Doc Hop

Woo-wee! My first week in California was both incredibly fun and ridiculously productive, and I barely know where to begin. Such much has happened and so much accomplished!

Rosie’s Dog Beach/Essex Pool

It took me two whole days to touch the coast, but on Sunday afternoon I took Lemon for her very first walk on the beach and she absolutely LOVED IT! We went to Rosie’s Dog Beach and spent about an hour running through the sand and chasing the tide back and forth across the shore. It was my second time seeing the Pacific Ocean, but it was the first of what I am sure will be MANY as a California resident.

I was particularly happy that Lemon was so well behaved, because it’s going to be really fun to bring her with me on the days I don’t feel like swimming. (She loved the sand and the shore, but she still does not enjoy being wet.) And as an added bonus, it may help her walk off that extra pound that everyone loves to comment on.

Later in the week I picked up a flamingo float from Target, so that I could check out the apartment’s community pool. I’ve been so busy filing paperwork and waiting in lines this week that the daylight got away from me, but I was finally able to take a dip earlier today.

The water was absolutely perfect, and since I went in the mid-afternoon there was hardly anyone else enjoying it! There were a couple of people reading and a few more tanning, but I had the entire pool to myself. I jumped aboard Flaca and floated around the pool until the sun moved down and my fingers pruned up. If I wasn’t so clumsy, I’d bring a book right out on the water with me next time. And I might just try it anyway.

California State University, Long Beach

But it wasn’t all sand and swimming this week. I spent most of Monday morning on the CSULB campus. I had to turn in my onboarding paperwork, which also allowed me the opportunity to pick up my faculty badge at the university bookstore. I’m becoming more official every day!

After turning in my documents and picking up my ID card, I decided to take a little stroll around the school. I got some pictures next to the legendary “GO BEACH” sign, and I checked out a coffee house that’s located in the heart of the university. Finding good coffee is a necessity in any new city, especially at work, so I had to start scoping out the best places on campus. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf was pretty good!

While walking around and sipping my cold brew, I passed some orientation groups and freshmen excitedly bopping around campus and it made me feel so nostalgic for my early university days. I was absolutely brand new and so completely nerve-wracked. Worried sick. If I knew then that I’d be attending university for the rest of my life, I might have calmed down a bit. But likely not. If so I might not have made it here, so I’m forever grateful for that terrified freshman.

Long Beach Public Library

I was able to get my Long Beach Public Library card this week as welll, gaining access to 12 libraries in the local system. WOOHOO!! I can check out up to 50 books at a time and reserve national park passes. Joshua Tree is at the top of my list, as is Redwood.

Augusta did not really have much of a library system (go figure), but I’ve always made it a priority to patronize and support local libraries when able. I’ve held cards in Virginia, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, and now I have my California card! I was even able to register for a California State Library Card, which I can access as a member of a state university. That should definitely come in handy for research.

I haven’t checked out the CSULB library since my campus visit, but that will be at the top of my list as well.

So many books, so little time! As a kid I used to worry that a lifetime wouldn’t be long enough to read all the books I might come to love. I’ve been trying to read through that fear ever since.

California Department of Motor Vehicles

I spent SO much time at the DMV this week. SO MUCH. I’m convinced that you cannot move between states without visiting the DMV at least three times, and that’s exactly how many trips it took me to get completely squared away. But, I should be good for at least a year. ✊ 🪵

My first appointment was on Wednesday, and that one went as smoothly as one could hope. I was able to obtain a temporary California driver’s license, with my real one set to arrive via USPS in about two weeks. Which is fine, except now I have to wait to see how my photo came out. I was very happy with my faculty ID, so here’s hoping my good luck held out! 🤞 In obtaining my California license I was also able to register to vote within the state and register as an organ donor — two things that are extremely important to me. For that, I was and am extremely grateful.

Registering my vehicle was much more of a hassle, and I did have to come back twice over two days before I had all the necessary materials in hand. The DMV is always a bitch, so I was prepared for it to be much worse and can’t complain with too much gusto. At the end of the day, I was still registering my car in California, which is so much better than anywhere else I’ve ever registered anything! California requires a vehicle validation and smog test, so once I had those in hand, was well as a copy of my registration, I was good to go. (Thanks in large part to my LIBRARY CARD, which allowed me to print the materials I needed.)

I immediately received my new plates and then I promptly sought out new auto insurance, as my current provider does not offer coverage in California. With all of that out of the way, I am proud to say that I am Long Beach’s newest driver, voter, reader and organ donor! Check, check, check, check. Not too shabby for week one!

