California Dreamin'

Ah, man, going through these pictures makes me REALLY want to go back. I may need some time before continuing this post. **tears**

Anyway, so Greg had the opportunity to go to San Diego for a work conference back in June. I convinced him to let me tag along, and boy am I glad we got to go. It was amazing! I have been to San Diego one other time in my life {6 YEARS AGO} when we went to Sea World, but there is just something about California that I just can't get out of my head. I NEED to go back. I'm pretty sure I'm meant to live there.

Greg was thrilled to be flying. He hates flying, but I LOVE flying. I don't know if it's just because it means that I'm going on an adventure when I'm flying, or what, but I am obsessed. If my job required me to fly every now and then, I would NOT complain! (Hint hint....you know because so many of my co-workers read this blog). But seriously. I can't tell you how much I love flying. Seriously love it.

Here we are before boarding.

Waiting for take-off...Goodbye Utah

So close...

Hello Cali!

We had so much fun on the plane. I stared out the window the whole, Greg read and didn't cry.

And we've landed!! Oh my goodness. Everything about that place is just amazing. The weather was PERFECT, and the palm trees. I tried to convince Greg that we need to plant palm trees here, but he claims they will die. I just want to make it feel more like Cali and less like boring ol' Utah.

Greg was as excited as I was to be there.

There were about 10 or so of us on this trip. Greg knew all of them, but I only knew a few. Once we landed we took a shuttle to our hotel on hotel circle, where the convention was being held. The ride there was a little long as we got to San Diego around rush hour, but it was fun driving through the city and seeing different sites, with Greg saying, "There was a murder there" "There was a murder there too." It was loads of fun.

We checked into our hotel, which was awesome, and our view was fantastic!

We arrived on Tuesday, June 16, and got into our room around 5:00-ish. The NBA finals was going on, and the possible last game was that night. The others went to a steakhouse that I guess was super expensive, and took forever to get their food, but Greg and I ordered pizza and watched the game. It was a great game, and the Warriors came out on top which was also pretty sweet. It was nice just to be able to relax after a long day of traveling.

Day 2: Greg had to leave early in the morning to go to the conference, so I was left alone in the hotel. I must say, I did not care one tiny bit! I loved the rooms, and it was such a beautiful day that I was able to go out and read under a patio umbrella next to the pool. It was fantastic. I just read and listened to music, then went to my room for a bit and watched Netflix, and just chilled. It really was great. I could do that every day if I could!

When Greg got back, a bunch of us hopped aboard the train to Old Town San Diego. Because they got back a little later, we didn't have very much time to explore. We headed straight to eat, then went back, but it was beautiful, and we had some delicious food, and some good laughs.

Greg got a nice per diem check, so of course we had to use it. We ate at Rockin' Baja Bar and Grill. You definitely know you're not in Utah when the waiter gives you a big long spiel about their drinks and you have know idea what they're talking about. I ordered surf and turf tacos and Greg ordered lobster chowder that was super yum. It was a lot of fun and great food.

The palm trees.....

When we got back to the hotel that night Greg and I hung out outside by the fire. It was such a beautiful night. I didn't want it to end!

Day 3 was my favorite day. Once again I hung out at the hotel. Had I known exactly where we were staying before hand I would have mapped out a little adventure, but I didn't and didn't want to risk getting lost. But again, I hung out by the pool and read, watched some Netflix, and waited for Greg to get back. They got back a little earlier, so we had a bit more time to explore.

I totally intend to live in a house up on that hill someday.

We took the bus down to the beach. Not gonna lie, I nearly started crying. It's just so beautiful, and I loved every single aspect of it, including the bus ride. People are hilarious. We had some pretty awesome adventures on that bus.

I'm not exactly sure what beach this is, but I don't even care, because it was all just amazing!

After that trip we headed down to another beach where our group split up. Greg and I went with Grant and Nev down the pier. It was so amazing. The ocean is beautiful. There were some surfers but not the greatest waves. There were also some swimmers clear out that. Crazy people. I would have loved to get in the water, but we didn't. It was still just amazing though.

 

After waiting for the bus for forever, another small group of us headed to downtown San Diego in search of fresh crab for Nev. I am SO glad we went. We had some pretty interesting experiences on the way. One of the ladies was getting into some very interesting conversations with some of the other bus-goers. It was hilariously entertaining!

When we FINALLY got to the right place, we headed to the Crab Hut. I would have loved to have some of the actual crab, but didn't want to have to crack it (aka have Greg do it for me), so I ordered this boat of deep fried deliciousness, and Greg ordered a shrimp scampi type thing. We split and oh my goodness. It was all so delicious. My boat had sweet fries, onion rings, shrimp, calimari (yuck!), fries, and who knows what else. It was so good though. I would definitely go back if I ever have the chance.

Getting back home was another adventure. We seemed to miss every train by just minutes, and then when one finally drove by, it was out of order. Oh gosh, it was insane. I stumbled upon a person doing drugs. Like, actual drugs. I have never seen it not on the TV, so it was a bit of a shock. But, I don't know. there is just something about being in the big city that just intrigues me. I loved every single second of it!

