holiday recap

And what a wonderful break it was.

Now that I work for myself, the holidays is usually the only time of the year I feel like I’m actually on vacation; everyone else is so out of pocket, that I’m forced to be, too. I thought it’d be filled with more work, but the time ended up being a really fulfilling San Diego staycation.

For better or worse, Eaman and I tend to put a Type A spin on fun, and so we had a to-do list of fun things to do over the holidays, and we covered pretty much everything. Movies, hikes, beach (like Windansea Beach, above) coffee, pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes, time with my girlfriends, Christmas light-gawking—I couldn’t have asked for a more fun two weeks. A couple days ago, we were actually a little, dare I say, bored because we had ticked off all the to-do’s and realized that each day had been so gratifying that, how could we top it? Clearly, a good problem to have.

Here’s a glimpse of the fun:

 Started the holidays off with morning yoga set to the tune on Christmas music. I’d like to say I did yoga throughout our break to fend off all the calories consumed, but I definitely did not.

The obscene Christmas light scene on Garrison Street in Point Loma, where a handful of houses say, “To hell with my energy bill!” and set the block ablaze with more lights than you thought possible.

A 500-piece puzzle of Hotel Del Coronado. Eaman looked everywhere for a puzzle that wasn’t, ya know, a kitten or a fishing boat on a boring lake, and what he found was this awesome San Diego landscape that we’re adding to our gallery wall.

Christmas gifts for Teddy—one from us and one hella squeaky faux beer bottle from my parents.

We’ve lived here for nearly two years and still hadn’t been to any of the marquee traditional Mexican eateries, so I mandated that we go to two over these last two weeks. Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista was just OK for me. They’re known for their spicy pork (adobada), but I don’t eat pork and got the carne asada instead. Super Cocina in City Heights, on the other hand, I loved. Their central Mexican menu focuses on flavorful stews rather than tacos and burritos. They even had a vegetarian option! Each combo plate comes with rice, beans, and a tortilla, and it was hole-in-the-wall heaven.

OK, I lied. I did stay active during the holidays, but not with yoga. I listed “at least two hikes” on our holiday to-do list and crossed that off with a two-hour walk through the Los Peñasquitos Preserve—do it!—and a grueling hike up Mt. Woodson, better known at “the hike to Potato Chip Rock.” We waited one hour in line to get that money Potato Chip Rock shot only to find out that the stranger who took our photo got only blurry shots. All 14 of them. Feeling mildly defeated, we took a break on a rock and a different stranger commented on how great a picture we could make, sitting on that rock with Teddy, so she generously took a photo for us. It all evened out, I think.

New Year’s Eve at my friend’s house. A diverse, fun, and intimate group paired with jalapeno cheese dip are the keys to a great NYE.

We went to Wow Wow Waffle twice during this time because it’s just so dang good.

Finally checking out James Coffee Co. in Little Italy was such a treat. The local roaster pours excellent coffee in a warehouse-y space that’s shared with other local brands, like a leather goods company, clothing retailer, and even a hip optometry shop. I highly recommend getting an espresso with one of their add-ins, like condensed milk with nutmeg or Mexican chocolate.

Hope you had a happy holiday! xx