Never leave

I think Iโ€™d like to stay here a couple more days.

flowers

Ocean,

wildlife,

seagulls

shopping,

amazing restaurants and yoga,

not much more that a girl could ask for ๐Ÿ˜‰

But I canโ€™t help but wonder, does the novelty wear off? Friends that live in exotic or beachy locales, does it still feel as magical as it did when you first moved there?

Iโ€™m glad that we have another full day of adventures before we hit the road back home tomorrow. I canโ€™t wait to kiss Bellaโ€™s furry face!

Last night, we went to Nine-Ten restaurant for dinner.

table

We dined fairly late โ€“since I ended up taking a random hour nighttime nap- so it was very quiet in there. I felt like I had to whisper to the Pilot.

The food was excellent and the service was amazing, too.

A surprise amuse-bouche from the chef:

amuse bouche

Salmon with persimmon and chives on a purple potato crisp. The salmon was raw, and I still ate itโ€ฆ and savored every smooth and salty bite.

Appetizer was a fall fruit salad, with apple puree (my favorite part), celery root, pomegranate arils, mandolin-sliced apple and persimmon

salad

and the type of lettuce (frisee) that I always leave in the salad container at home- it pretty much tastes like biting into a tree.

The Pilotโ€™s tuna sashimi:

sashimi

and short ribs, which he had a gram of shaved truffles from Italy added to:

short rib

[I stole one, and it was glorious]

and my perfectly-cooked salmon, with shaved fennel and celery root puree:

salmon

It was a lovely little dinner date – weโ€™d definitely go back <3

nine ten

This morning, I woke up extra early to hit up another vinyasa class at La Jolla Yoga Center.

yoga2

The Pilot likes to sleep in extra late on vacay โ€“especially since he wakes up balls early when weโ€™re at home- so instead of sitting around being antsy, Iโ€™ll workout in the morning while heโ€™s snoozing. This way, by the time I get back to the hotel, heโ€™s barely waking up and ready for breakfast.

Practice this morning was just as noodly as yesterdayโ€™s- I really love the beautiful facility and both instructors Iโ€™ve had so far. If youโ€™re ever in the La Jolla area, I highly recommend it. I bought the first-timer weeklong unlimited pass for $30- a great deal since single classes are $20 ($17 for military).

This morning, weโ€™re off to grab some bfast and thenโ€ฆ.? We shall see!

See ya later today <3

xoxo

Gina

Something to think:

โ€œBe content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.โ€
Lao Tzu

Todayโ€™s tip: Stand up a little straighter! Better posture is positively correlated with better sleep and brain function.

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72 Comments

  1. Kim on November 15, 2011 at 6:12 pm

    Hey Gina! It may be too late, but if you have a chance you should check out Searsucker (seafood restaurant) while you’re there. It’s downtown, and the head chef is Brian Malarkey from Top Chef. Their swordfish is AMAAAZING (it has this cherry/almond sauce…I die). Anyway, hope you have a chance to check it out!
    Kim ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. mary on November 15, 2011 at 6:27 pm

    I spent some time in recent weeks researching potentially moving from Phx to San Diego. The cost of living is so much higher, I can’t justify it in my mind at this time.

    I love seeing your pics because we’ll be there next week!

    I lived in Hawaii for a year. Does it get old? Yes and no. The beauty and perfect weather become the norm, so it becomes slightly less special, but still amazing. The cost of living gets old.

  3. Alicia on November 15, 2011 at 7:06 pm

    It never gets old living in Cali, end of story. ๐Ÿ™‚ I’m glad you had a good time, food looks yummy!

    • Fitnessista on November 15, 2011 at 8:18 pm

      i didn’t think it would.. i want to stay here foreverrrrr ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Catherine on November 16, 2011 at 12:45 am

      Amen to that. I’ve lived in and around Malibu, CA all my life and just moved to Connecticut. I think the sun setting over the ocean only meant more to me the longer I lived there – I can’t imagine getting desensitized. So glad you’re having fun!

