Doc Hop

What DIDN’T I do this week? It is bonkers how much I did and saw in just seven days, and it’s even crazier that it’s taken me this long to properly explore the attractions that bring visitors flocking to Long Beach each year.

The absolute highlight of my week, however, was meeting the students I will have the pleasure of working with throughout my first semester at CSULB.

Monday to Wednesday: Classes

On Mondays and Wednesdays I teach News Writing and Ethics in the morning and Research Methods in the afternoon, with a stretch of office hours in between. Tuesday afternoons I teach Media Design, which is a longer lab stretching just under three hours.

First days are always syllabus days, so the only pressure I felt came from a desire to make a good first impression and set a strong tone for the semester. And I think I did! Introductions went well and no one ran out in a panic. By my third day I overheard a student describing me as chill to one of their classmates, and that definitely seems like a compliment, especially from Gen Z. I’ve even had quite a few students wave and stop to say hello in the hallways, which has really helped me to feel welcome and at home. I’m trying so hard to put names to faces!

Wednesday was my first real day of lectures, and outside of one very minor tech issue, my classes went off without a hitch. Teaching after a summer off definitely requires shaking some rust off, but I feel like I’m falling into my groove. And I’m SO HAPPY I buried myself in course prep before leaving Augusta! I would have never been able to have such a fun and full weekend with a ton of classwork hanging over my head.

Parking on campus has not been any sort of an issue for me so far (✊ 🪵 ) but traffic on day one was kind of nuts even at 8:00 a.m. I’ve been walking to class, which takes me about 15 minutes, depending on how long I have to wait to cross the highway. Since the weather in California is absolutely perfect, hoofing it to campus has become a relaxing way to step into each day. I’ve been told that the morning rush calms down by week two, but I plan to continue my walks regardless. It gives me extra time to listen to my tunes!

I also received my official university headshot this week, which you can peep at the top of this post. Would ya just look at that happy nerd?! I don’t love the angle, but I sure do love my smile. I almost look as happy as I feel.

Thursday: the Aquarium of the Pacific and Pierpoint Landing

Having successfully made it through my first week of classes, I decided to spend the start of my long weekend checking out some of the sites that I most wanted to visit when planning my move to Long Beach.

I started at the Aquarium of the Pacific — the largest aquarium in Southern California, with 12,000 animals across 500 species and 100 exhibits. I arrived at 10 a.m., which was early enough to beat the crowds, and spent about two hours walking through the many exhibits.

The jellyfish are always one of my favorite stops at any aquarium, so I spent a lot of time peering into their tanks in starry-eyed wonder. The otters, sharks, and penguins were also crowd pleasers, but I think my favorite exhibit had go to the sea lions, who were wonderfully full of personality and had the most gentle eyes. I also walked through a giant aviary, where patrons were encouraged to gently hand feed the birds, and felt my way through a gaggle of starfish in the children’s “touch and learn” area. (Look, kids don’t have a monopoly on fun. I absolutely took my turn in the observational crawl spots to get a better vantage point on the cool fish, even if it meant waiting in line behind a couple of 3 to 5 year olds.)

Walking in the door, I was most excited to see the Pacific octopus, but it was being a trickster and wouldn’t come out from under his rock so I could have a peek at those long tentacles and that bulbous but incredibly malleable head. I guess that just means that I have an excuse to visit again really soon!

Upon leaving the aquarium I took advantage of the beautiful California weather to explore Pierpoint Landing, where a short stroll brought me to a light house across the canal from the legendary Queen Mary. I didn’t know it then, but that sighting would inspire me to tour the ship the very next night.

Lemon was bummed that she wasn’t able to check out the fish or the pier, but she was very happy that momma remembered to bring her home a present in the form of a giant orange squid, with tentacles as long as she is. Next time I go back we’ll see if she gets an octopus.

I got home from the aquarium with just enough time to walk Miss Rotten before heading to my office for an interview with a student reporter for the Long Beach Current, our campus newspaper. We had a lovely chat and it was a fabulous opportunity to get to know another of our students a little better. I know I’m brand new, but I am already so immensely proud of the talent and compassion that I see within our j-school. The interview was for a profile piece on new faculty, and the article should run sometime next week.

After Thursday night’s episode of Big Brother I was BIG MAD, so I extended my already long day with a late night showing of Blink Twice — free with my AMC Stubs membership. The ending was stupid, but the movie was alright, and at the very least it helped me keep my mind off Tucker’s eviction. What a BB TRAVESTY.

Friday: a Japanese Garden, Rancho Los Cerritos, and the Queen Mary

On Friday I had a luncheon with the nine other new faculty members joining the College of Liberal Arts this year, as well the second-year faculty who were in our shoes just one year ago. These THRIVE orientation luncheons are designed to help new faculty find success and form collaborative bonds throughout the first year. While most of these monthly meetings will be topic-based, this first one was just an introductory get to know ya. And it was really nice! I’m thankful that I’ve landed at a university that cares so deeply about the success and strength of even their newest faculty.

After lunch I walked through the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, which is on the Cal State Long Beach campus and just a hop away from my office. I only hung out for a quick half hour, but the walk was serene, and I can absolutely see myself spanning some time there with a book in the future. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed, so Lemon will not be joining me. Which is probably for the best, because this was a very tranquil and relaxing piece of campus, and Lemon’s vibe definitely does not fit the space.

