So Long Sweet San Diego!

I’m not sure why I haven’t started this sooner than today. (I wrote that first sentence over a week ago!) I’m feeling a little bit overwhelmed knowing that I have my San Diego adventure to finish up, along with a major road trip, family memories, and I really want to recap our first year living the RV life-can’t believe that it’s almost a year already! I think part of me doesn’t want to write the end of my San Diego story at all. I really fell in love there-with the vibe, the weather, and my coworkers whom I now call family. It was a little bit magical, and it’s a bit sad knowing it’s over—maybe. (We’re hoping to work in the area again this winter-Mike fell in love with the area as well)
One of the most amazing memories I experienced while living in San Diego had nothing to do with San Diego or the area at all.Early into our stay, one of my LVN’s from Folsom messaged me from out of the blue and asked if I would be willing to come to Idaho- where she and two other of my nurses were working on their RN degrees. All three of them wanted me to “pin” them. I was blind- sided by the request to be honest. I’m grateful Alejandra sent me a text instead of calling to ask me because I melted into a blubbering puddle. Mike really thought something tragic had transpired. I was just so humbled and honored.

When an RN chooses someone to “pin” him/her, generally they choose an individual who made a significant contribution to their nursing career. Some choose family, some choose nursing instructors or mentors. The fact that all three of these young ladies asked me, as opposed to family or other RN’s they had worked with really means the world to me. It’s hard to work as nursing leadership-management expectations, regulations, budgets, families. Knowing they thought enough of the time they spent working with me to have me take part in this ceremony means more than all the deficiency free surveys, the AHCA awards, any of it.

I flew up to Boise and pinned all 3 ladies and then was treated to a Wiz Khalifa concert with Ale and her fiancé. Yes, that was a little different, but what a great way to end such an emotional day-a little fun and we got to help Miguel cross off his Wiz Khalifa concert bucket list item.
Our Mexico trip was put on hold so several of us got together to go to brunch in the Hillcrest area. Hillcrest is the heart of the LGBTQ area and just full of life. We had a great brunch with bottomless mimosa’s which led to some more bar hopping around the area. Yes, I behaved-I’m old-but I did do a little babysitting for one member of our group who shall remain nameless-well maybe we can use a pseudo name-(Katrisha)!

Being a sheltered little Iowa girl, this was my first experience bar hopping in a gay community. How fun! I had a blast and enjoyed watching all the different walks of life just enjoying themselves-young, old, gay, straight, trans, whatever. Suddenly these lovely creatures dressed as nuns appeared at the bar we were enjoying. I wasn’t sure what they were all about, but I was very intrigued.
Phillip, a beautiful soul I hope to always call my family, explained these ladies were called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence actually originated in Iowa in the early 70’s but became what they are today in 1979 in San Francisco. They are activists, protesters, educators, protectors of rights, and champions of equality. The original habits came from a Catholic church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Here is a link that shares the origin of the group and a little bit of what they are about. It was great to meet some of the sisters with my friends. http://lucascountyan.blogspot.com/2012/10/gay-iowa-history-indulgent-sisters.html.

We got another opportunity to spend time with family when our niece Ashley and her family rented a house on the beach in San Diego for a week late in August. Our nephew Michael drove down from LA with his family for the weekend and we were able to meet up for a barbeque and some beach time. It was great to see all the little ones again and hang with family. They even treated us to a bonfire on the beach. There is a service that will come and set up a fire, chairs, tiki torches, and the like and clean it up when you are done. There’s a service for everything these days, but how fun!

My friend Luz, who has a long family history in Tijuana, treated us to a guided tour of Baja. Meghan, Phillip, Luz and I went to Ensenada and worked our way back up the peninsula to TJ. What a great day!
Luz drove us from CA to Ensenada, La Bufadora. The roads were nice all the way down. We took toll roads and had to stop several times to pay but it was a nominal amount.

Located 17 miles south of Ensenada at the tip of the Punta Banda peninsula, La Bufadora (The Blowhole) is an amazing natural marine geyser that is capable of shooting water well over 60 feet in the air. La Bufadora is considered to be the second largest marine geyser in the world (the largest is located at Makapuu Point in Oahu, Hawaii) This marine geyser phenomenon is caused by ocean waves being forced into a partially submerged sea cavern, causing great amounts of air and water pressure to build. The air and ocean water are expelled through the only exit, launching it several stories into the air.

While it was cool to see, and I love all things Mexican, it was a bit underwhelming knowing that it is a guided tourist stop. I was thrilled to see it, but if your time in Mexico is limited, or the price is high for the tour, I would say skip it.

We had a great lunch-awesome shrimp-a few drinks and headed north to Rosarito. The drive was fun-typical road trip among friends with great music and conversation. I truly love these people. I think this is one of the hardest parts of this life. Knowing my time with new friends is limited and may or may not come again. I guess that’s true regardless of whether you travel for life or not, isn’t it? There are no promises or guarantees in this life.

We saw the Super Jesus statue while driving down to Ensenada and just had to get some pictures on the way back by the area. I’m not sure if the pictures can do it justice. This monument is huge! I had to google to find out what that was all about. Here is what I learned:

The 75-foot, 40-ton steel and fiberglass statue of Christ of the Sacred Heart is impossible to miss when driving along the Baja coast south of Rosarito. Cristo del Sagrado Corazón was designed by Tijuana sculptor Gregorio Ramirez and commissioned by local Antonio Pequeño, who died shortly after its completion in 2006. A mainstay of Catholic iconography, it closely recalls that other iconic mega-messiah, Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer, save for an exposed heart with thorns and full coat of color. According to Ramirez, it’s the tallest full-color homage to Christ in the world.

