Road Trip Day 3: Destination San Diego

I just survived another night sharing a bed with my niece Elisa. She didn't body slam me last night, but she did push me into a small corner of the futon. I was too afraid to pick her up and move her because it took me forever to get her to sleep so I slept in an awkward position for the majority of the night.

This morning I took it easy with my nieces. We sang, danced, and read a couple of books. I am planning on leaving San Diego at noon so we decided to go eat lunch at Tajima Ramen House. I took my car because I was going to head out after lunch. Tajima was undergoing construction on the interior of their restaurant and their parking lot was getting redone so we had to park at another parking lot. I've eaten here before and I didn't mind the exposed vents and bare walls. I had the Curry Ramen with small noodles. All ramen bowls comes with a hard boiled egg, slices of beef, and scallions. You can add extra ingredients like vegetables, chicken and pork for extra charge. My sister and her husband also had ramen while Elisa and Penny shared a children's teriyaki plate (the children's portion is surprisingly large).

After lunch I headed to Lake Forest to visit Matt and Mic, the newly weds. I received news that Mic was pregnant during my train travel, but because they haven't revealed it to everyone yet I couldn't congratulate them on the blog. Congrats Bro! I can't wait to meet the half red head and half dark skinned baby in August!

Matt and Mic gave me a tour of their cute condo and I met their newly rescued pup, Molly. I have met a lot of cute dogs in my days, but Molly is the sweetest and most lovable. Matt, Mic and I caught up on life and our plans in the upcoming year. I love dropping in to see friends and family. It is so much better to talk in person than it is to read on Facebook. I headed back on the road at 4pm. I was 400 miles away from home.

The freeway was decent driving into Los Angeles. I am usually stuck in traffic when I hit the downtown area, but it was an easy drive in and out. However, it was not as easy going into Burbank where everyone just so happen to be driving through at that same time. I felt so agitated with the drivers who were on their cell phones and slowing down the rest of us, and the horrible drivers who cut you off and then breaks hard. You may wonder how I can put up with driving long distances, I say 1) I drive an excellent car - Honda Accord - which gives me fantastic mileage, 2) I find road trips therapeutic and relaxing despite the bad drivers, and 3) I occupy my time with music that I listen and sing along to. By the time I reached Gilroy I have already gone through the 6 CDs in my CD changer and half of the music in my flash drive. It also helps when a special someone calls to check in to make sure I am still alert. Thanks Duongy!

I am finally back from my weekend road trip to San Diego. I hope you all had a wonderful Martin Luther King Day. Next road trip ..... maybe Seattle?

Road Trip Day 2: Destination San Diego

Woke up next to my 3 year old niece, Elisa, this morning. Last night she and I shared a futon where she unconsciously slapped, kicked and head butted me. For a tiny little girl, she sure is strong. Today is my older sister's birthday. Happy Birthday Diep! She got to be Queen for the day and decided how to spend our Sunday. Since the weather was nice out (typical San Diego weather) we started off at San Diego Hillcrest Farmer's Market. I find myself here every Sunday when I am in town; and I am never disappointed in my decision. It is a small farmer's market, but there are plenty of assorted vendors. From organic farmers, florist, and grain-fed bovine to self proclaimed artists and foodies; this market has it all. The market occupies the parking lot of the local DMV. Parking is always full, but because of the market's size, cars leave as much as they enter. I've never had to wait longer than a few minutes for a car to leave. And people here are extremely nice.

My sister and her kids like to sample the fruits and dipping sauces. I enjoy the vegetable stands and often talk to the organic farmers about their process. Today, I was on the hunt for mini cucumber zucchinis. I was trying to stock up for the long road trip home tomorrow. In the middle of the market is an tiny area where small bands would perform to the young crowd. Children tend to gather here as if sitting around for story time. Music is as subtle and subdued as the patrons of the market. My sister and her kids stop for a short song.

After walking around the farmers, we made our way to the food vendors. My sister decided to settle for East African food, my brother-in-law had a panini, and I settled for chicken and beef empanadas. Food never fails here at Hillcrest Farmer's Market.