I don’t know if you can tell from the video I included, but there was soft Japanese music playing throughout the garden, which only added to the relaxing ambiance.

I couldn’t spend too much time at the Japanese garden because I wanted to get to Rancho Los Cerritos with plenty of time to fully explore the adobe before the historic site closed for the day.

The historic Rancho Los Cerritos, or “the little hills,” is considered the largest and most impressive adobe residence erected in southern California during the Mexican period.

The Monterey Colonial, built in 1844, served as headquarters to a 27,000-acre cattle/sheep ranch. In 1866 Flint, Bixby and Company bought the ranch, which Jotham Bixby, known as the “father of Long Beach,” managed until 1881. Bixby raised seven children at ranch, including Long Beach’s renowned philanthropist, poet, and pacifist Fanny Bixby Spencer.

The US declared Rancho Los Cerritos a National Historic Landmark in 1970, and the site was converted into a public museum, where it remains open for tours. The Los Angeles Times reports that the house is furnished in a Victorian fashion — as would have been the style when the Bixby family resided at the ranch in the 1870s. A visitor center highlights the site’s rich Native American and Mexican-American history. A formal Italian garden homes centuries-old olive, pomegranate, and cypress trees. The site is also home to a 3,000-volume research library on California history.

I took myself on a self-guided tour through the adobe ranch house and across the gardens and learned so much while I was there. (Pardon all the photos, but I had a hard time making cuts. I thought every room in the house was so cool, and each made me imagine what it would be like to reside there during that historic era.) Following the tour I purchased From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America by Vicki L. Ruiz, from the gift shop with the hopes of learning even more.

The person running the gift shop said that the ranch doesn’t get too many local visitors outside of the elementary schools, and it seems like such a shame to miss out on such rich local history. I made a small donation in support of the group that keeps up the location, and I definitely plan to visit Rancho Los Alamitos next.

As if I hadn’t done enough that day, later that night I found myself aboard the Queen Mary for a paranormal ghost tour! It was my first time ever stepping onto a ship.

The RMS Queen Mary (or the “Grey Ghost”) is a retired British luxury ocean liner that served as a troopship and ferried Allied soldiers during World War II. The ship was refitted for passenger service after the war, retiring from service in 1967. The Queen Mary is permanently moored in the port of Long Beach, where she serves as a tourist attraction complete with restaurants, a museum, and a hotel. 

Time magazine voted the Queen Mary as one of the Top 10 Most Haunted Places in America. Visitors report seeing the ghost of a sailor who died in the ship’s engine room, witnessing a “lady in white” dancing through the main lounge, and hearing the laughter of numerous children known to have drowned in the ship’s first class swimming pool.

Our tour guide took us to the front lines of ALL of it, including the rope room that held prisoners of war during WWII and Room B340, where countless guests have encountered a dark figure ripping covers from the foot of their bed. I was also fortunate enough to book a ticket to the 7 p.m. walkthrough, which allowed me a BEAUTIFUL view of the sunset over Long Beach from atop of one of history’s most infamous ships!

Our tour guide was incredibly fun and informed, and I would absolutely recommend a walkthrough to anyone who is a fan of spooky stuff. I didn’t see a single ghost or feel any weird vibes, but learning about history and hauntings was certainly a great time! I think I might have to look into an overnight stay in order to get the more immersive experience.

Saturday: Lemon visits campus

Saturday was mostly uneventful, but I did take Lemon on her first walk across campus. She very much enjoyed the opportunity to run around off leash, and I very much enjoyed the opportunity to show her my new home away from home. She even met a few students and accepted a few pets, so she’s already begun to make herself known across campus. She told me she had a super fun first day of school at Cal State, but that she didn’t learn a single thing.

Sunday: the Naples Canals

I rounded out the week with a brand new hair cut and a day of kayaking through the Naples Canals.

It’s been about 12 years since I’ve touched a kayak, and I’ve never been out alone, so I was a little in my head about the potential for looking foolish. It took me a while to find a parking spot because the main road leading to the bay was closed for some sort of Labor Day weekend festivity, so I had plenty of time to talk myself out of going. I am SO GLAD I didn’t!

I was on the water for about two hours and I had the BEST time! I went through the marina and followed the canals into a maze of mansions lining the bay. With every turn I tried to pick the house I’d most want to call mine one day, but I kept getting distracted by all the quippy boat names. My arms were a-pumping and I’ll surely be plenty sore tomorrow, but it was also incredibly relaxing (once I got away from the yacht parties). I absolutely intend to adopt kayaking as a new hobby. I’m also super proud of myself for going through with something that I knew would bring me joy despite some initial awkwardness and discomfort.

After docking my kayak and turning in my life vest, I took the long way back to my car, because I wanted to walk close to the shore. The waves were pretty strong around 6 p.m. and I felt like every other person on the beach had a kite in their hands. It’s REALLY been a minute since I’ve flown a kite, so that might need to go on my list of things to do in Long Beach.

And speaking of lists — remember this one? Back in May I detailed the five things I was most excited to do and see in Long Beach, and this week I did and saw every last one of them! I certainly rode the momentum of a great first week of classes. I hope it’s a momentum that continues to build as I become ever more acquainted with “The International City” that I call home.

I think it might be about time to start to branch out into Los Angeles proper…

Stay tuned! 😎