San Diego: Day 2
THURSDAY JULY 16TH, 2009
Day one was behind me and and if my time here in San Diego could keep up with that kind of pace, I was going to be in for a treat. Breakfast was ready by the time I awoke. The smell of pancakes was filling the air in addition to the noise pollution of a 2 year old and 4 year old screaming like banshees. Eventually I figured I would adjust to the sounds of chaos every morning before noon. Little did I know.
I devoured around 16 or 17 pancakes and I went in to a food coma that seemed to last forever. We lounged around for a bit and eventually figured we would go to Mission Beach to hang out by the Pacific. We took separate cars so my aunt could leave directly from mission beach. As soon as I got to the beach, I started practicing one of my favorite hobbies; taking a nap. I laid out in the sun and was quickly dreaming of beautiful sandy beaches and ocean breezes. I woke up and once again I was living my dream.
My aunt was leaving at this point and I thanked her graciously for getting me on this latest leg of my journey. It’s always nice to see familiar faces on the road and family just makes it that much meaningful. Mine has been amazingly supportive during this journey.
I went back to sleep to dream dreams not nearly as beautiful as what I was seeing awake, but I like naps. I woke up the next time to my cousin telling me she was leaving. She found it weird that she was leaving me here on the beach in a place foreign to me. It had been 24 hours and San Diego was like an all you can eat buffet of things to see.
I started walking south along the beach on my way towards OB. I remember the pier from the night before and could see it in ocean side clarity. I estimated it to be a little over 2 miles and figured it would be a wondrous hike barefoot in the Pacific sands. I don’t know how to even describe perfect weather. I just know that every day I walk outside it touches me and holds me gently.
After walking a mile I noticed a lot of water in my way. And by lots of water I mean the mission bay channel. I walked back along the coast along the bay to the east. It was full of sailboats and gorgeous water side property that had more windows than walls. Many of them had for rent signs up. Mostly for blocks of time. I seems apparent that many just rent them out for a season. They ranged from one to three thousand dollars a month depending on preferences. Their backyard was the ocean where I spent most of my time closer to and for free. Three thousand dollars to be able to shit while watching the sunset is a tempting trade off.
After a couple hours and a $5 pint of whiskey, I had finally made it to OB near the dog park on the north end. By this time I was drunk on whiskey and life and experienced another sunset in San Diego. Pictures are worth a thousand words so here are a few more that I experienced from the other side of the camera. I had strutted along the road for quite awhile at this point and had more incentive to learn the bus system. Instead of walking all this distance and wasting all of this time, I could have spent less than $5 to ride the bus there. Instead I spent $5 on whiskey and saw something beautiful. Who knows where that bus would have taken me though. I could have ended up lost in another state. Why think about it? I’d like to think there is only one path in life and on that particular day, I was walking the path, not busing. If something else should have, could have, or would have happened, why didn’t it? If something is going to, might, or could, it’ll do it. Whether you think about it or not.
I asked someone where they suggested I dance at and they pointed me to a place I swear is called Watsons or something to that effect but I believe I may be spelling it wrong. I’ll go back and find out! This awesome funk band was playing at Watsons tonight and I was pumped to be a part of it. They weren’t charging cover either and that’s a necessity when walking into random events somewhere. A good time can be had for free.
When I first showed up Lauren texted me something and I told her to come up to Watson’s and dance. She said no and eventually ended up there anyways. I wasn’t budging. I needed to get down and I was in it to win it. On my trip through life, I’m ready to take anyone along for the ride, but I’m not afraid to go alone.
They put on a great show and I danced to my hearts content. Drank a bunch of great beer, met great people, and had a blast. It reminded me a lot of funk night back home. The horns were pounding, the beer was flowing, and I wasn’t afraid to start off that dance party. It was a near empty house and nobody was on the dance floor. The music lifted me away and off I went into a flail of limbs. I went out there on the dance floor and after a few minutes two more joined me. Then five. Then twelve. Then we had a ourselves a full on dance party in no time.
In the process we met Stormy. She was an older sister at about 40 but was young at heart. She danced with us and we drank away while sharing this merry time together. Eventually Lauren grabs my arm, pulls me out, and we’re on our way with Stormy and Kyle – who was Stormy’s roommate – back to the Ocean Beach Hotel where they were staying.
We hung out on their balcony overlooking Newport Ave and then just a few hundred yards west was the majestic Pacific ocean. We drank beer, drank beer, and drank beer. As far as I can recall it was a good time. Stormy was a Rainbow sister and we talked about nationals a lot and what the whole idea was about. We talked about what it means to be alive and what it meant to be happy. It’s fun to find people with a similar mindset as me and it’s even more interesting to learn they don’t gain that understanding that I like to think I have until they are nearly twice my age. Makes me anxiously hopeful of what is yet to come.
Lauren asked to see my hat and I told her only if she promised not to steal it. She did and I obliged. She drank and got all sorts of fucked up while prancing around in my hat. She eventually told me she was leaving and tried to lead me out the door, but I got distracted by Stormy and chatting about life. By the time I had left, Lauren was no where to be found and more importantly, my hat was strapped to her head and also no where to be found. Fuck!
I called her up and she didn’t answer the phone. I had hoped she fell into the ocean, because I was a little bitter that she was wearing my hat. It was like 3 am by this point and it was time for my walk home. Stormy gave me a couple beers for the road including a Racer 5 India Pale Ale that she had been drinking all night but not sharing. She said it was a a special beer only for those who can appreciate it. I was thankful for that beer and the few others she sent me on my way with.
The walk home was pleasant. I stopped on the stoop of an elementary school and cracked open one of my beers. There I sat watching the beautiful moon and reflecting on where I have come and where I sat right there. Sometimes it’s the spots that you wouldn’t think of as important, but make you see what truly is important. I’ve driven past that school on Narragansett multiple times since then and I think about that night I sat there for an hour just laughing. Laughing that I could be anywhere in the world doing anything and I was sitting in here in no where in particular having the best time possible because it was the only time possible. I find that happiness and joy can be created from nothing by not looking for it or anything else. Just accepting.
By the time I made it home it was getting light outside. I called my cousin to let me in but she didn’t answer. I left her a voice mail saying, “hey, whenever you wake up, you’ll find me sleeping in your front yard. I love you. Goodnight.”
And that’s where I ended day 2 in San Diego.
it’s winston’s. duh!
Easy for someone who has lived here for 2 years!
excuses.