A couple of weeks ago, two of my good friends (Jill and Suzanne) and I went on vacation to San Diego. It has been a difficult year for all of us for various reasons and we just needed a little break, a chance to rejuvenate, and have a stress free time. I've known these girls since high school and we are able to completely be ourselves around each other, not be afraid to admit our flaws, and there was absolutely no drama the entire time. This trip was exactly what I needed.
I do have to admit, I was quite nervous about going. I knew Alexa would be just fine without me because she's a Daddy's girl. But, I had not been away from Parker before and even though Paul is great with him and a very good Dad he doesn't get to spend as much time with him and I was afraid he'd miss the signs that Parker was getting sick or something wasn't going quite right. I had taken care of all the appointments, made all the Doctor calls ahead of time, and put together lists upon lists of information that could come in handy (all Parker's Doctor's and contact people, his daily schedule, medication times, and his long list of medical issues). Paul assured me that he would be just fine and deep down I knew he was right. I needed to stop being so controlling and just let my worries go and eventually I did. Once I boarded that plane, I surprisingly did very well (and so did Paul).
On our first day, we went to Sea World and picked a perfect day for it. The weather was a bit cool but still wonderful and there was not much of a crowd at all. The only mistake we made was going on the water rides at the beginning of the day. Suzanne and I didn't get too wet but Jill was soaked. Her poor little toes turned purple and she was dripping wet for what seemed like all day.
I should also mention that we talked Suzanne on going on the Journey to Atlantis ride. The girl hates rollercoasters (believe me I know because in college we all went on a road trip together to Cedar Point in Ohio) but we somehow or another talked her into going on it. I've never heard anyone scream that loud or that long in my entire life. It was pretty hilarious (for Jill and I at least). We, of course, also got to see Shamu, lots of marine animals, and had a great time.
The next day, we went on a Segway tour of downtown and the San Diego Bay. We got a great deal (thanks Groupon) and it was a lot of fun. I was probably more hesitant and unsure of myself on the fancy machines than anyone else (including two older ladies that were in our group) but still had a great time. Our instructor was very good at what she did and we got to see a lot of the area and learn things that we wouldn't have otherwise.
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The following day, we went to Coronado Island. I have been to San Diego before but I've never been to Coronado. It was beautiful! The little island almost looked like a movie set with it's beautifully kept GIGANTIC beach houses, the cleanliness, and the perfect looking people. We spent the afternoon at the beach and it was probably the most relaxing day I've had in years. We spent the time laying in the sun and getting covered with the finest white sand I've ever seen, gathering sea shells while trying not to let the waves get us too wet, being silly, and unsuccessfully thwarting off sea gulls. One I may add, managed to knock over my soda into the sand and steal a sea shell.
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The rest of our trip was spent shopping, eating, sight seeing, eating, arguing with Gloria (the GPS) about the right way to get from here to there,eating, admiring the Sunset Cliffs, eating, trying to change Jill's unsafe driving habits, eating, getting a $37 parking fine because we were 1 minute late getting back to the car, eating, and being lazy. Oh, and did I mention we spent a lot of time eating? I would love to tell you I didn't gain 5 pounds in 4 days but that would be a lie.
It was a marvelous trip and we decided we would be going somewhere annually. Our husbands haven't agreed with us yet...but they will.