When we finally got onto the correct bus to head home, the same girl who had the entertaining situation on the earlier bus had another one on this trip. It was so funny. Those of us in the group just couldn't stop laughing.

When we got to Old Town, the group didn't want to have to wait for another bus, so we decided to walk. It was about 1.5 miles to our hotel, and I didn't want to be the party pooper, so I went with. Another great incident with a Californian and the one girl in our group. Too funny. That group of people seemed to go pretty fast, and I tried my best to keep up. After a little while, I just couldn't keep up anymore, and I was hurting so Greg and I held back. It wasn't too bad until we hit the section of road with no sidewalk. Oh, it was also uphill! It wasn't a super busy road, so it wasn't awful, but it was a bit sketch. We were a little bit away when a vehicle pulled up next to us and a lady rolled down her window and asked if we needed a ride. Mr. Do-you-know-how-many-murderers-are-in-california actually said YES! No hesitation. I was shocked. Lol, but it was just a little ways, and she didn't end up being a serial killer, so I suppose it was fun. We got home pretty late, but it was so worth it.

Every. Single. Step. and Every. Single. Minute

It all went by WAY too fast. Friday came. Last day of the conference. I chilled in the lobby for a while and got to eat some Phil's BBQ that Greg brought me for lunch, then we headed back to the airport. It was the saddest day of my life.

I honestly can say that I did not want to come home. It's not one of those vacations where you're ready to be at home in your own bed. NOT ME! Nothing sounded appealing about returning back. The only thing keeping me from staying was Greg. I think I'd miss him too much. But I could have stayed there and had no problem!

Our plane was delayed about an hour or so, which was fine with me.

Saying goodbye to San Diego was the hardest goodbye!

I need the ocean in my life!

And just like that we were back in Utah.

Everyone was so good to me on the trip. I don't know how many of them actually know about my disease, but they offered me help, and let me sit on the buses. They were just awesome. I'm so glad I was able to go. Maybe next time we can go and spend more time exploring. But if not, I'll take the next conference Greg has to go to! (They are begging for Hawaii next year.) We'll all just pull a Christian (who apparently would disappear from the conference, only to show up again soaking wet.)

First 'vacation' together was a success. I'm still trying to convince Greg we need to move there. I would in a heartbeat if he would say yes! I miss it every single day. Utah just doesn't compare. Sorry! It doesn't.

I told Greg that I'm going to have my 30 birthday bash down there, so my friends, be on the lookout for invitations!

AZ to UT

The next morning, I totally slept in. I was surprised at how well I slept, but I guess being up so late partying hard can wear a person out.

Linds made us the most delicious pancakes for breakfast. Seriously, so Yum! Then we kind of chilled for a little before heading to Joe's Farm Grill for lunch. Oh my heck, that place was so good. They were featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives too. I could eat there everyday, I think. I got the chicken caesar salad, and it was seriously so good. I didn't even make a dent in it, but I felt so stuffed after. We also got the onion rings which were also super good. We need one of those up here for sure.

Mmmmmmm....After lunch we headed to the airport. It was a really super quick trip, but it was a lot of fun. It was great seeing Linds after so long, and seeing where she lives and how things are going for her. Thanks again Linds!

And yes, that is the same shirt I wore to the concert. I was just too lazy to change it. You'd actually be surprised at how many girls still had on their 1D stuff in the airport. Once again, our flight was full of girls who had gone to the 1D concert.

We waited in the airport for a while, but it was fine. I seriously love flying, and the airport life intrigues me for some reason.

The flight back wasn't too bad, except for being delayed for a little due to an overhead bin that wouldn't close properly. The solution? Duct Tape! How's that for making you feel safe?

It was so beautiful up in the air, flying through clouds. Yes, I'm slightly obsessed with flying. We landed in SLC, and got a wheelchair to push me back to where Kandyce and Clay were waiting. I was so scared for my life (and others). Mom was super crazy, and nearly ran over a few people. Kind of embarrassing, but funny also. Thanks for pushing me around mom, and for going on the trip with me.

I got home around 9:00 pm, just tired. Unfortunately I had to work the next day, so I didn't even get to sleep in. Oh well. It was a great trip. One that I'll never forget!

AZ to 1D

**Prepare for major photo overload**

We got into Phoenix about 10:30 in the morning (I believe). Linds picked us up and drove us back to her house in Gilbert. It is always so interesting to me to see different cities. I expected it to be completely desert, but was surprised to see mountains and farm land. It was surprisingly beautiful down there. If I had to move somewhere that had hot temperatures, I think I'd pick Phoenix/Gilbert/any of those outlying towns.

Linds lives really close to the new Gilbert temple, so she drove us by it so we could get a better look. It was absolutely beautiful!

We then went to Lindsay's apartment and chilled for a while. I haven't seen her little girl in a very long time, so it was fun to see how big she has gotten, and to see her adorable, sassy little attitude. She was a lot of fun. We ate lunch and toured the apartment complex (which was really nice...Like I said, if I had to move somewhere hot...) I got to see a brief Arizona rainstorm, and then we just watched Dancing with the Stars.

