Hollywood

Hollywood was fun, but it is definitely one of those "been there, done that" type places. Go there once and check it off your list!  There are a ton of stars on the walk of fame, some of which were well deserved, some dedicated to people I had never even heard of, and some who I am still trying to figure out how they managed to even get a star in the first place...I mean, the RUGRATS have their own star!  Seriously?  Anyways, here are some pics from my visit:

Santa Monica

So after I dropped my parents off at the airport, I hoped on the highway and drove to the beach!  So I'm alone in California for the first time, I turn the radio on, and the first song I hear is this:

Too funny!  It was a sign.  I was just meant to be here for a little while :)

So this is Santa Monica:

The waves here are huge.  Here is a video of them. The video is a little blurry due to sunscreen on the lens!

So that is the beach/boardwalk at Santa Monica. Huge waves, freezing cold water, lots of sand, 68 degrees, tourists, volleyball courts, workout stations along the beach, street performers on the boardwalk, yellow life guard trucks patrolling the beach, helicopters everywhere....pretty much explains it all!

5 things @ the Santa Monica Board Walk:

-One guy trying to surf with over 1000 people watching him...Bet he was feeling the pressure!

-There was this guy on the boardwalk charging people to pose for pictures with his snakes..One of which was the yellow and white kind that are stinking huge.  WHY would you touch one of those things?!

-Tons of future hopefuls set up on the boardwalk playing their pianos, singing their songs, and selling their CDs.

-There are TRAPEZE lessons on the boardwalk.  You can pay for a private one-hour lesson to learn a main trapeze trick.  I watched a guy do it and he wasn't bad at all! I may have to try flying through the air on a tiny bar before I leave!

-They have a ferris wheel, roller coaster, and other rides and games at the boardwalk and to my surprise they were reasonably priced!  The ferris wheel was only $3! :)

La-La Land, California!

Previously, on The Adventures of Christi Zwicke: "So I graduated from Texas State in August!  I got my degree in Therapeutic Recreation-and I will define it one more time since no one seems to know what it is!

THERAPEUTIC RECREATION/RECREATIONAL THERAPY: is a treatment service that provides treatments and recreation activities to individuals with illnesses or disabling conditions to improve or maintain physical, mental and emotional well-being and help reduce depression, stress and anxiety.  Recreational therapies help patients recover basic motor functioning and reasoning abilities, build confidence and socialize more effectively. Treatments may incorporate arts and crafts, animals, sports, games, dance and movement, drama, music and community outings.


----SO...with that said, I am now in California doing my internship!  I plan on coming back to Texas afterwards and working in the clinical setting.   However, a lot can change in 4 months so we'll see what awesome adventures are in store for me!"


Here are some pics from my last dinner in San Marcos:

Noelani & Ellen: Two of the coolest people you will ever meet!

Kassie & Chad: The sweetest couple!

Everyone at Grins!

Okay, good! :) I am glad you are caught up now!  Here's some details on the trip up here!


August 27th: The day I packed up my car and headed west!  My parents and I left for the LONGEST road trip ever!  Not going to lie, when I saw the first west Texas mountain I was kind of excited...However, after seeing miles upon miles of the SAME view of a road and desert, it got old pretty quickly!  We finally made it out of Texas and into New Mexico to be greeted by...more mountains, sand, and cactus!

August 28th: Woke up early, got some McDonald's breakfast (never fails!) and started driving once again!  I made my parents stop at the first In-and-Out Burger we saw in Phoenix for lunch.  I had always heard of this place and needed to experience it for myself!  It wasn't bad-it's greatness was just built up way to much in my head!  We ate some cows and proceeded on with this lovely trip!  After a long drive through the desert we arrived to California!  It was about another 2 hours until we made it to Duarte.  It's this cute little town located in the foothills of Angeles National Forest.  It's also the town I'll be living in until Christmas comes around!  Then it's back to Texas for me!


So apartment hunting could have it's own blog entry, but to sum in up in one sentence I would have to go with:  There are more people than apartments available in this place and after many a disappointments I finally lucked out!


My parents stayed with me a couple of days and helped get me settled in.  Mom made spaghetti the first night :)  She ate at the cardboard table with the computer chair in the kitchen, I sat on the floor up against the wall with plate in hand and drink on floor, and Dad ate standing up.  To answer any previous questions you may have had-the apartment was definitely unfurnished! After a few days, it was time to take them to the airport.  I dropped them off and gave them quick hugs so I wouldn't get yelled at by the crazy airport people telling me I couldn't park.  I then hopped on the highway and found my way to Santa Monica!

I'm changing up my top 5 feat just for this blog :)  Today it is a top 12! 

12 pics from the trip:

MY FAVE PIC: DAD'S AWESOME BREAKFAST

 OH, WEST TEXAS...

 NO RADIO STATIONS!

I BELIEVE THIS WAS NEW MEXICO...MAYBE ARIZONA?

CACTUS EVERYWHERE

THE LOVELY LITTLE RESTAURANT-THE ONLY LITTLE RESTAURANT-IN DEMING, NEW MEXICO.

CHECK OUT THIS CUTE MENU!

I WAS SO EXCITED TO DRIVE THROUGH A TUNNEL!

GETTING CLOSER... (YET WE WERE STILL 5 HOURS AWAY!)

COLORADO RIVER RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET TO CALIFORNIA BORDER.  WISH I COULD HAVE GOTTEN A BETTER PICTURE OF THIS BECAUSE IT WAS GORGEOUS.

WE FINALLY MADE IT!!!!

FINALLY ARRIVING IN DUARTE!

DRIVING IN MY NEW TOWN.  I DRIVE LIKE I BELONG HERE NOW-BUT WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE I WAS SUPER TENSE AND NERVOUS...ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THOSE CARS ON THE ROAD ;)