Going Back to Cali

Almost 25 months to the day, I had the chance to return to my beloved So. California for the first time since moving to attend the wedding of my dear friend, Emily. Since Ron is in school and all three of us will be going down to CA in September to attend his cousin's wedding, I went alone this first time back. It was such a wonderful and busy four days! It actually felt pretty surreal as I had the chance to visit many places that I knew and loved so well while I was living down there.....the memories swirled around my head all weekend long. Amidst the wedding festivities, I was able to take many walks down memory lane during my short time there. From watching the sunset in Huntington Beach to walking around Ron's and my old middle school to eating at some of our favorite restaurants in Long Beach to sneaking around my old apt. in HB and our "newlywed apt" in LB to spending the day at my all-time favorite beach in Laguna to attending church in my old singles' ward building to driving past where we got engaged. Oh, the list could go on and one. It was wonderful to revisit a place that I grew to love so much, but realized in the process how much my hubby was a part of that place. I missed him a lot while I was down there (and felt like a bit of a traitor while eating at the taqueria without him! Sorry, Ron!). However, I can't wait to do it all over again this fall with him at my side! Here is a peak at what I did while I was there.....

First stop after flying into the OC airport: Lunch in Long Beach with my hilarious co-worker, Kathi, at the BEST Lebanese restaurant in the world...Open Sesame!

Second stop: Sweet Jill's Bakery in Long Beach for my long-awaited red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting on top. This place is Ron's and my heaven on earth. You can seriously smell this bakery for blocks.

It's as ghetto as it looks and as good as it gets: La Taqueria Mexicana. The best Mexican food in all of Long Beach and it was only a block from our apartment. I can't even count the amount of times I ordered the to-die-for chicken burrito from this shack on the corner.

Our newlywed apartment that we lived in for the first two years of our marriage: 390 Obispo Avenue. It's located right on the border of where good goes to bad in Long Beach. So, although, I never really feared for my life, I definitely experienced my fair share of classic Long Beach moments while living there. Oh, the stories Ron and I could tell....

The sign at the entrance of the school where I met my husband. *sigh* I taught there for six years and Ron for seven. Apparently, they need to hire us back as they still haven't figured out where to use commas or what words should and should not be capitalized! Geez!

After rattling around Long Beach for a few hours, I headed up to Villa Park to attend Emily and DJ's wedding reception that was held in the backyard of an amazing house in the ward where she grew up!

From the trail to Machu Piccu to the beaches of Bali, Emily and I have quite a history. She was one of a few super close friends I made during my four years in HB before getting married. I have so many funny memories with this girl and I love her to death. What an honor it was to see her marry the love of her life at the age of 34! I couldn't be happier for her!

Day #2 started out with breakfast at Ruby's on the HB pier with yet another favorite co-worker from my days at Hill, Miss Megan.

I just happened to be in town during the week that the Hurley US Open was being held. Did I really used to live in this town?

"Surfer Row" off of the north side of the pier. They are a permanent fixture on this beach.

A shot of glorious Huntington Beach where I spent many an hours swimming, relaxing, and jogging during my carefree days of 2001-2005.

After breakfast at Ruby's, I headed over to the glorious Newport Beach Temple to attend Em's wedding at noon. This temple was built during most of the years I was living in HB and it was dedicated a month after Ron and I were married. As a result, we were able to attend this temple every month before moving to WA instead of having to battle the horrid traffic up to the LA Temple. I love this temple. It is so beautiful (I mean, c'mon, it's made of pink marble!) and is located in such a lovely area.

More shots of the temple.

Emily doing what she does best right after tieing the knot to DJ (those of you who know her, will get that comment). Clearly her nephew to the left wasn't quite as into the whole thing as the she was.

Look how they glow.

Em and her girls.

I also found some time to go back to my old apartment complex and wander around here a bit. I lived in apt. #B9 for four years and have many fond memories of this place. My bedroom is the one on the left above the garage.

This was my all-time favorite street in Huntington Beach. It's six blocks from the beach and appropriately named Palm Avenue. Aren't those the coolest trees?!

On the last day I was there (Monday), I made it my sole priority to drive all the way down to my favorite beach in Laguna to spend the day before flying out. It's called Thousand Steps and it's one of those hard-to-find, only locals-go-to-beaches off of the PCH. You basically would never notice it if you were just driving down the road. The entrance is only about ten feet wide with a tiny, faded sign hidden underneath a tree (see above). I love it for many reasons: the sand is so white, the water is so blue, the beach goes on forever, it's never crowded, gorgeous mansions look down on it from a cliff above, and there is a cave at one end and a natural arch at the other. It became the only beach where Ron and I would go swimming. Yes, I'll admit, I became a bit of a beach snob during my 6-year stint in Cali.

Me on the thousand steps (well, it's really on 222 steps down to the beach...but, still, you get the point!).

The surfers and skimboarders down at "my end" of the beach. Notice the cave off in the distance.

Happy feet.

The granddaddy, mega-mansion of them all! This "house" looks down on the southern end of the beach where I always go. My brother once zillowed it....I think it was valued at 12 million dollars. No biggie.

My friend, Mariellen, came and joined me for the last two or so hours I was down there. Here we are before leaving my beloved beach and heading off. What a great weekend....