Only 10 miles from the border, with a fantastic beach front, Rosarito is a destination for many US citizens during major holiday weekends. The beach is huge, beautiful, and full of life. We rode horses on the beach for a few pesos. Phillip had never ridden a horse before, so we all got to enjoy his first experience.

Rosarito is a busy, partying place catering to tourists. Had a lot of fun people watching and enjoying the street life. We stopped by a Pharmacia and I stocked up on antibiotics for our emergency kit. One person was even able to get normally very pricey inhalers at a fraction of the cost. Don’t get me started on the cost of healthcare in the US. Shameful!

After Rosarito, we headed back to Tijuana for a couple drinks and to check out the night life a little bit. While we were enjoying some tequila at a second story night club, we had a great view of the streets below and all that was transpiring.
I saw several police vehicles down the street just a bit and assumed something major was going down. I’m so glad Luz was there to explain a bit. The police shut down vehicle traffic in certain club areas later in the evening to help keep patrons safe. There was nothing going on, they were just proactively reducing vehicle traffic as the night life was starting. Funny what we can so easily misinterpret.

Since I’m old, we didn’t stay too long. Waiting to cross back in to the US at the border took maybe 30-45 minutes. Sadly, lots of beggars-children included-selling wares and collecting money. Since this was a holiday weekend, the wait to get IN to Mexico was miles and miles long. I could not believe how many cars were lined up to cross into Mexico.
Crossing was simple. The border patrol agent took all of our passports-Luz only used a driver’s license and had no issues-and asked us if we had made any purchases. I did get scolded by the officer-I was sitting in front passenger seat and was on my phone while he was checking passports-told me to look at him, not my phone lol! Hey, when you’re posting your trip on FB, that’s the priority lol! Anyway, we declared a couple of bottles of alcohol and went on our way.

One of the last things I did in San Diego was to get a new tattoo. There are a ton of very talented tattoo shops in San Diego area. I chose Taylor from The Taylored Tattoo after seeing all the amazing work he did for Phillip. After looking at his gallery on Facebook, I was convinced he was the right guy for the job. Taylor is an awesome guy and has a beautiful shop in Old Town San Diego. I rode the trolley right there from the RV park-only a quick 5 minute walk from the station. Here’s my new tattoo.

No, I am not a seamstress, nor do I enjoy sewing. I’ve been dreaming about this tattoo for a few years now and I’m so happy with it. I think the best way to explain the meaning behind this piece is to share a little segment from a letter I wrote for my daughter in law for her bridal shower when I gave her a jar of antique buttons.

“I love what this jar of buttons symbolizes to me. My grandmother, along with about every other grandmother in the world, had an old jar of buttons I would spend hours playing with as a little girl. They bring back some great memories. And, I think they can bring some valuable insight into love and marriage.
Most often, we automatically think of the old saying, “Don’t push his/her buttons.” Yes, that is one lesson you can think of as you look at these buttons. Remember that we all have those things that drive us crazy and if you can avoid pushing your partner’s buttons, you should try to do so.
I also like to think about my Grandma and her frugal generation when I see a jar of buttons. In those tough Great Depression Days, everything was saved. If the garment wore out, it became part of a quilt and the buttons went into a jar. Love is like these antique buttons. It can last when everything else around it is falling apart. Love and commitment can hold two very different things together very securely. As you both grow and change over the years, love will keep you joined to one another.
Marriage is not always easy and there will be times that challenge your commitment to one another. When those days come, maybe you can look at the buttons and remember what brought you together in the first place. Reflect on all the things that join you together when life is trying to pull you apart. Hold tight to your buttons!
I like to find out what I can about the buttons I gift to brides. I got these from an elderly lady in Idaho who is on hospice. She said she bought them years ago at an estate sale in Fayetteville, North Carolina. They’ve traveled around with her for over 30 years and now that she is near the end of her life, she’s selling them to help her family clear out her treasures. I spoke with her on the phone and she was very touched and pleased to hear how I was going to use the jar. When we spoke, she had $22 in her checking account. She was so grateful for the sale.“
I have shared this sentiment with several nieces and my daughter in law, Emily, over the years. Cali and Sherman got married too quickly to find the perfect jar and write the perfect letter, but it’s coming! If we’re ever in the same country at the same time again!
I have a few more tattoos I would love to get over the next few years. Yes, it hurts! I try to think of it like a wood burning “pen”-only hurts when the needle is down. For some reason, that helps get through it. This one took about 8 ½ hours and I did it in one sitting-I’m a beast lol! (I was actually afraid I would be too sore and chicken out on day two, so we plowed through it!)

The team at La Jolla Nursing and Rehab treated me to a farewell lunch-complete with my old favorite-Turon (Filipino banana egg roll basically), and my new favorite-Food for the Gods (amazing Filipino cake). And just like that my time in San Diego was done. We left the same night to get a head start on our next journey and get through LA traffic.
Thank you to all of my new San Diego friends for sharing your worlds with me. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve known and I hope beyond hope to cross paths with all of you once again.