After our lunch we headed out to Scripps Park at La Jolla Shores. The weather was nice today and my sister wanted to have a relaxing day with the family. Parking was not as nice or relaxing. After circling Coast Boulevard, we finally found parking on a hill that scared my sister. But with Oliver's great parallel parking skills, we were in good hands. Before heading to the park, we stopped in for coffee and ice cream. Lynn and Oliver can't go on a day without coffee so we stopped into Living Room Coffeehouse and Lounge. I love dessert and was craving ice cream so we crossed the street to Gelateria for gelato. On the way over Lynn and I detoured into a boutique where I bought a shirt. I am into chiffon shirts right now. They are light and easy to pack. With all this traveling, I have invested in cheap jet setting clothes. This boutique looked like what is inside my head. The colors, the clothes, the art, the decor/furniture, and the accessories. I really liked the boutique.

Oliver and Elisa walked over to the gelato shop while Lynn, Penny and I shopped in the store. After I made my purchase, we headed down to the Gelateria. The Gelateria had a variety of flavors; among them were interesting fruit flavors like guava and grape. They also had combination flavors like banana toffee and mocha pecan.
Elisa had raspberry flavor while Lynn and I opted for Salty Caramel. It was delicious! Elisa enjoyed hers so much she finished it and licked off the leftovers that dripped down her arms. Oh how I enjoy watching the kids engulf themselves in the wonderful world of sweets. I laugh so hard when Elisa and Penny attack their ice creams with huge bites. The way they don't notice the ice cream is melting down their hands and arms also cracks me up. Why do they not notice it? Because they are enjoying the taste. You know a kid likes the food if it gets all over their face without them knowing it.

After our snacks, we headed out to the park and laid out a blanket. Us adults kicked off our shoes while the two kids chased after the seagulls. The park had an open grass lawn with a few scattered trees for shade. A pedestrian sidewalk bordered the park and led down the cliff to tide pools and caves. There are a few drop down points for visitors to venture down the cliff.

Lifeguards patrol in red trucks along the border of the cliff. Surfers can be seen in the far distance; not that many today. The Maverick Competition is happening in Santa Cruz this weekend, maybe that is why there aren't as many surfers here. That and maybe because it is late in the afternoon. Waves were high today; I wonder if it is the same up in Santa Cruz.

Elisa was complaining of the smell and wanted to leave. Lynn wanted to walk along the cliff before we headed home. We gathered the blanket and headed onto the pedestrian sidewalk that bordered the park and the cliff. I stopped and pointed out the large group of seals laying out on the rocks below. A large group gathered close for spectators to take pictures of. Another herd of seals laid out on a smaller rock closer to the tide pools. Elisa took notice and forgot about the smell.

Such a beautiful day out today. I hope people here got the chance to step outside today. Even if they are unable to escape to the beach, just sitting on the porch or pulling out your lawn chair is enough to enjoy this delightful Sunday.

We got home in the late afternoon and I took a nap. We had a long day in the sun and I had enough Sun vitamins to last me a while. Oliver took Lynn out for her birthday dinner while I babysat the kids. That is it for today's adventure. I forgot to say Happy New Year! Forgot my last blog was in December. Sorry about that!

Road Trip Day 1: Destination San Diego

Good morning everyone! I had Monday (Martin Luther King Day) off so I decided to take a weekend road trip to San Diego. There is nothing like road trip down interstate 5. I left the office around 3:30pm yesterday, packed my clothes and was on the road by 4pm. My trunk is full of my niece's Christmas presents that they left behind and my front passenger seat currently holds road trip snacks like mini cucumber sticks and trail mix. My plan, so far, is to stop into my best friend's house in Brea for the night, then head to San Diego in the early morning. Traffic was not bad leaving San Jose. I would say I averaged 60 mph leaving San Jose. However, it got bad driving into Morgan Hill and into Gilroy. Once I hit interstate 5, where only 2 lanes were available, I sat in more traffic. There were 2 accidents on the freeway last night. One involved a small vehicle and a large semi truck. The second involved a small truck and a small RV.

