California Part Three

Part three of my trip was easily my most favorite part. Where did I leave off? Ah, yes. Friday before Mr. SB had to work, we visited his school and he showed me around. The campus is beautiful and the library was so cool. Mr. Scottie B. took me to downtown/old town Ventura to hang out while he had to work. I went to Urban Outfitters and I bought a cute dress and Mindy Kaling’s new book. If you enjoy funny, confident women with ambition, I recommend the book. I ate lunch at a Thai place, which wasn’t that good (disappointing). I still had quite a few hours to kill and I wasn’t in the mood to shop. I went to a movie and saw “The Descendants”. Mr. SB thinks it’s strange that I went to a movie by myself, but I like movies and who cares. Then, surprise, I went to Starbucks to wait for Mr. SB.

We got dressed up and headed out to meet up with a few of Mr. SB’s friends. We had a few drinks and got down on the dance floor (yeah, I just said got down on the dance floor. Don’t judge me). We went to two different dance clubs/bars and had a lot of fun. It rained that night and we walked in the rain for a while before ending the night.

Saturday was Mr. SB’s and my only day with just us. A lot of my trip was spent meeting family and friends. At one point I was a little upset about all that. But looking back, I’m so very glad the way my trip went. I’m so happy that I got to meet all of Mr. SB’s family and a few of his friends. Back to Saturday, we headed down to Los Angeles and went to the Getty Center. We looked at quite a bit of art and took photos.

A Google search of LA food bloggers lead us to Umami Burger in Santa Monica... and we ate the most delicious burgers (I had the vegetarian Earth burger and Mr. SB had the Umami Burger). Mr. Scottie B. has already been back to eat there again and I can’t wait to go again. We raced (like seriously, we jogged) to the beach to watch the sun set. I put my feet in the ocean, again. For a second... maybe a minute or two, I could kind of picture myself living in California and being near the beach and all the cool spots. I don’t know what the future holds, who knows maybe someday I will be back living there.

Intelligentsia coffee in Venice was our next stop. This was, without a doubt, the best latte I’ve ever had.

 

Saturday night Mr. SB and I had a few drinks and ate a very late dinner at BJ’s Restaurant. We talked a lot that night and I made a few friends, haha. I have a habit of carrying on long conversation with strangers when I’ve had a few drinks. I told Mr. Scottie B. to next time just stop me from talking so we can leave. I would like to think this habit is charming, but I’m pretty sure it’s just obnoxious.

Sunday we made a quick trip to The Griffith Observatory. We didn't have a whole lot of time because of plans in the afternoon, but the weather was perfect. So we did walk around a little bit and took in the wonderful views of the city. After, we went to Mr. SB’s brother and sister-in-law’s house for a family birthday gathering. After this party I’ve officially met everyone in Mr. SB’s immediate family. I got to hang out with Mr. Scottie B.’s niece and nephew, talk with his sister-in-law, and watch his family interact. I had so much fun getting to know everyone and enjoyed the positive, loving atmosphere that was created.

Sunday night we went to Hollywood Blvd. to watch the end of the Giants game and just hang out. We went to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the end of the game. Mr. SB and I spent a lot of Sunday afternoons at BWW in the Chicago area. It was a familiar feeling to be back there with him, I loved it. Then we walked along the stars and found a sushi place to eat dinner. We saw a movie that isn’t really worth mentioning (at least I don’t think so).

Monday morning was tough. It was just as hard as I thought it’d be to say goodbye. It felt like time flew by and all of a sudden my trip was over. We’ve been talking about our next visit and when that will be, I already can not wait.

 

My trip was everything I was hoping for and more. I’m hoping to post more about long distance and how Mr. SB and I have been making it work. But I’m so glad that we’ve had a visit already and we were able to be face to face. Thanks again, Mr. Scottie B. for such a lovely trip. I can’t wait to be back in your arms.

California Part Two

California Part Two

Monday Mr. Scottie B. and I drove down from Ventura County to where I grew up. We got frozen yogurt and then drove to the house I grew up in. I didn’t cry quite like I thought I would. It was such a strange feeling being in the yard where I spent most of my childhood. The yard seemed so much bigger when I was a kid. It all pretty much looked the same. The house was painted and a few neighbors cleaned up their yards, but it was all so very familiar. Mr. SB held my hand and we knocked on the door. We asked the current owners if I could walk through the house, unfortunately he said no. But that’s okay; I probably would have said the same thing to some creeper asking to walk through my house.

