As some of you know, I've been in california about a year and a half, and i've been uber busy with work. I work 6 days a week, and have done so since january. my social life has been lacking. well, actually, it doesn't exist. my view of california has been pessimistic, at best.
to start the story, i have to go back 6 years ago. 6 years ago, I was furloughed from my first flying gig, and i did the "hey, let's backpack around europe thing." while in the czech republic...i met an american girl (from temecula) on a train from prague to a town called kutna hora. this girl instantly struck me with her vibrant personality. i tend to be pretty darn shy, but in college never had a problem "pulling chicks." (a weird paradox) ...but this girl left me blown away. we chatted on the train, spent the day together, hanging out doing touristy stuff, and then rode back to prague together. for a few days we hung out, but before i knew it, i had to move on to my next city. ...and like that, she was gone.
fast forward to 2012. i get a message on facebook from none other than my backpacking friend. we catch up and i find out what she's been up to. she's been teaching english in vietnam for the last few years, and i found out that conveniently, she is coming home to california for a month this summer. when i found out, i was actually kind of nervous. she wanted to meet and hang out, but for some reason, i was apprehensive. 6 years! and we really only knew each other for a few days....
well, anyway....last wednesday, we decide to meet for lunch. I live in the high desert, she tells me she is staying in san diego. no big deal...i'll drive down. i head out on wednesday morning, and i put the address into the gps. the address is for the marriott hotel in the gas lamp district. i call her up and she lets me know that her parents' boat is parked out back...and that's where she's hanging out. her parents' boat?!
it could have been straight out of a movie. i'm walking to the marina gates, she's walking to get me...we both see each other and start running towards each other. results in a smashing, twirling hug combo. classic!
anyway, we get on the boat (a really sweet 50' teak boat with a stateroom and all of that jazz), and it hits me how surreal this is. 6 years ago im sitting on random train halfway across the world, meet a cute girl, and then today, i happen to be sitting with her, talking like we've been friends for ages. she starts pouring the wine, cooks a nice lunch for us, and before we know it...we've cashed 3 bottles and we're rip-roaring, having a great time.
i planned on just going for lunch...as i had to work the next day at 1500. well, things didn't quite work out that way....haha!
we end up going on a nice walk, having fun, chatting it up. after sobering up, i suggest a movie. perfect! we drive over to hillcrest and go to the movies. in typical fashion...her personality leaves me awestruck...and i'm having a blast. for the first time since i've been in california...i was genuinely having a good time and feeling happy.
after the movie, we decide to do a late dinner. it's around 10:00 at this point, and i figure it's time for me to take her back, and for me to drive back up to the desert so i can be at work the next day.
we park the car, and i walk her back to the marina. in typical fashion, im oblivious to the little flirtations going on. playful nudging, little touches, all of that stuff. im clueless. we decide to sit on one of the benches and as im about to tell her what i fun time i had, we both looked at each other the same way. (you can figure out what happened! ha!) my heart was pounding...in my throat. i hadn't felt this way since my early days!
skipping details...... the next morning i wake up, and she's still sleeping. im worrying about calling in sick for work (ha! of all things that should have been on my mind!) she wakes up and asks if i want to call in sick. "well, since you suggested it...!"
i call up work, feign illness, and get another day of fun with her. i'm on cloud nine.
we get up, get ready, snag a nice breakfast at a small mom and pop place downtown. we decided to go to the san diego safari park over in escondido. we spent the day there...from about 1100 until 530. completely tired from walking all day, we figured we'd snag a quick dinner and then i could go home. this is where the story turns into something straight out of a movie....ha!
since we're in escondido, she tells me "hey, no point in you running me back all of the way back to downtown...i'll just take the train." im hesitant to do this, but she assures me that it would be perfect. save gas money, she likes taking the train, no big deal, etc. (she's very much into environmental stuff, green stuff, etc). i go along with it....so we go over to the escondido transit center, and she gets her ticket. i walk her up to the train and we say our goodbyes (btw...at this point, we had already arranged to hang out again.)
i go back to my car, and just to be safe...i don't drive off until i see the train leaving. as im sitting there, i start looking on my phone to see which train she is going to take to get back to san diego. FYI....the train from escondido has to go to oceanside first (about an hour train ride). as im looking at the schedule, i notice that the train to get from oceanside back down to san diego is done running for the night. CRAP! i jump out of my car, take off on a dead sprint to try and get her off the train. as im running up to where she's sitting, the train leaves. she sees me, i see her. she's gone. (oh yeah...and her cellphone was dead. i couldn't get a hold of her.....)
i end up heading back to my car. she's going to be stuck. no train to get home, and no cellphone to call anybody. only one thing to do....time for me to drive to oceanside so i can get her back to san diego. i make record time over there, and sure enough...i beat her train by about 30 minutes.
the setting at oceanside was eerily perfect. about 66 degrees, the marine layer was bringing in fog and mist. damp, kind of chilly...someplace you wouldnt want to be stuck, with no place to go.
she gets off the train, and as im sitting on one of the benches, she walks right by me. (naturally, not even on the lookout for me). anyway, she goes to buy a ticket to get from oceanside back down to san diego. sure enough....she realizes there are no tickets to be had..since the train is done for the night. she's upset. perfect time for me to swoop in and be the knight in shining armour. i walk up behind her, and just casually ask "hey, want a ride to san diego?" of course, she recognizes my voice....turns around and instantly starts crying. jumps on me, hugs me and is just completely blown away. "i wouldn't know what to do if you didn't come back for me!" the ride back to san diego was amazing. i ended up getting her back around 10pm, and then made my way back to the desert. got home around 1am.
ive been feeling pretty good since then. im still slightly guarded, as she is going back to vietnam in a month. but for the time being, i get to spend time with somebody who totally blows me away. we're hanging out next week...already have the plans made.
so yeah....the last week has been quite a bit of fun
