Celebrating the 4th of July with Julie

Last weekend Julie, my roommate from CU, came to visit me in San Diego. We thought it was the perfect opportunity, considering that both of us had Friday off from work. The fun filled weekend began when I picked Julie up from the airport after work Thursday night. She was exhausted from the trip, but we had no time to waste: 3 days is hardly enough time for good friends to explore the entirety of the San Diego landscape! Thus, I took her straight from the airport to one of my favorite restaurants in downtown La Jolla called Jose’s. We met a big group of my friends there and enjoyed chips and salsa while waiting for the food. While La Jolla generally has the reputation of being quite ritzy and swanky, Jose’s Mexican restaurant is a diamond in the ruff. Its relaxed atmosphere and reasonably priced food are complemented by music from the 80s and 90s and big screen TVs displaying the evening baseball game. After devouring a chicken quesadilla, we decided to call it a night and head back to my apartment complex.

When Friday morning came upon us, we were armed and prepared for the big event of the day: getting to the beach. I had been forewarned that the beaches on the 4th of July are crowded crowded crowded. Nevertheless, we were looking to be surrounded by the excitement and buzz of the celebratory San Diego population. When we arrived to Pacific Beach, all of the rumors were confirmed. We set up camp, which consisted of a couple of beach towels and a cooler filled with a packed lunch and waters. Shortly after we arrived, the remaining specks of sand still showing were covered by other locals and vacationers celebrating the holiday. When I say the beach was crowded, I am not exaggerating. If I stretched my arms out too far after a beach nap, I probably would have accidentally dipped my hand in the neighboring person’s beer mug! Our original plan was to watch the fireworks from the beach, but the cloud cover settled over the shoreline as the afternoon progressed. Thus, we reworked the plan and decided to drive back home and watch a show in downtown La Jolla instead. We joined a mass of people on a grass field and watched a spectacular show of fireworks above the Pacific Ocean. We topped off the long day by grabbing Haggen-Daz ice cream on the way home.

On Saturday we decided to go shopping and then head to Mission Beach for the day. The beaches were slightly less crowded than on the 4th, but it appears this holiday weekend is a popular time to hit the shores! We grilled salmon with citrus butter for dinner that night on the grills at my apartment complex. I also had a chance to share my favorite frozen yogurt place with Julie that evening. Sunday, Julie’s last day in San Diego, was spent doing some shopping in the Cove. We decided that it would be appropriate to grab lunch at a restaurant overlooking the beach. Shortly after, we took a picture (you can see it on right) before heading home to pack up. After relaxing by the pool for a few hours, I took Julie back to the airport to head home for Colorado. I have heard the expression “time flies when you are having fun,” and I find myself a wholehearted believer of the phrase. The three days and holiday weekend passed in the blink of an eye. And upon further reflection, I realize that this has been the case for my entire summer here! As I sit here typing my latest updates for my blog, it is shocking to think I have just finished my seventh week of work. Seven, already? Time really does fly.

This past week at work was quite stressful, but I believe it is calming back down. I was even asked to work a bit of overtime, which is a rare request to give to an intern. Working overtime was both a gift and a curse; While I didn’t particularly enjoy the long hours, the extra money I obtained (1.5 times my normal hourly rate) was put to good use this past weekend.

I went out to a restaurant bar with a big group of friends called Jose’s in the Cove. You may have read about Jose’s many times now, given that it is one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants nearby. The group decided to turn the dinner into a wild night at the bar, so we didn’t get home until late that evening. Saturday morning I awoke and decided a smoothie from Jamba Juice was needed to kick-start my day. I decided to walk the 4 mile journey (towering California gas prices made this decision a no-brainer!). I had a nice long chat with both sets of grandparents on each leg of the walk, which was a highlight of my weekend. Saturday night, two girlfriends and I devoured sushi rolls for dinner and rented a movie from Blockbuster. My roommate Anne and I spent Sunday at Mission Beach and swapped the lunch option for a large boardwalk waffle cone filled with Butter Pecan ice cream! This is one of the great aspects about living on your own: no parents loving eyes to scold me for choosing dessert over lunch!

As I prepare for my last three weeks here, I realize there are many things I have yet to experience. My goal is to enjoy every minute here as much as possible. And after reflecting back on my previous weeks here, I am confident this goal will be easy to reach!