No June Gloom Here!

Helloooooooooo!!

The athletic field by my apartment (and my building in the distance). No sunflower seeds. :'(

I have now officially been in San Diego for 2 weeks, bought 2 bikes, shopped at 2 Trader Joe's and 2 farmer's markets, biked 22 miles, and got 1 bad sunburn. I guess the theme of 2's had to end somewhere!

My first weekend was pretty eventful, I went jogging in the canyon, and I attended a meetup from meetups.com for the first time in my life. It was pretty cool, it was a graphic novel/comic book club and a fun activity to take part in and push myself out of my comfort zone a bit. I also found a thrift shop and got a pretty sweet amount of things for only $10, along with my very first comic book! X-Men from 1984! :o

Went for an evening job here,  isn't it beautiful? :)

While jogging I stumbled upon this... !!!!

All for $10 at the thrift shop! Not bad! :) Do you see that tiny metal thing between the wooden spoon and the spatula? that is a can opener, lying on top of a knife. Smallest can opener I have ever seen in my life... and also hardest to manage!

On my way to my meetup downtown, I just thought this was a beautiful view. :) Those palm trees!

My first week of work started off great! I am working in the Student Life Pavilion, which you can see in a picture below, and got situated in my little office! I get my own room, with a window and great view. :) My first week also consisted of two strategic planning meetings with the Student Affairs Division at the University of San Diego, which took place at the Dana on Mission Bay.  The strategic planning here at USD is especially interesting because everything that is done is tied back to the mission of the school (academic excellence, knowledge, community, ethical conduct, and compassionate service) as well as the faith aspect of being a Roman Catholic institution. Also, because of the size of the school (just over 5,000 undergraduates) it is really amazing how each and every person's voice and opinion was woven into the fabric of decisions that came out of those two days. Even my voice and my perspectives were included!

The building that I work in! Student Life Pavilion, or SLP.

My little office! :D I now have a little plant I named Podrick that is sitting in the corner of my desk.

If all strategic planning meetings looked like this I could plan forever! 

These little lizards come out in the evenings, and some of them let you get REALLY close... I am always afraid I am going to step on them and squish them! D:

The next weekend was pretty fun too, I bought my second bike and biked down to Little Italy and went to their farmer's market, then hugged the bay, biked out to Point Loma, got lost in streets of some pretty luxurious homes, and then biked home again. I biked 22 miles that day, and it was when I found my first Trader Joe's!

Little Italy Farmer's Market! :) Check it out, you can see the bay at the end of the street.

Got this delicious pork and okra... samosa? I think? Honestly I completely forgot but there you have it! It looks spicy, but my delicate tongue was able to handle it after my adventures in China. ;)

Along the bay there were some old naval ships!

As I kept biking, I turned around to take a picture of the skyline, beautiful! :D

Out in Point Loma I found this adorable little street that I couldn't resist taking a picture of! I was too tired to bike up and explore (too many hills, oh my GOSH!), but I had a nice time imagining who lived up there. :)

The rest of my week was pretty much full of work and homework (next time I try to take an online class, an online seminar, and work an internship full time, somebody stop me!). But on Wednesday night a grad student here at USD invited me to come to Torrey Pines with her, which was so sweet of her! It was really an amazing experience, and wonderful to see some more of San Diego, especially somewhere that my weak little legs can't cycle me to yet.  Also, as Torrey Pines is in La Jolla, I also learned that La Jolla is pronounced... wait for it.... "la HOY-ah". What?! Not J as in jam? And "olla" as in holla'? The things you learn.

First off, check this out, this is a Mormon Church. :o I never saw anything like it! It looked like a spaceship to me at first.

Torrey Pines!!!!!

Iconic! I had to!! The lifeguard was also very nice looking, but I will retain my dignity and not post the creeper shot.

We came out to the beach at this little cove.

And had a photoshoot! :)

Thanks so much Amy!!! :) <3

Afterwards Amy took me out for fish taco's at this awesome (what I assume to be surf/taco/hangout) shop called Wahoo's! :D SO GOOD!

The rest of my week was also very nice. This past Thursday, I biked down to the Linda Vista Farmer's market, which was pretty cool, although much smaller than the Little Italy Farmer's Market.

I got pupusas at the Linda Vista Farmer's Market, which multiple people recommended, and which were DELICIOUS! I will have to have them again, but they are basically a tradition Salvadoran dish made of thick, handmade corn tortilla which is filled with a layer of cheese, a meat (often port) and refried beans. Thank you wikipedia!

Got my name tag! So official! I am going to wear it to every single meeting I go to now, even one-on-ones...!!!

Today I biked to a new Trader Joe's with my new basket contraption! I switched the rear bike rack off my first crappy bike and put it on my new one, and then zip-tied a milk crate to the rear rack to hold my groceries. It is great not to carry everything on my bad anymore. I am really excited to take longer trips now that I have this!

So far so good, and I think I am capturing just about everything except for my crazy forays into cooking. Those will get their own post on one of my quieter weeks, don't you fret!

Until next time folks!

-A