Okay…Let me explain the title.  My alias online used to be Carmen Sandiego.  In all honesty in some places I still use the handle.  I’m known to pop up anywhere.  When my friends check-in or snap a photo of me to post on social media the response is usually, “Ronnika was there!”  On top of that my favorite color has always been red.  So, in my head I’m really Carmen Sandiego, add melanin and stir!

My friend found $80 roundtrip plane tickets to San Diego, and I was IN! You read that correctly, ROUNDTRIP! ORD to San Diego on a Saturday evening, you can’t beat that.  Clear skies and the weather was lovely, not bad for my first time in Cali.

We were located in a cute boutique hotel downtown San Diego, and not far from the Historic Gaslamp District.  You already know when I heard “Historic” I perked up.  The area which is on the national registry of historic places is known for its redevelopment past.  Since the 1800s the Gaslamp District and SeaPort has revitalized the area into a hub for quaint boutiques, tourist attractions, and a social atmosphere.  The Balboa Park houses the world famous San Diego Zoo, home to the USS Midway (aircraft turned museum), I mentioned the Seaport right?  You can tell that was one of my favorite places.

I didn’t appreciate growing up near water until I was an adult.  It reminded me how we can take some things for granted.