Part II | San Diego

In my last entry we left off at the Cleopatra Records celebratory show for my friend Kristof's band getting the label.

The following Saturday morning (kind of) I slept in (by mistake) and made the 2.5 hour drive down to see my MMO friend Alicia. Also known as (to me) Tarshana. 

It was a relaxing trip despite my fear of everything on the road in California. Just non stop driving and my stupid music. Unfortunately, I don't know how batteries and chargers work and my phone ended up being pretty much dead the entire trip, so I don't have much content to share visually speaking. I will be borrowing some of Tarsh's pictures. But BOY was it an adventure.

Once I finally figured out how to find the road that leads into the hotel parking lot --it was labeled with signs that had NOTHING to do with ... anything -- I went up to her room to later find that she and Alan were standing down by the road waiting for me lol. YAY

She introduced me to Alan, who is her friend that she met also through gaming and lived locally. He and I clicked instantly because I automatically got the "introvert" alarm go off on my radar. Tarshana is the total opposite XD. That can be a good thing because sometimes there needs to be a bit of a balance.

Upon entering the hotel room I was pleasantly surprised with a warm greeting from her little Pug companion Daisy!!

I got settled in with all my crap and we headed off to the San Diego zoo. That place is massive, and we only had a few hours to check it out (because I'm stupid) so we hauled ass in trying to see everything we could. It hurt.

I forgot my parasol back home and panicked so I bought another one at the zoo.

Fuck the sun. Seriously.

Tarsh bought one too :D

 FUCK THE SUN PLOX

 

We got to touch a Starfish at the aquarium we went to the next day. 

It felt like a dragon.

 O hi. I hate people who stare at me too.

 "IT FEELS LIKE A DRAGON"

 Alan and Alicia ^^

Later that evening we went to go eat. It took us a while to decide what, but we ended up in little Korea ... area I think.. which was exactly where I was the last time I visited there. There was some place that the gps took us to which ended up actually being inside a grocery store and was some wonky over priced booth in a corner.
I couldn't for the life of me remember what the Ramen noodle house was called that I was at before, I thought it was chopstix, but there was a fried chicken and stuff place in the shopping center we were at also called chopstix... so it couldn't be that.

We decided to look around until I finally spotted it a few streets away in another little strip. Fucking chopstix. After a few u-turns we made it and I lost my shit. This place is amazing and I'm glad we were able to find it. Alicia loved it. Alan I later discovered doesn't care for almost everything, much. lol but he was open enough to try it. If we had known sooner we couldn't gone somewhere else, I feel bad =\.

The unagi don is soooooooo good ugh.

Now that I know where it is I have zero issues with going down there just to eat at this place. dear god.

Before we left to eat though, Tarshana was like Josh should be here. So I texted him to come down, and he did. He got there around the time we arrived back at the hotel.
It was Halloween weekend so Tarshana was super excited to go out and do something. lol, Alan and I were agreeable. Josh was excited to go do something too, so out we went. There was some club sorta downtown-ish that we went to. Turns out it was a goth club I think, but it was all Halloween themed and lots of people were decked out in costumes.

We went to the back and found a booth where we just chilled the whole night. I didn't really wanna drink but they insisted so whatever. Halloween weekend wooooo
Tarshana and Josh were definitely clicking, at least with their personalities. Alan and I clicked in a more... we're scared of people way. But we all had a good time :)

They played good music though.

Afterwards we went back to the hotel and I thought it would be a good idea for Josh to stay with Tarsh at the hotel and I just couch it at Alan's. So that happened. I think Tarshana thought something else was gonna happen? Nope lol.

The next morning Alan and I got ready and picked them up. We went to International house of pancakes. What a small little town. It was as if the people there never knew that individuality is a real thing. Good times.

Then we went to the naval base to see if we could find some tickets to stuff. I know nothing about stuff ever. Tarsh apparently knows tons about stuff and how to do stuff out in the world for less money because of these base things. It's amazing. I had no idea these existed. I felt like a unit in an RTS.
We ended up deciding on visiting an Aquarium. I forget the name of it, but it was cuuute. I love da fishies.

My roommate Josh, and Alan. 

After that we also went to a beach. Which beach? I don't remember... or rather I don't know, lol. But a lot of people take their doggies there for fun doggie times and exercise, so we went back to the hotel to get Daisy and took a nice long stroll on the beach. At least I think it was a beach....

Parasol in hand. Fuck the sun.

It was a reaaally, really long walk. I had no idea people do this for fun. Without parasols. In the day time. Amazing. 

Daisy seemed to enjoy herself. She was definitely popular amongst the other doggies. We saw all sorts of breeds. The coolest one was a greyhound. Beautiful doggie. They look like gazelle and their strides are humungous. So awesome to watch it run.

By the time we got back to the hotel it was around 5pm, and I had to drive back home because I worked early the next morning.

What an activity filled trip. But it was cool to meet Tarsh and Alan. It's geeky as shit but that's the best part about it. You instantly already have common ground because you met through a video game. So it's like boom. Stuff to talk about. Done. 

Tarshana was just here in CA for the weekend, I believe her flight left Monday evening. But it's not the last we see of Alan. And Josh. 

You see, there's this convention in Long Beach... but that'll have to wait for another entry. 

Ah, San Diego. We'll meet again I'm sure. Definitely for San Diego Comic Con ^^