California

I recently went to California, by myself, to see one of my best friends for my birthday.
By myself people. Meaning, no Rowan. For five days. It was weird.
50% of me was like "yes! uninterrupted fun and catching up and exploring with my girlfriend!" and the other 50% felt super sad and worried and most of all guilty for going. I struggled with these conflicting feelings for a month until the morning came for me to leave and I just told myself "hey you, yea you're on your way... I mean you're literally on the way to the airport. There's no turning back so suck it up and enjoy it while you're there because the next thing you know it will be over and you will be home."
So that's what I did. Later, Derek would remind me that I'm a stay-at-home-mom and I've never left Rowan longer than overnight and even that has only happened three times. I never got that guilty-for-leaving-feeling out of my system. Or maybe I'll just feel guilty every time I leave, forever, and that's just parenthood. Gah!
Moving on.. we jam packed so much fun into this trip that it's easiest if I just do the rest of the post like this:

THURSDAY- landed at 4pm, took shuttle to Melissa's work, went to her apartment to freshen up, went out to dinner at an adorable Italian restaurant in her neighborhood and then slept 'cause I was tired from having to fly in an airplane most of the day. Anxiety city, population me.

FRIDAY- went to Starbucks for an iced chai, went shopping pretty much most of the day, ate a late lunch at In-N-Out, hung out by Melissa's pool and chatted, took Melissa's dog and ourselves for a walk, started feeling jet-lagged and hungry, finally got some Mexican take-out, stuffed our faces, went to sleep.

SATURDAY- packed our stuff and drove an hour to Los Angeles to sight-see all day, did a lot of driving, had the best tour guides ever since Melissa and her husband Josh used to live in LA and also can stop the car and let me out when I get car sick and want to puke, shopped on Melrose, had lunch at this awesome place called Lemonade, did some more shopping, hurried back to Josh's parents house to change, rushed to make our BOA Steakhouse reservation and got there just in time to drink crazy cocktails, eat the tiniest fancy steak I've ever seen (but so good) and best of all, SEE PAULY SHORE. I can't tell you how excited I was not only for a celebrity sighting but that it was The Weasel. THEN we were off to a bar called Hemingway's in Hollywood that's decorated like a library with books and typewriters lining the walls. We danced for hours and had the best time. Got home at 3am and crashed.

SUNDAY- Wake up late, Melissa's hungover again, I'm not because I'm a booze to water ratio pro, drive back to Melissa's place still wearing our pjs, pick up Jack In The Box breakfast on the way, get back and shower/dress/chill, go to Melissa's mom and sister's place for Cinco De Mayo and have way too much fun with sombreros, fake mustaches and li hing mui margaritas.

MONDAY- My birthday! Woke up a 28 year old but feeling more like an 8 year old because I was so excited for Disneyland (California Adventure Park) that I was up, showered and ready pretty much before Melissa and Josh even woke up. Got to D-land at opening and stayed till closing and omgIwannagobacksobadalreadyyy. This was my favorite day of the entire trip. Not because it was my birthday but simply because it was THE BEST.