I arrived at "Lily's" condo at 10:30pm and called up to her to open her front door. It took a few rings, eventually the recipient answered and all I heard on the other line was, "oh, hey, sorry... I thought I picked up my phone, but I picked up my TV remote." We both laughed. She opened the door, I gave her a big hug and we both climbed up the stairs to her bedroom where we've spent many nights talking about celebrity gossip. "Lily" and I have a unique sleeping arrangement. She and I always ALWAYS share a bed. There is also a funny story about one of the nights we slept together, but I will leave that for another day. After catching "Lily" up on my life, we drifted off to asleep.

Corned Beef-hash from Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour

I woke up this morning at 7am to get ready for breakfast; Veronica will be joining us. We will be discussing our Chicago trip. We decided to go to famous Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Restaurant for breakfast. I ordered corned beef-hash served with french fries. "Lily" ordered Toad in the Hole with a side of Baffle Fries and Veronica ordered Bob's Benedict. Farrell's is mostly known for their ice cream and dessert. It is a restaurant with old school parlour setting. Usually their lines stretch out the door and along the block. Since we started breakfast off early, we were the only ones in the restaurant. That was great for us, because we needed to discuss our trip.

Nieces Elisa and Penny

I then hit the road to San Diego around 9am. The drive wasn't that long, but slow drivers made it so. I arrived in San Diego a little after 10:30am. I was greeted at the front door by my niece Elisa who was so excited I can hear her scream, "My Ninang is here!" *Ninang is Godmother in Tagalog* Since my older sister Lynn's birthday is this weekend, I offered to help out with the kids. Today we went to Rohr Park in Chula Vista. We ended the day with Chinese take-out and ice cream we picked up from Albertson grocery store. The above video is of my younger niece, Penny, who loves the song "Gangnam Style" by Psy. When she hears it, she stops whatever she is doing and starts dancing.

Me, Penny and Elisa at Rohr Park

Train Trip Day 7: Destination Orlando, FL

There was a slight delay right before pulling into Orlando's train station. An elderly lady was lost on the tracks when we stopped into Winter Springs, Florida. Cousin Nancy and Cousin Tina came to pick me up around 1pm. We then headed to lunch at Panera Bread. After lunch, we dropped Nancy off at work, and Tina and I continued on to Merritt Island. So here I am, safe and sound.

Today's blog will conclude my solo Cross America Train Trip. It took 7 days, 4 trains, and 3 books to get me here. I have to say this experience was completely worth it. Waking up every morning and eating breakfast in the Observation Room while watching the America's beautiful landscape pass you by is an experience I cannot really describe in words. It was peaceful, tranquil and something I needed for myself. Even if the scenery was white, it was still full of wonder and awe. The anonymous passengers I've met and listened to have helped me through boring moments at the station and on the train. I am more in love with our country and people. Thank you All for following my blog during the Train Trip from San Jose, CA to Orlando, FL. I really didn't know what direction the blog was going. I was using past and present tense within the same sentences. Editing was the last thing on my mind when I am on a time crunch trying to publish a blog by the end of the day and battling network signals. This serves as a memory book of sorts.

Next stop Paris!

Your one and only,
Dziem

Train Trip Day 6 1/2: Destination Orlando, FL

What an evening! One thing that Union Station in D.C. needs are electrical outlets for people like me! I ran out of laptop and cell phone batteries while blogging at the station. Something I need to keep in mind is to bring backup batteries for these devices. I ran up and down the row of Amtrak gates looking for an electrical outlet. I wasn't panicking per se, but just in case a disaster happens, it would be nice to communicate with the outside world. After attempting 8 different outlets without any luck, I walked over to the Amtrak information desk and asked the nice customer service representative where I can find an outlet. She nicely pointed to the wall in back of her. There in the darks shadows of the train station were 4 outlets, 5 feet off the ground. I walked over and plugged my devices to the wall. And safely disappeared in the shadows. Amtrak workers would walk pass me and do a double take at the peering eyes in the dark shadows. I would take a step forward into the light to reassure them that I was only a harmless Asian female, charging her electronic devices. That was Part 1 of my adventure this evening.

