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I love SLO town...at least I think I do. Allow me to explain. It's a quaint little college town and while it seems to have everything you could need, it would likely be the same as all other small towns for me, not enough in the end. I grew up in Houston people! I need the city and the diversity it brings...otherwise I get bored. But for now, SLO town is nice.
I wandered around its downtown for a couple of hours and did the unthinkable ...I went shopping. I know, I know...why drive all this way to go shopping? Two reasons: SLO town residents have great taste and it was dirt cheap. I walked away with 3 tops, 1 dress and 2 necklaces to with it all for about $50. Too good to pass up. Besides, I decided I needed to be cute before going out the local vineyards for an afternoon of wine tasting.
I hit 4 vineyards and spent far more than at the recent resale shop but I won't get into those details. Let it suffice to say that Heidi will have a hard time keeping her paws off the red loot I sent to her home in a few days. From what I can recall, I shipped home a Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve Syrah, Zinfandel, a couple of red blends, and a Malbec...buzzed on the way back to the Establishment. It was buzzing with activity, of course with 19 people living in one house so I took off to California Pizza Kitchen to do some blogging.
I digress momentarily though, a few words about Kris, my Establishment host. Sweet as can be and super helpful in a pinch. While staying with her, I still was not able to secure a host for Santa Cruz which was crucial because the drive to Pescadero would have been too much. Michael and I (more about this guy later) both decided that being able to stop in Santa Cruz was best for my trip. So Kris got me in touch with her friend Ali who was more than willing to host me...yeah! I didn't have to stay in a coed hostel. Not that I'm opposed to that but not the most ideal for me in the current state of mind.
Okay I bit about Michael. As soon as I had walked into the kitchen for dinner, he asked if I was the math teacher from Texas. Once introduced, he said he would be taking some advanced math courses this summer and listed them off. Right away, two things went through my mind: cute nerd, prepare to be flirted with. Boy was I flirted with! We must have talked well into the night despite my exhaustion...and about everything from college to life choices. Nice guy but I'm not looking for anything romantic while on the road. That didn't keep my mind from concocting various stories in my sleep though. Every girl appreciates a little attention now and then, and it's nice to know that after two weeks of less than ideal living conditions, I was still seen as desirable. Enough about men; one reason I'm on this trip to forget about one (futile attempt).
I secured a place to stay via Kris as mentioned. On the way there however, homesickness hit me hard. So much I had to cry it out while driving. Perhaps my most recent hike had something do with it; of all the benches, the one I chose to sit on was named "Lover's Bench,"...yeah, I cried there, too. Aafter all the wonderful scenery I passed, I was okay until I got near Santa Cruz. Ali was a life saver. Not only did she show me likely the tastiest Asian spot in town, she set me up for some serious R&R. She and her housemates are really into Buddhism, yoga, healthy foods and even a healthy living environment. I was given a super comfy couch, warm blankets, warm tea to soothe my worries away, and a claw foot tub to soak in; she insisted I partake in all of that, which of course I did. In the morning I got to attend a hot vinyasa yoga class taught by Anne, one of her housemates. For the first time on this trip, I finally brought out my yoga mat, and it was exactly what I needed. An hour and a half of self massage and meditation has given me the strength to face the rest of this trip. Don't get me wrong here, I'm having a lot of fun exploring everywhere I go and meeting the locals. But not having a place to stay for a few days at a time and the endless miles of highway can get rough. As soon as I feel like I would like to stay in one spot, I have to pack up and take off. Covering the Coastal highway is a long drive and I've got to be back home in time for school in-service so my schedule is pretty tight. I only wish I planned for more time at each of my stops.
So here I am sitting in an over crowded laundromat, waiting as patiently as possible for some dry jeans and towels to emerge. Then I will race back to the hostel in Pescadero for a night of relaxation and hopefully deep sleep. Stay tuned, I plan to spend this down time to get photos uploaded and details finalized. In the meantime, I miss Houston.
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