We went to my grandma’s work and then headed to her house. We tried to find a few embarrassing photos of me as a kid, but didn’t. My grandma treated Mr. SB and me to sushi. We tried fried oysters, they were…decent. haha. Then Mr. SB went back home and I spent the next few days with my grandma. My dad surprised my grandma on Tuesday by showing up at her house. She was not expecting him to show up, it was fun. We went to lunch at Lazy Dog Café (adorable chain restaurant, btw) and then shopping. I got some awesome new pants, a few shirts, and a hot dress.

On Wednesday my dad and I spent the day together. We grabbed some breakfast and then went to Knotts Berry Farm. We didn’t actually go into the park but we walked through the shops outside the entrance and bought salt water taffy. As kids we spent a lot of time at Knotts Berry Farm. We had season passes and my dad would pick us up from school and take us for a few hours in the afternoon. It was awesome to be back at Knotts with my dad, very nostalgic. Then dad took me down to Hunington Beach. I don’t think he really wanted to drive all the way down there. But I was so thankful that he did. We walked down the pier and saw a ton of dolphins. I walked in the sand and then we went home.

Dad took me to LA to meet Mr. SB. He drove down after a few days of work and took me to meet his sister, Susie, and her boyfriend, Daniel. They were both so friendly and treated us to a very good dinner (I can’t remember the name of the restaurant). Then we went for a drink at Father’s Office. We had great conversation with amazing company.

Thursday we said goodbye to my grandma and dad, then headed BACK up to Oxnard. We stopped and ate at ZZYZX’s Café. The food was super good.Then Mr. SB worked that night and I watched the show Chopped (great show, btw). Mr. Scottie B.  picked me up and we went to his grandparent’s ranch house. Their house was absolutely beautiful. They were the sweetest grandparents and I was so happy that they busted out old photos from when they were close to our age. So many black and white photos seen and stories told. We ate red velvet cheesecake and sang Happy Birthday to Mr. Scottie B.

There is part two of three. Looks like it will be three parts. I remember at this point in the trip realizing that very soon I would be going back to Madison. I did my best to embrace each moment

And thank you for those who kept me in mind about my second job opportunity... I got the job! I officially have a second job. I'm so excited. I'll keep ya updated when I start next week. 

Guess Who's 23?

Happy Birthday Mr. Scottie B.

My Dearest Scottie B.,

Some days I still have such a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that you are in my life. I thank God everyday for you. You truly are such a blessing. You push me to be a better person and encourage me to follow my dreams and goals.

Today is your birthday and I'm sad that I'm not there with you. I hope you know that I'm thinking of you and can't wait for the next time we are together.

Mr. SB, you are strong, kind, and confident. I admire your passion for God and your free spirit. Your positive attitude and happiness is contagious. There are so many more qualities and characteristics that I love about you, but if I list them all this post might then go on too long.

I'm so incredibly glad that we had the opportunity to explore Chicago together. And I'm looking forward to many more cities to have adventures in. I'm excited for what the future holds for us both.

I hope that your birthday is everything you are hoping for. I pray it's filled with joy and content as you reflect on all you've done and look forward to all that you will do. I know that God has great things in store for you and I hope that I'm there to see all that you do.

I love you.

Taylor

California Part One

After a pretty good night’s sleep, I’m feeling a little more refreshed. I did wake up later than my goal time of 6:15AM (about 25 minutes late), but I did get ready for work still. I’m trying to develop the habit of picking out an outfit for work and putting my gym bag together the night before work. That way I can actually make my bed, get ready, and not feel rushed.

As I’ve mentioned before I’m looking for a second job. So far I haven’t had much luck, mostly because of my own lack of ambition. I was having a hard time feeling comfortable interviewing for a job and then saying “By the way, I’m going to be gone for ten days”. So right before I left for my trip I interviewed at a hotel in Madison, it went well. Today I checked in with the manager and I have a second interview tomorrow. So, positive vibes or prayers are much appreciated.

