I had a conference in San Diego this past October, so my daughter Erin and I decided to take advantage and turn it into a mother/daughter trip and we had the most incredible time together! Not only was the city absolutely beautiful, but we caught up with friends and family that we hadn't seen in a long time. We were only there for four full days, and given that I was in meetings for most of it, we jam packed each day so that we could see as much of the city as possible!

On Thursday we started out meeting my cousin's wife for lunch in La Jolla, and then we headed over to the water to view the seals and sea lions at Seal Rock. It was incredible to see them so close!

That evening we had drinks with my cousin Wayne at Coasterra. While sitting on the patio, we had the most incredible view of someone operating a Seabreacher and it was such a sight to see! The watercraft was able to fully submerge underwater, and then seconds later, shoot vertically out of the ocean and go completely airborne. Although, both Wayne and his wife Kristen both met us in between their own hectic schedules (as they both had events before and after we met them), neither one of them ever made us feel like they were simply squeezing us in, and we so enjoyed our time with each of them.

On Friday, I had courses all day, so Erin (who's awesome and came to one lecture - a three hour one at that - to learn from a lecturer I incredibly admire) did her own thing. That evening, we chatted briefly at a social event with my LA friends who I don't get to see as often as I would like, before we went to Little Italy for dinner and dessert. I was fascinated how at each restaurant we went to in San Diego, we never waited for a table! That evening, our friends Casey and Alex arrived, who had driven six hours from Las Vegas to see us!

On Saturday Casey drove Alex and Erin to the Tijuana border, simply so they could see it. That afternoon, after I joined them, we visited the USS Midway Museum. It was likely one of my favorite stops on the trip. My stepmom was a fighter pilot in the Navy (see more info below), and she spent many a night on board an aircraft carrier, and regularly took off and landed fighter jets onto the deck of the moving vessel. While my daughter preferred the tour below deck, seeing all the living quarters of the sailors, I preferred the flight information as to how they take off and land these jets on a moving target, in a space the size of a tennis court. Oh, by the way, that's while going at full speed. The precision that is required and the calm mind that one must maintain is simply awe-inspiring, and I couldn't help but just stand in the middle of the top deck and marvel at what an operation this is, and how well executed the take off and landings are. I have always felt such gratitude towards those that choose to serve, but being on that top deck gave me a whole other level of appreciation of the sacrifices these soldiers make day in and day out.

In CASE you're wondering, the wings don't ACTUALLY fold up like that while they're flying. I MAY have asked that question. Just possibly. You'll note Casey's reaction to my question below :)

Later that day we took the ferry to Coronado and visited Hotel del Coronado. First off, the hotel was simply breathtaking. The details, the woodworking, the design of it - so much time went into the aesthetic of this hotel. Second, there were two balls going on: one was the high school ball, and the other was the naval officer ball. The latter was such a sight to see.

After taking the ferry back, we stopped by one of San Diego's 'must eats', Donut Bar. They have the most interesting flavors AND they serve beer and milk on tap!

After an amazing brunch on Sunday at Cafe 21, we said goodbye to Casey and Alex before venturing off for the rest of the day. We did a little exploring and shopping before hopping on one of San Diego's "Seal Tours", which is similar to Boston's Duck Tours. We learned a great deal about San Diego's history including one of the greatest fun facts I've ever learned: the US Navy trains combat dolphins! I'm DEAD SERIOUS. This information simply blew my mind! Read more about their training here!

We had a few hours to kill before catching our flight, so we visited Balboa park. We didn't have enough time to fully explore it (we DID have enough time to enjoy a few margaritas of course. #priorities), but from what we did manage to see, it was simply breathtaking. Before we called for UBER to take us to the airport, Erin got pulled into a performance with a group of street performers, and it was super fun to watch! I was trying to video with my phone and shoot still photos at the same time, but it was such an incredible experience. What is it about street performers that makes them so hilarious and charismatic?!

All in all, we had such an incredible trip together, one that I will remember for the rest of my life. Yes, there was plenty of work I had to do, but we made the most of every spare second that we had and we got to see so much of what San Diego has to offer, in such a short period of time. There was so much history there! The weather was perfect and there was such a strong military presence throughout the city (The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier was docked while we were there, which carried Osama Bin Laden's body to it's final resting place at sea). Add to that fact, while the city itself was incredible, what I look back on as my favorite aspects of the trip had nothing to do with the city itself! It was the time with Erin exploring the city; it was the meals we had with Wayne and Kristen; it was the conversations with my friends Fabi and Becca, it was the extraordinary effort that Casey and Alex drove from Nevada to come see us for a few days. It was such a reminder of just how incredibly blessed we are to have so many amazing people in our lives.

And speaking of amazing people.....I have to introduce you to my stepmom, Linda Maloney. I know not every stepdaughter is fortunate enough to have an amazing relationship with the woman their father married, but I certainly am one of the select few. Now, don't get me wrong, I may not have ALWAYS been super excited at their union ;) I always liked Linda, but the fact that my dad was going to be married and was moving to a state eight hours away...that wasn't an easy one to swallow at the age of 21. But as the years went on, Linda and I grew closer and closer, and she is someone who I love dearly and admire with the whole of my heart. She is incredibly humble (and has many reasons not to be!), is super willing to laugh at herself, and has the greatest laugh you may ever hear.

When my Dad and Linda first married, I had been wait listed a few times trying to get into hygiene school. It was a very tiring period waiting to get accepted into a very competitive program, and when I finally got accepted, I'm not going to kid you, I thought I was a PRETTY BIG DEAL. I'll never forget that summer when we visited my Dad & Linda on their house on Chesepeake Bay in Maryland when I was asking Linda about her time in the Navy. She pulled out her scrapbook and in it was a signed letter from Princess Diana. THE Princess Diana. All of a sudden, I was taken down a few pegs and felt an immediate dose of humility about my getting into school! (I'm not invalidating the fact, by the way. I'm simply realizing where it lies in the grand scheme of life!). You see, Linda had previously ejected from her plane where she crash landed in the ocean where she floated until she was rescued by the Coast Guard. Linda was the first female pilot to eject out of a particular seat, which somehow was connected to England. I apologize for the lack of specifics - I'm still not well versed on the details, but you can learn more in Linda's book Military Fly Moms, which tells the stories of over seventy women aviators! Note the below images courtesy of Women Veterans Speakers Bureau, an agency started an operated by Linda.

I have always looked at Linda with admiration and always recognized that she was #kindaabigdeal, but when I stood on the top deck of that aircraft carrier, it put her whole role as a naval aviator in a whole new light for me. I know her as my Dad's wife, as my amazing stepmom, and mom to my two little brothers. But when I saw firsthand the life that she lead before all of us, it gave me an entirely new respect for her. My hope is that my brothers will get the opportunity to visit an aircraft carrier to see firsthand just what a big deal their mom is too.

San Diego and Other Ramblings

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