The concert didn't start until 7:00 PM, but we decided to leave around 3:00 PM. I changed into my awesome One Direction shirt, and we headed out. It took forever to get there. We literally listened to the One Direction CD three times all the way through. Traffic was insane! The last hour we were stuck on the off ramp. It was seriously just crazy.

When we finally parked in the mall parking lot next to the stadium, we found Aunt Marcie so mom could hang out with her while Linds and I went to the concert. We had Aunt Marcie drive us a little closer to the stadium, and then Linds and I walked the rest of the way.

I don't know why I was still shocked at the number of people there, but it was seriously amazing! So many girls. I think Linds and I were the only ones over the age of 25 that didn't have kids with us. But it's okay. I'm sure we fit in.

I didn't really know where we were sitting, but as we finally got into the stadium, and started walking down towards our seats, I was pretty excited to see how close we were. If we were at a football game, we would have been about the goal line, two rows up. It was awesome. There was only one row of girls to look over. Seriously, these pictures don't do justice of how close we were.

My first time being in an NFL stadium. It was HUGE, and AMAZING! So loud too! They had some music videos and some ads showing on the big screen while we were waiting, and anytime the One Direction fragrance commercials came on, the girls would just scream. It was insane.

It took a little while for the opening act to come on stage. I knew the band, not really well, but I did know some of their songs. This is their second year touring with One Direction, so there were a lot of girls with 5SOS shirts on. My favorite songs of theirs (and really the only ones I really knew) are "She Looks So Perfect," "Amnesia," and "Don't Stop."

There is Michael Clifford...

Calum Hood

Ashton Irwin

Luke Hemmings

For an opening band, they were really quite good. They were fun, and I really like their music. My only complaint is that they went really long. It was probably about an hour, but it was hard to really rock when you don't know their songs, but they were really good. I was just ready for One Direction to come out.

When 5SOS were done, there was a short/not really short intermission. I told you we had great seats, well during this intermission, a bunch of little girls (and they were really like 12), started clustering in the aisle next to us. Super annoying. Eventually the lady (a mom) behind us went and grabbed a security guy to stand there and make sure no one starting lining up again.

It was a really long intermission. The people checking the stage and equipment took their sweet time. Heaven forbid the stage collapses and the boys get thrown off and into my arms! But it was just building up the excitement I guess. And I have to admit, I really was extremely super excited. It's one thing to just see video of them, but to be in the same room as them. It's pretty sweet. As soon as the lights went down, the screaming began. They had this little video introducing the boys.

And then you hear "Straight off the plane to a new hotel...." Followed by a few thousand girls screaming. I didn't cry, though I nearly did. I just kept smiling and saying, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh" over and over. It was crazy. Of course I know all their songs, so it was a bit easier to let loose and sing along. I didn't scream or anything, but it sure was loud in there. I could seriously feel the bass beating in my chest. It was awesome.

 

Louis is my favorite.....

They were so fun to watch. They just look like their having so much fun out there. I can't even imagine the rush of going out on a stage and having thousands of girls just screaming for you. They even interacted with the crowd a bit. Harry was the best. He called out some kid who was their with his sister. He had asked him if she was his girlfriend, and he said no I'm her brother. Then Harry goes on to say how sweet it is that he would bring his sister, and what a good looking kid he was. He was just so sweet and genuine.

Then, he asked some girl whose birthday it was what her name was. I SWEAR he said Breanne. I will let you listen to the video that I found on instagram. It sounds like he said my name, but then it sounds like he said Reanne, however, I still know what it's like to have Harry Styles say my name! (Don't judge me!)

 

There was this cute dad who was there with his little girl. He just sat their totally bored, but about half way through, he left and came back with some memorabilia for his daughter. It was really cute. Then there was a part in one of the songs where Nial made a somewhat inappropriate gesture, and of course all the girls screamed, and I look at the dad and he is just shaking his head. It was pretty funny. Such a sweet dad.

There was also a group of 15-16 year olds in front of us who kept getting the boys to wave our way. I must have missed it, but I guess at one point Harry did look our way and wave, because the kid in front of us started FREAKING out. "He looked at me! He looked at me! Did you see that?" Keep dreaming boy. (Yes it was a teenage boy.)

Ahhh..I just still can't believe I was there. It was an amazing concert, and I really am so grateful for all those who helped get me there. And Linds, it was fun to go with you. I think we should make this an annual thing! ;)

It was pretty hectic getting out of there. So many people. We just had to make it across the street to where my mom and Marcie dropped us off, and when we did, we just waiting in the parking lot forever! I don't know what was going on. They seriously need to rethink traffic around that stadium. But it was fun to be able to talk with everyone and keep the fun night going. Mom and Marcie said they could hear the screaming all the way to where they were. It was so loud. Even after we got to Lindsay's van, it was still probably another hour before making it out of the mall parking lot. We didn't get home until like 1:30 in the morning. But, it was totes worth it. Like I said, Linds....Let's make it an annual event!