#bestbrit

While Dexter is lacking in enthusiasm in this photo, I’m making up for it because I got my Secret Santa gift in the mail today! 🎄🎄🎄

Carnation - Already answered! :D

Rhododendron -What’s the scariest dream you’ve ever had?I have dreams often where I’m tortured. Those are the scariest because it feels so real and when you’re in a dream, you aren’t aware of it. Sometimes you try to convince yourself it’s a dream, but you can’t wake up. Sometimes you try to move your body to fight back and go down with a fight but nothing moves. It’s awful.

1 - If someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?If someone wanted to really understand me, they would...

Read: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Watch: The King’s Speech

Listen to: Coldplay

18 - What’s your patronus?My patronus is probably a wolf. Or a bear. Or a buffalo. 

19 - Which Harry Potter house would you be in? or are you a muggle?As overrated as I think it is, I would be in Gryffindor. When it comes to the traits I actually possess, I’m more along the line of Hufflepuff, but the Sorting Hat takes the traits you value and the traits I value most are much more aligned with Gryffindor. I’ve been able to relate more to Ronald Weasley and Neville Longbottom out of all the characters, now that I think about it. 

29 - Three songs that you connect with right now

“Heroes” - Måns Zelmerlöw 

“Once Upon a Time in the West” - Ennio Morricone

“Good Life” - OneRepublic

Hallooo!

I left Baltimore early on Thursday to present at a big conference in San Diego.  This particular conference is only held every other year, so it was kind of a must-go.  It turned out though, that I had no close friends going, so I was stuck deciding between staying at the hotel alone (totally fine, but the amount the department reimburses is fixed, and won't really cover a trip to California in the best of circumstances) or sharing with some unknown people from the list serve - namely another grad student who seemed quite reasonable, and a woman coming to the conference from Argentina, not a grad student, and who seemed to possibly have a few screws loose.  I had my own reservation, and the lady from Argentina had a room as well. If I stayed with her, it would be the two of us thursday night, the three of us friday night, then two of them saturday night, and just her Sunday night.  I reaaaaalllly had doubts about getting rid of my reservation, but in the end, I figured ‘eh, what’s the worst that could happen?’ and went with the shared room, saving some much-needed money.  

Spoiler alert: I was not axe-murdered this weekend.  But Guadalupe was certainly quite a character. The conference was great.  Best-Britt and David saved my Thursday and are pretty awesome.

Recap:  I had planned to rush from the airport to the hotel, drop my stuff, and head out to the beach to swim with the La Jolla Cove Swimmers at 2pm at, well, La Jolla Cove...but when I arrived in San Diego, I realized that check-in at the hotel didnt open until 3pm and I didnt know if I could really get it together enough to get what I needed to go the beach, change, and leave my stuff at reception.  I was also kind of dreading meeting Guadalupe, whose plane was due in two hours ahead of mine.  And so I made the supremely loser-y move of eating lunch at the airport.  Yes, at my destination (in my defense, it was 4pm on the east coast already!). I was savoring my alone time, let’s say. 

I finally got myself to the hotel, which was not at all where I was expecting it to be (not because I know anything about San Diego, but I was there for a working group meeting a few years back and we stayed in a VERY different area of town, so I was just kind of picturing that).  Supposedly in the heart of the city, if you had told me this hotel was in another state, I would have believed you too.  Hotels, golf courses, and a highway.  That was it. I walked into reception and it turned out that G. had not arrived yet, and had also not put anyone besides herself on the room, so I wouldn't be able to check in.  Great...I did confirm that she did exist and did have a room reserved though, so there was that. After emailing G. and asking her to email me when she arrived, I asked what was walkable from the hotel and was directed to a mall 15 minutes away.  I figured I’d find a starbucks, charge my phone, maybe work, maybe figure out some next steps...Except the Starbucks was just a kiosk, so my search for an outlet led me to the lobby of a movie theater. The manager there asked me how long I was going to be, but didn’t kick me out. Looking like a vagabond? Probably.

Meantime, I had been chatting with bestbrit, who invited me to come out rock climbing and to dinner with her and David.  Um...yes!!  Tumblr saves the day again!! The conference wouldn't start until Friday morning, and I was not holding out high hopes for G., and I’d be stuck at the conference hotel until forever once we got started so yessssss!!!!

I finally went back to the hotel, determined to show the desk all the emails from Guadalupe, so that then they’d let me in the room? maybe?  But once I arrived they said she was there and had mentioned me.  (Just never emailed me back.  ew?).  I went to the room, found her stuff but no Gaudalupe, and changed into some gym clothes.  Enter Guadalupe.  To my relief, she seemed a little drunk, but not menacing. We really were not having much of a coherent conversation. She was convinced I was going out Rocking...like to a rock and roll party...ish....

I figured I would be beyond beyond beyond terrible at rock climbing, but thought ok I should give it a try, yes?  Yes.  And, real-talk, it’s not that I was good - I wasn't, but I feel like perhaps I was not exceptionally bad either.  More importantly, I had a great time, Brittany and David were super encouraging, and really fabulous climbers themselves. And then we ate Mexican food!!!!!  DEEEELICIOUS MEXICAN FOOD!! Thank you again for a great time, Brittany and David.  Awesome, awesome, quality people.