AMC Marina Pacifica 12

I’ve also been to a couple of movies in the week I’ve been in Long Beach. When I lived in Augusta I had a pass that allowed me to see unlimited movies, and since I live fewer than two miles from the local AMC, I decided to see if they had a similar promotion here. And lucky for me, they do!

Look, I’m not terribly old school about many things, but I do love to go to the movies. I like to sit in the theater, in front of a big screen, and I like to hear the reactions of the crowd when something particularly funny, thrilling, or scary happens. Going to the movies also reminds me of my momma, as it was one of our favorite things to do together on not-so-lazy weekends.

This week I saw Twisters, which reminded me of the time that I saw the original in theaters with my mom and childhood best friend, Katie. Back then the movies felt larger than life, and I whole-heartedly believe that certain movies deserved to be viewed on the big screen. This was definitely one of them. (Also, I just love that Brandon Perea. Mark my words, he’s going somewhere BIG. I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about him, especially after his role in Nope.)

I also saw Longlegs, which I have been wanting to see for a minute now. I love the horror genre more than I love any other genre, so sign me up to see anything spooky! This one definitely had some Silence of the Lambs vibes, and Nicolas Cage absolutely KILLED it as the title character. Literally and figuratively. I thought the ending could have been stronger, but it definitely deserves a second viewing.

This weekend I’ll be using my movie pass to check out Deadpool & Wolverine, which is sure to be a summer hit. I know a ton of people who are itching to see it, myself included. M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap is out on Aug. 2, which is another one I’m definitely set to see. His work can be hit or miss, but this film looks on point. And I’m very excited to see Josh Hartnett’s name back in lights. I had such a crush on him growing up. I can’t wait to see him play a killer daddy.

Other Places, People and Things

My apartment has been pretty bare while I wait for my UHaul moving pod to arrive, but yesterday I received a package from Theodore, Sierra and Becca that finally made it start to feel like home. They sent me a Theodore original in my favorite colors (orange, purple and yellow) as well as some family photos — all of which went straight to my fridge. Now every time I walk through my apartment I can see reminders of just how lucky I am.

They also sent a California journal for all of my important California thoughts and a “pocket hug,” as a reminder that “friends are the family we choose.” (They always find little trinkets with the most perfect words.) Given a million lives, I’d choose them a million times.

I’d also choose my friend James a million times, and I had the unexpected but much needed opportunity to video chat with him and his husband, Eric, this week as well. It was so good to catch up and see their faces again, to shoot a little shit and share some large laughs. What started as a quick chat quickly turned into a two-hour hangout, and it definitely made me miss the many nights spent on their front or back porch. We’ve promised to make our chats a much more frequent occurrence, and I hope we do.

As for food — I checked out a local food truck this week, which the apartment complex seems to bring in each Thursday night. This week is was D Lo’s Kitchen, “where Mexican food meets seafood.” I had the veggie enchiladas, which came with Spanish rice and black beans. YUM! It was the perfect way to celebrate my brand new California license plates AND the first eviction of Big Brother 26.

Since I trashed my old one, I also purchased a dresser, which I started putting together last night and plan to finish up shortly. I love “building” furniture, or rather, putting things together, but it’s been quite the process. Its construction required that I purchase my first ever tool kit, which I’m also very excited about. It’s already been put to good use, as I used it to install a license plate to the front of my car earlier today. (They were not required in Georgia.)

Green is legal here, so I figured I’d give it a shot. I used my first week to find a local option for that as well — The Syndicate. It’s a pretty cool place, mainly because it’s set up like some sort of speakeasy. You have to show your ID and pull open a fake bookshelf for entry. As a new customer I received 40% off my first order and will definitely be back.

That is about it for my first week. It’s been extremely busy but exceptionally rewarding. Each day I feel more acclimated and more at home.

I’m still waiting for my UHaul pod to arrive, and likely will be for at least another week and a half. Communicating with the Augusta office has been a nightmare and pushing up my move seemed to create a great deal of confusion on their end. So, I should get my stuff when I was originally set to receive it, around the 10th of August. I brought everything I need to survive with me in my car, but I do look forward to a full night’s sleep in my real bed.

I don’t have any set plans for this weekend, but I do plan to have a little fun. I’m sure Lemon and I will check out a beach. I’m definitely going to go out in search of a good bike path, because I’m starting to miss that constant part of my daily/weekly routine. The California weather is simply screaming for it!

Until then! ❤️