The beginning...a little late

This journey really started 6 months ago when my best-friend (Marianne) and I packed up our SUV's (not knowing they'd be completely unnecessary in Southern California) and drove across the country. Jobless, friendless, and slightly clueless we knew one thing, it was time of a change. The two of us both grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, friends from high-school, we attended UW-Madison together (GO BADGERS!!) and come graduation were ready to experience something new. I had every intention of starting this blog 6 months ago to document our experiences, but being the procrastinator I am, that just didn't happen. 

Marianne and I with the Uhaul outside my parents home in snowy Wisconsin - January 29th 2010

Our travel route had to be adjusted last minute due to a rare and massive ice storm that hit Oklahoma and some of the south. We drove west through Wisconsin, through Iowa, Nebraska (the dullest state ever), down/across Colorado, down through New Mexico, across Arizona and to the California Coast - until we reached San Diego. Our journey began with a 26 hour non-stop driving marathon; we were lucky enough to be joined by our wonderful parents (my mom & dad, and Marianne's dad) so with 5 drivers we were able to keep on truckin'. We drove non-stop (well, with many bathroom/food breaks including a Culvers in Iowa, and a delicious breakfast place in Castle Rock, CO) until we got to Santa Fe, New Mexico!!! Looking back that was a little insane and by the time we got to New Mexico we were all ready for a shower and a margarita, or 5. After a good nights sleep we kept driving until we finally hit Arizona and it started to feel like we might actually get to California one day, which later that night we did. We stopped at a hotel in La Mesa, estimating that we were about 15 minutes from our apartment. On the morning of February 1st, after 3 days of driving, over 2000 miles, about 50 games of "would you rather" and more junk food than is socially acceptable, we arrived at our new home in Pacific Beach. Absolutely fabulous, and I was immediately in love.

Marianne and I on the boardwalk in PB - our first picture in our new city :-)