Part 2, I was wrong about my train out. I am not taking the Atlantic Coast, but the Silver Meteor. More on that later. Let's skip to Part 3 which involves Russian Roulette. Just kidding. It involves a waiting period. Every train station I've been to check passengers in 30-40 mins early. If they didn't they at least tell you what gate to wait by. But not in D.C. After feeding my lovely electronics voltages, I came across two ladies standing in front of the Arrival/Departure bulletin board. I let out a huge sigh of disbelief that a gate has not been assigned to the Silver Meteor yet. That got the attention of 2 older ladies in their late 50s. They laughed and one said, "Shug, you must be riding the Silver Meteor cuz no one sighs like that unless they are riding the dinky ol' Meteor." I giggled and asked her if she was on it too. She let out an exaggerated sigh and we both laugh. She informed me the Meteor is always late and they usually get boarded the very last second. We continued to watch the bulletin board as more Meteor passengers joined us. I would make a few sarcastic comments that got the group laughing. We were all getting impatient. It's late evening after all.

They didn't tell us what gate to go to until 10 mins before boarding. You should see the flood of people running from all directions! I walked over to the assigned gate and followed behind the last person in line. An attendant step in from outside the gated door and announced to have all Orlando passengers stand to one side. I walked over to the direction the attendant pointed to. Somehow there was confusion amongst the passengers because no one else followed. So I asked out loud which direction the attendant wanted us to line up and he threw his arms sideways and showed us. I the waved my arms and said, "Come on ya'll, whoever is going to Orlando join me over here and line up behind me." That finally got everyone's attention. The attendant smiled, shook his head and added, "Orlando only! Orlando only!" He then rounded the pre-boarders and had the Orlando passengers follow the pre-boarders. I actually found his method organized, but these passengers (except a few) were impatient and rude. There was an elderly couple in front of a young couple with a toddler in a stroller. The elderly couple wasn't going slow, but the young couple behind them was so impatient. The young husband pushed the elderly aside with his toddler's stroller and continued to rush ahead. Following behind him was his young wife who said nothing and just walked by with her face pointed up. Though the elderly couple looked ok, I thought the least the young couple could say was "Excuse me" before barreling people down. They weren't the only people who behaved this way.

Part 4 of the adventure started with me being directed to follow another attendant on the platform to go all the way down to the last car only to be told to go all the way back to the second car. All this back and forth with a herd of Orlando destined passengers following behind me. I felt like a shepard leading their flock of sheep. We were finally let in by a older blond attendant who dropped down the steps to another car. I felt this took an hour, but it was only 30 minutes. Only 30 mins! That is still a long time! I get to my seat at the window and dropped into it. It was then that I noticed I am on a "dinky" train. The whole train trip from the West Coast I was in a large 2 level car. This time I am in a single level car with smaller aisle and smaller leg room. The seats were more stiff and everything was outdated, in need of repair and Lysol spray. I looked around and the car was completely packed. When the train started to pull away from the station, I noticed people stretching out in the middle of the aisle. They pulled out their sleeping bags and laid smack dab in the aisle. The ticket person started walking down the human path, checking tickets and somehow avoiding the bodies. Is this a violation of a fire code? Brother Joseph, what code is this in violation of?

I pulled my blanket out and wrapped myself up like a burrito from head to toe. I leaned on the glass window and focus on the swaying of the train. 10 hours and I will be in Orlando, Florida.

Sorry no pictures tonight. I was too tired from the event this evening to pull out my phone.

Train Trip Day 6 1/2: Destination Washington, D.C.

