When I found out I’d be going on a business trip to San Diego, I knew there wouldn’t be much time for sightseeing. But there was something I was determined to check off my bucket list: dipping my toe in the Pacific Ocean for the very first time.
Ironically, a giant snowstorm in Washington, D.C. made this possible. I ended up getting on a plane a day early to avoid the storm & make it out to California in time for my event. This meant that I had a whole extra day in San Diego, one that would be spent mostly working remotely from hotel rooms & Starbucks tables. As luck would have it, I was forced to switch hotels after one night, which left me with about three hours of free time until my second hotel room was ready. I knew precisely where to head: the ocean.
I arrived in Ocean Beach to find every single California-cliche possible: surfers sat on their boards in wetsuits, bobbing along the small waves. Skateboards slid leisurely along the sidewalk – most of them being driven by people who definitely should have been at work on a Thursday afternoon, not hanging out at the beach. Gulls picked at the sand & the sun felt so warm on my pale skin that I thought I’d get a sunburn in a matter of seconds.
I kicked off my sandals, rolled up my pants & walked way out to the water’s edge – the tide was out, creating a longer walk than normal. I stopped & waited for the ocean to lap up over my feet. Finally, a wave lazily rolled in & kissed my red painted toes. I gasped at the chill & the sensation of checking something off my bucket list.
As only an east coaster would do, I pulled out my phone & snapped a few selfies before hunting down a nice woman who was happy to take my photo. Then I called B & marveled how he was 3,000 miles away shoveling snow while I stood warming myself on a beach.
After a few minutes, I walked back up through the sand & slipped my shoes on. Before I left, I sidled up to the bar at South Beach Bar & Grille for some of San Diego’s famous fish tacos.
Less than an hour later, I was back in my rental car, cruising with the windows down toward a Starbucks, in search for some wifi & caffeine. I had a lot of work to do before the work day ended, but it had already been the most successful work day of the year, for I checked something off the ultimate to-do list.
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