  4. Emily on November 15, 2011 at 7:27 pm

    After having read Caitlin’s post on food rules and the debate it generated, can I just give you a round of applause for posting that you ate raw salmon while pregnant? You go, girl. Seriously.
    Anyway, San Diego looks amaaaazing! Can’t believe I’ve lived in CA all my life and have never been further south than Long Beach. That may have to change in the very near future!

  5. Alexis on November 15, 2011 at 8:50 pm

    I’ve been incredibly lucky to live in many amazingly beautiful places, due to growing up a Navy brat, having a career in international nutrition, and marrying an Army officer. To just name the highlights (i.e. excluding Alabama- nightmare!!), I’ve lived in Coronado, Newport RI, Sicily, Jackson Hole WY, Thailand, Zambia, Malawi, and now we are in Hawaii. I think that when you’re young, you don’t really appreciate it because it’s just where you live and really all you care about is if your friends are there, but when you get older you definitely learn to appreciate it more. It took my breath away every single day when I saw the Tetons when I lived in Jackson Hole. I’m still in gawking awe every time I drive on the Windward side of Oahu and flying between the islands, which I do ~20 times a year due to my job, still amazes me. Living in developing countries is a little different because the cities themselves are always terribly dirty and stinky, so they were hard to appreciate. But get away to the beaches/islands or out into the Savannah and you realize just how lucky you are to be living in such an incredible place. I think it’s important to always remind ourselves we’re lucky:) Tons of other military wives here in Oahu complain constantly about the traffic (that irks me bc they aren’t ever working wives complaining, I work downtown and deal with the real traffic twice a day!), the people (again, I work with Hawaiians and appreciate how awesome they really are), and the bugs (ok, that does suck, but atleast there aren’t any snakes!). I think they need to stop and take a look around, and realize how lucky they are to live in such a beautiful, diverse place. It could be so much worse with the military (did I mention we were stationed in ALABAMA???)!

  6. Ali on November 15, 2011 at 9:43 pm

    Wow! That food looked spectacular! I am glad that you had such a nice (an a little bit forbidden, hehe) meal! I love the yoga noodle feeling to. Nothing in the world like it!

  7. simi on November 15, 2011 at 9:52 pm

    Life in San Diego will NEVER wear off! I’ve been there 26 years moved away for 3, currently live in TX, but will be moving back next June. Not ONE day goes by that I don’t WISH I was back home. I love Cali, best. place. ever. ๐Ÿ™‚ Glad you’re having a great time, it’s definitely a place where people have to visit at least once their whole life.

  8. Samantha C on November 16, 2011 at 10:58 am

    as a born and raised San Diego-ian… It never wears off. The sound of the ocean never gets old. I am finding new hidden gems all the time. San Diego is where my heart is, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Jessica on November 16, 2011 at 11:10 am

    It never wears off! I may sometimes take that gorgeous beach for granted, but I’m always extremely excited to return to my home in SD for the holidays ๐Ÿ™‚ I love Tucson, but nothing beats my hometown!

  10. Allison on November 16, 2011 at 11:29 am

    I agree with everyone above…it just doesn’t wear off! That doesn’t mean you are at the beach every day…but the option is always there and it’s a glorious option to have. San Diego is my hometown and I miss it more and more every day! Enjoy it while you can ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. Clementine on November 16, 2011 at 3:41 pm

    It definitely does not wear off! I’ve lived near the beach my entire life (I went to school in La Jolla – this post is making me miss it hardcore) and I’ve always been so grateful for it. My roommates and I would find ourselves getting crabby sometimes, and we’d realize it was because we hadn’t been to the beach in a few days, or at least stopped to look at the ocean. When I travel anywhere that isn’t coastal, I feel off after a couple of days (and I lose all sense of direction, haha!)

    I also find it to be a great motivation to stay active – bikini season always feels like it’s sneaking up, and I feel guilty not taking advantage of the temperate climate by doing something active.

    I think I need to visit SD soon…

  12. Heather on November 18, 2011 at 7:26 pm

    I’ve lived here in San Diego for six years now and every single day I wake up so extremely thankful that I reside here. Not only does this city have so much to do, it is full of healthy and active people, amazing restaurants and beautiful beaches. I don’t think I’ll ever leave – it gets better and better every day.

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