Seaside, Oregon

The first day at Seaside... Awful, but not bad enough to
keep me away from the beach!

Last weekend I had the opportunity to join my godmother and her friend for a trip to Seaside. The mini-vacation was much looked forward to as it fell the weekend after the first week back to nursing school. Though I had to prepare for the trip by studying additional material for the following week, it soon felt worth the extra efforts.

The drive over was long, to say the least - at one point we were stuck in the same spot for an hour. It was ample time to get on good terms with my godmother's friend who had known me since I was little, but with whom I had never really had a conversation. We discussed many things, ranging from books we loved to pet peeves. As strange as it sounds, I felt like an adult. Not a student, not a youngin', but a proper adult.

Of course I ordered pancakes! Pecan pancakes, to be precise.

When we arrived, a full-on storm was raging and we hastily rushed to our room for cover. Though it was late, none of us had eaten in a while so we arranged a motley dinner for ourselves. Unbeknownst to us, such diverse dinners would be our specialty for the weekend.

The next morning I arose early enough to read a book, watch the news, study a little, and make breakfast for myself. The weather had not much improved from the night before, but I ventured out for a run - and came straight back to a hot shower. Eventually we dragged ourselves back into the outside world for dinner and a shopping trip (it did not last long).

One of the things I was most grateful for was the easy-going spirit of my godmother and her friend. For instance, when trying to decide where to eat dinner, I half-heartedly suggested Pig'N'Pancake, a restaurant I remember going to with my family. I figured the women would want to try something a little more upscale and would not go for something more... traditional. To my surprise and delight, they both agreed to indulge me. One may imagine how thrilled I was.

My excitement could not be contained... for long.

Our dinner that night, however, was a little more low-key. It was Mediterranean-themed with and abundance of grapes, hummus, bread, hazelnuts... and triple chocolate chip cookies. What can I say? I do not mind being healthy once and a while. Honestly, it was a fun, chill night. We sat in the warmth of inside, listening to the storm while we watched This Is 40. Although I enjoyed it, neither my godmother nor her friend liked it so we immediately moved on to Kate and Leopold, a film we all knew we liked.

A beautiful last morning of vacation.

Sunday was a wonderful day. I had a proper sleep-in, rising after three snoozed alarms and reading in bed for half an hour. The morning was bright and sunny, perfect for a walk to a coffee shop with the anticipation of a beautiful, steaming cup of espresso (as well as fast wifi). Mass was relaxing and put me in a great mood to go for a long run. My run was only shortened a few minutes by the appearance of clouds on the horizon and forceful gusts of wind, swelling the sand around my feet, foretelling the inevitable return of Our Great Hydration.

With the decline in forecast and my early-evening departure by bus, we decided to make our way over to Astoria in the afternoon to do a little sight-seeing. In actuality, we made it to one pier, took some pictures, sat and drank some coffee, and shopped for antiques.

I cannot express enough how pleasant and refreshing the weekend was after the shock of returning to nursing school. Although nothing terribly difficult or horrible occurred during the week, my mindset was a little boggled and I needed the extra time away from campus to settle myself back into the groove of studying, critically thinking, and caring. The weekend allowed me to catch my breath before diving back in to the chaos that is nursing school.