Martinsburg, West Virginia

Here I am on the Capitol Limited heading into Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. I should arrive at Union Station  in D.C. at 12:40pm. I will be in D.C. for 6 hours before boarding the next train, the Atlantic Coast, at 7:30pm taking me to Florida.

This part of the trip I saw more of the smaller and quaint towns with their old brick buildings and Virginia style homes. I take in every moment of the scenery and am reminded why I am talking this trip. The trip was meant for me to take in America as much as I can. So often we fly because of the quick convenience of things. Do you really know what you flew over in that 1 hour? What about the 7 hour flights? I didn't want quick and convenience. I had 15 days off and wanted to take in America's beautiful landscape (even if it is covered in snow) and get to know the different American traveler each day on the train. So far I have done just that.

In "The Christmas Train" I read that passengers take the train during the holidays because they are lonely. I am far from lonely. I have a very large and warm family, who I love with all my heart. But this year I needed to take a break and not worry about games, food, or tradition. The rebel in me wanted to break tradition and be alone. The book was right when it stated that there are a lot of singles on the train looking for companionship. I was the exception. I chit chat with passengers, but I never gave them personal information like my name, where I lived, or what I did for a living. As far as they know I am just a young women trying to get away from her family and I am okay with that.

Ice on my window

That was a sidetrack, now back to travel. When I was crossing the mountain states I noticed the temperature was below 0 degrees. The lowest I saw on my thermostat was -17 degrees. On the way out of Chicago the snow on the train melted and created streams of water trickling down the side of the cars. I watched them stream down my window, but before they reach the bottom of the window, the water turned to ice. This was due to the speed of the train and the dramatic drop in temperature.

Arrival into Washington, D.C.

Union Station, Washington, D.

My row mate and I talked some more this morning. He was describing home and how much he missed his family gathering and the food. He and I have something in common. I am starting to feel it too, but I must soldier on. Still have half my vacation to go. So far I have finished 3 books: Les Miserables, The Hunger Games, and The Christmas Train. Every book I read I somehow mix up with images on this train ride in my dreams. Let's just say I have great movie ideas! The Christmas Train was an easy read about a journalist who took the same Amtrak train ride as me, except his version was a lot more entertaining. Lots of the plot seemed Hollywood influenced. I laughed and cried.

We reached Washington, D.C. earlier than expected, 12:20pm. I gathered my things and waited for everyone to get off. I thanked the attendant for all her help and wished her a great holiday. Her tired look quickly changed and she was energetic like the first day she greeted us on the train. I hope the gratitude will last. I heard that Amtrak workers on the long distance trains usually work 3-4 straight days (constantly on call) and get 3-4 days off.


I knew that Union Station in Washington, D.C. was going to be big. But when I stepped out of the glass doors an onto the brick lined floors of the Amtrak lounge, I was blown away. This place was so big it even had a mall in it! Though the mall was not that big, it had enough stores to keep me busy for the next 6 hours. I checked my bags in and raced to Barnes and Nobles to pick up a power charger for Cousin Huy's Nook.

Side note: the Friday I left, Cousin Huy found his Nook to let me borrow for the trip. When I arrived, Cousin Huy was still looking for the power adapter. I took the Nook anyways and thought I could aways find a Barnes and Nobles on the way. Lucy was the one who pointed out to me that my cell phone charger would work. As a Thank you to Cousin Huy, I will pick the power charger up anyways to replace the one he lost during his move.

After Barnes and Nobles I finally remembered Cousin Son's advice to call my bank to inform them about my travel. So far I have been paying cash and have avoided calling the bank. But now that I have 6 hours to kill shopping, I decided to call the bank. My goodness what a hassle that was! I should have done it sooner. I was on the phone waiting for representative for 40 minutes. And there was no music playing in the background to inform me that I have not been disconnected. Every so often I would look down at my phone to make sure I was connected.

