scratched so I picked up this transparent film to hopefully keep it from being scratched too much. I have been looking for shorts since I have been out here. Even going to school in Florida for the passed three years I rarely wear shorts. Im usually wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but shorts are a necessity on the west coast. I got some board shorts when I first got here at a surf shop in Mission Beach, but now I need to find some others.

Relaxation, enjoyment, friendship, memories, experiences, risks, and discovery…..are just some words to describe this summer experience.