What a Fun-Filled Life!

What a fun filled life I have been leading. This month has been jam packed with good times! April ended off wonderfully by going on a whirlwind (to say the least) trip to California for the Huntington Beach Mid-Singles Conference. I arrived in LA @ 10pm, a 1/2 hr late and that is also the time when Enterprise Rent-a-car closes, and I had a car on reserve. I got a cellpone specifically for my travelling and was able to call them but was on hold...hold...hold...and then voila, when I finally got outside there was the Enterprise Shuttle! So I flagged him down which was unnecessary because he was looking for a place to pull over and this was his last run of the day. Whew! So, at 11pm, I was ready to leave Enterprise with the Chevy Cobalt I was renting (not a great car) and gave Karey a call to let her know I was on me way and called my uncle as well. That is when the true adventure began. I got easy directions to the 405 but on the road I was on, the sign to let you know when turn to the 405 was not a good easy one to see, so I drove along Manchester for a long time, then called my uncle. I became that person on the cellphone, which I dislike. My uncle suggested that I turn around but I saw a gas station that I pulled into and there was a drunk homeless guy just outside but thankfully there was a lot of other people outside too because they had to pay at the window. I gave the guy a stink eye so he wouldn't come near me and asked someone if the I-10 south (that was right beside this station) linked up to the 405 and yes, it did!! My sense of direction comes in handy...when I have something to go by. So I was finally on my way and drove the i-10 south to the 405 south that would take me all the way to Huntington Beach. What I learned while driving to Huntington Beach: my right hand controls the car better when I have to drive one handed while on the phone, every second station on the radio is spanish and I can read signs and drive at the same time. I can navigate myself pretty well. That is an awesome skill.

So, I ended up taking Beach Avenue exit but turned right at the light instead of left and thought, no problem, I'll just turn here and here and get back to where I was. Nope, not in Huntington. I guess, the road I was on must have been going diagonal or something because the road was not linking up to Beach avenue again, so I turned again where I saw cars going and can you believe that at 11:30 at night there, nothing is open so that i could ask directions. I ended up in a very rich, gated estates part of town and was sure that anyone following me thought I was a drunk driver because I would slow down for green lights, do last minutes right turns and stop then go again. I called Karey again to say, I am lost, I have no idea where I am and she put some guy on the phone who wasn't too familiar with the area but was able to guide me along until I found Beach Ave. and then I was on my way to the church!! I wish that i looked at a full map of Huntington beach instead of just the streets I want. But that is for next time. I arrived at the church at midnight, chatted up the people registering everyone and then found karey, Laura, heather & Vicki in the games room, with the guy that helped me on the phone. I then had to find Sarah B. who was in the dance, because she was staying with me at me aunt & uncle's in San Clemente...another 40 min drive. I saw her right away chatting up a guy, that's Sarah! So, Friday night for me was wasted and we left soon after I got there and I drove us there and parts of the drive were uber scary with thick fog. She had to rent a car as well because we had arrived and are departing at different times....lame but at least I didn't have to drive the whole weekend because of that.

Saturday, was so fun! We met up with the girls on the beach for our service project to which we spent about an hour doing what we had to do and then we went for lunch at Crabby's. That was delicious and it was off of main street which is a surfer/beach shopping paradise with cute little tourist shops. Heather and I explored, I love little shops and streets like that in a city.

We split up for the activities because I signed up for surfing and they signed up for kayaking. When I went to my activity they grouped us up with other people and I made a new friend! Then we made another new friend...wowsa, these conferences work. haha. We went to the beach together and shared a surf board. Now, I thought that since my surf lesson was less than a year ago that I would be okay on a board by myself. Nope! Cali waves are a little more fierce and i learned on a longboard and what I had in the water now, was a short board. I would get on the board and lie on it and once a wave came, I was instantly in the water getting a good ol' washing. After three times of that, I decided to just play in the waves without the board. Haha. Afterwards, we went for Mexican and then back to the Church for that night's activities: Speed Dating! During speed dating I actually talked to a guy who knew one of my good friend's in New York. Small world! I didn't end up meeting the man of my dreams but I made a couple new friends.

Sarah & I headed back to my Aunt & Uncle's place in San Clemente and I looooove the sound of waves crashing on the beach. On Sunday, I learned that My Aunt loves to use her binoculors to check out the surfers, the distant sandbar that has dolphins frolicking around it and getting irritated at the ocean litterers. We went for a walk down the beach and saw a local surf competition. It was nice hanging out with them. That day, there was a late Sacrament and then a late lunch but I had to head out early return the car and to catch my 5pm flight out of LAX. It truly was a whirlwind trip but so worth it. Being a Mid-Single Adult is pretty fun!