California Part One

When I arrived in California I was nervous, excited, anxious, and all sorts of emotions. But as soon as I saw Mr. Scottie B. all of my emotions turned into happiness, just happiness. After spending two months skyping, texting, and talking on the phone, to finally see him…in person, right there…was so great.

We grabbed my luggage, got in his new car, and started to drive up Pacific Coast Highway. As I started to see familiar California stuff, I became quite obnoxious. haha. It went like this “awww, palm trees”, “awwww, Ralphs”, “awww, In-N-Out”, etc. This went on for about a day. It was just such a cool feeling to be in California. I grew up there and have a lot of family memories at these places. I know I claim Idaho as my home, since it’s where I feel like I established my roots. But California is also a part of childhood and life. Mr. SB stopped along PCH at a little beach and I got to put my feet in the Pacific Ocean for the first time in six years. The weather was warm and sunny, I could not have asked for a better first few hours in California.

Once we got to Ventura County, we went to In-N-Out. I ate a cheeseburger with no burger, French fries, and a chocolate shake (fun fact: on the day we first said “I love you” we were eating French fries and a chocolate shake). Then a quick trip to Trader Joe’s for wine and snacks. We attended Mr. SB’s college church group on Friday night. It was great to be back in church with Mr. SB, especially because the environment was so positive and inspiring. It was nice to have one of our first days together in California spent connecting with God.

Saturday we got ready and went to downtown (or was it called old town?) Ventura. We ate at Nature’s Grill, Mr. Scottie B. got ice cream, and we checked out some thrift stores. Then I, of course, had to change before meeting Mr. SB’s friend (quickest outfit change ever). Then we went to The Dugout to watch Tim Tebow kick ass…. Or so we thought. Mr. SB initiated a prayer circle and a few people Tebow’d for winning vibes, but the Denver Broncos still lost. But I had a great time meeting all of his friends. Everyone was very nice and lots of fun. There was talk of camping but unfortunately that didn’t work out (in case you didn’t know, I do not like camping. That unfortunately was sarcasm). But in all honesty, if we would have ended up camping I would have made the best of it. I know I would have been in great company and had fun. So for future reference, Mr. SB you CAN take me camping and I will only complain a little bit (I promise).

I was probably most nervous for Sunday. We went to Mr. SB’s church that he attended during high school. We met lots of people and he wore his uniform. He looked very handsome (as usual). Then… I met his parents DUN DUN DUNNN. His parents are so lovely. They are incredibly nice. I think it went well *crosses fingers*. After the nerve wrecking meeting, Mr. Scottie B. and I went to Santa Barbara and walked around State Street. We got coffee, ate dinner, and I bought a California shirt. Santa Barbra was a very fun, trendy little spot or at least the area we saw was.

That’s part one of three, I think. I might just do two parts, we’ll see. I failed at taking photos for the first few days. I was enjoying myself and still have a hard time not feeling silly taking out my huge camera to take photos. There are a lot more photos to come!

Blogging and Such.

Have you ever gotten back from a vacation and felt like you needed another one? That's how I felt this morning. I think it was mostly because I spent the final day of my trip on airplanes and in airports. Apparently sitting around all day is exhausting.

It was such an odd feeling being back in Madison and just going back to my normal routine. I left for California on January 13th and upon arriving I was back in Mr. Scottie B.'s arm right away. My trip was everything I expected it to be. It was filled with love, wine, fun, meeting Mr. SB's family, the beach, and so much more.

I was going to post part one of my trip tonight. But I'm having issues with the editing tool I normally use for photos and I'm actually not feeling 100% (crossing my fingers that I'm not getting a cold). So forgive me, I promise it will be up tomorrow.

Mr. Scottie B. and I discussed my blog a little bit while I was in California and he encouraged me to expand my posts beyond just pictures of my life. So I've been thinking about it a lot and I do want to post about different things. I love to bake and would enjoy baking new recipes and posting about it. And maybe my perspective, struggles, and positive outlook about my long distance relationship would be encouraging to others. And I have goals that, I think, by sharing would hold me accountable.

I'm excited about sharing more with whoever stumbles upon my blog! So expect more posts to come about all sorts of awesomeness.

Here's one of my many favorite photos from my trip (unedited). I feel so loved.