I did it. I made it. I pulled it off! I traveled to and from the West Coast in just under 48 hours and lived to tell the tale- although I am admittedly pretty tired after coming home and immediately heading back to work these past couple of days. I figure I can catch up on my sleep this weekend, though. I had an incredible time- and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It was worth feeling a little sleepy and groggy.
My love affair with San Diego began in my very early twenties when I traveled there alone for the first time to see a weekend-long festival that some of my musician friends were participating in. While there, those very same friends gave me a tour of the city- including the beaches, the bars, the numerous venues and even some of the more “touristy” spots- and I was smitten pretty much immediately. Since then, I’ve spent the better part of a decade jet-setting to SoCal and back as much as I can and whenever I get the chance. Many of my friends still live in the area- so it’s always a great time to spend time with them whenever I head out for a few days.
If I could live anywhere in the world- it’d be San Diego- but it’s so astronomically expensive there that I’d really have to do some extensive research to find a reasonable, affordable and actually NICE place to hang my hat. That’s not to say I’m not keeping an eye out, though…
I digress! This past weekend, I was initially supposed to head to Los Angeles for a day and a half or so- but those plans fell through at the last minute. Having already made arrangements with someone near and dear to me in San Diego for Saturday night (when I planned to drive in from L.A.)– I opted to rearrange my flight and just fly straight there, instead- and still return home on Sunday evening.
It worked out well. My flight arrived early on Saturday morning, giving me enough time to get my bearings and make myself look presentable for the day. I booked an affordable room at the very unique and super quirky Hotel Z– where the decor is all pineapples and sass. It felt like every corner I turned- I had to stop and snap a picture of their amenities. The rooms were a bit small- but comfortable- and overall I really enjoyed curling up there after a long night of drinks and debauchery.
Prior to meeting up with my friend at our usual late night hangout spot after he got off of work for the night- I swung by The Casbah for the first time in YEARS to show my support for my longtime friend, Brian- who was being celebrated for his contributions to music in and around the San Diego area for years and years. Lead with a pretty stellar lineup of opening acts- Brian naturally performed as well. I knew of one of his earlier bands, Convoy, for a while when I was younger- but we didn’t formally meet in person until his days in Louis XIV. He’s always been a sweetheart and totally charming for as long as I’ve known him- and he’s an absolute riot. I adore people who can make me genuinely laugh until I have tears in my eyes- and he does it.
I’m so happy for him and I couldn’t be prouder.
I left right after the show wrapped up since a couple of women who’d had a bit too much to drink had started to accost me and I didn’t want any potential or unnecessary to spoil the overall upbeat mood of the evening- but I truly did have a lovely time.
The remainder of my night was spent drinking a tad too much over on 16th street with two of my favorite guys in the universe before I eventually sauntered back to my room to sleep it off and prepare to catch my flight back to the East Coast late Sunday morning.
Mild hangover and a broken sensor on my plane that delayed my flight by just over an hour and a half aside- it was smooth sailing the whole way home. I got home at a reasonable hour and was up and (barely) ready for work on Monday morning- and here I am- already planning my next trip out West!
And going with the music/live show theme- while on the road, in the air, and now back at home- I compiled a short playlist of some of the Summer songs I’ve been grooving to these past couple of weeks and that I took with me during my trip. I uploaded the playlist on my new 8Tracks Account– but thought I’d share it here, too!
This is “Pineapple Daze – a Summer 2017 Playlist!”
– Tracks –
- Beth Ditto – Oo La La
- Portugal, The Man – Feel It Still
- The Killers – The Man
- Lorde – Perfect Places
- Capital Cities – Swimming Pool Summer
- Day Wave – Something Here
- Alvvays – In Undertow
- Local Natives – Dark Days
- Future Islands – Ran
- Sir Sly – High
xx
– Ashley –
Blondie Birdie 