U.S. Capitol Building

After talking to the bank representative I walked out onto the streets. Unlike Chicago's Union Station, Washington, D.C. had huge windows. All I had to do was walk towards one, reach double glass doors, and push my way onto the street. It was sprinkling outside and I didn't think it was any different from Portland. So I went for a walk. There were plenty of signs around. I found one pointing to the U.S. Capitol Building where a botanical garden was. I wanted to take Nick there and bury him nearby, but as I got to the 2nd block the sky got angry at me and started to dowse me with water. I mean I was dripping wet! I let out a profane word and hastily walked back to the station. After a change of clothes I decided to stay inside. I checked the weather and to my disappointment, it was going to be wet all day. Sorry Nick.

My stomach started to growl so I decided to give my friend Christian a call. He works in D.C. but his family is in California. I had a feeling he was going to be home for the holiday, but decided to call to get a tip on where to eat. Christian suggested Potbelly Sandwich Shop which was one of hundreds of eateries in Union Station. I found it and went right in. I ordered an Original Mediterranean Chicken Sandwich with everything except for my food restrictions. It was delicious! I finished it off with a trip to a ice cream parlor and scooped away my mango sherbet ice cream.

After my fill of food, I continued to shop and explore the surrounding buildings of Union Station. There was so much to see. Finally, I decided to break from walking and hit the blog before boarding the train. It is about 6pm now and I am waiting for instructions to which gate I need to go to. So far I have been able to go by instinct. Rarely do I ask for help. Part is because I want to learn my lesson if I am wrong. But if I really don't want to waste time, I just ask for directions.

I will be in Florida tomorrow! WOOHOO!

Train Trip Day 5 1/2: Destination Washington, D.C.

Thank you for all your Christmas greetings today! It was a bit surreal waking up without family around. And even more when I called my parents to say Merry Christmas. Let's never be apart like this again. I miss you all. (Not really cause this experience has been fun!)

Train arriving at Union Station, Chicago

The train arrived in Chicago 18 mins early. Since I had 3 hours until my next train I decided to do a bit of touring. I threw my bags in a locker and tried to find my way out of the station. It was not easy. The station was like a labyrinth. There were signs, but I had no idea why they can't just have a sign that says "surface street"? After wasting 30 mins I found my way out. I felt like a mole person coming up from underground for the first time.

Empty Chicago streets at 4pm

Grand Hall of Union Station, Chicago

I instantly found a CVS and thought I should grab water and snacks for the next couple of days on the train. There is a cafe on the train where they sell these things, but what a rip off! As I approached the well lit CVS, I noticed a couple of standard size printer paper on the doors: "Christmas Eve Open Til 8pm. Christmas Day Closed." For a second there my smile fell upside down. But my Christmas spirit was still on a high. 

Red bridge above a freeway.

Walgreens on Monroe Street

My independent spirit told myself that I am the most resourceful person; there must be something opened on Christmas day. I pulled out my handy dandy Android phone and looked for a Walgreens. I remembered back in the day Cousin Jimmy had to work on Christmas at Walgreens. I walked 2 blocks north, 4 blocks west, and over a red rail bridge where lo and behold, an opened Walgreens. The streets were completely bare as I walked to my destination. Everything was still and quiet. I even thought the end of the world happened while I was on the train. When I got to Walgreens, I grabbed a large bottle of water, 2 bowls of cereal, a bag of nuts, and a bag of Starburst. Embrace technology and it will embrace you back.

By the time I got back to the train station it was 4pm. I walked the block some more, but there wasn't much to experience since everything was closed for Christmas. All was well because I was proud of myself. On my way to the train station I found a street vendor selling sandwiches. I walked over and ordered a pulled chicken sandwich with fries to feed me on the train tonight.

Outside entrance to Union Station, Chicago

I boarded the train to Washington D.C. at 5:45pm. I met my row mate, an older gentleman from Panama City. He moved to North Dakota 5 years ago to work on oil lines. He is going on the same train with me up until Orlando Florida. He has family he is visiting in Tampa. He also gave me his window seat. See what you get for being nice and friendly!

We rode off in a packed train at 6:10pm. After getting my ticket scanned I walk over to the Observation room to eat my dinner. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!