A good week.

My time in Tijuana was absolutely lovely. I know I was supposed to be working, and don't get me wrong, I definitely was, but compared to the craziness of finishing up my EMT course while trying to prepare for a week of teaching, actually doing the teaching was a fabulous break.

The Tijuana YWAM base is amazing and the housing they offer to visiting speakers is like something you would find in a nice hotel. I had a one bedroom apartment all to myself! The base is on a hill sloping away from the Pacific Ocean with great views which definitely added to my vacation-y feeling. The weather in TJ was warm-ish, and definitely not rainy or wintry like the Pacific Northwest, much to my delight. And you know what topped it all off? The students I was teaching in the Children At Risk School were really great (not to mention the staff), which made my job so easy. Hooray!

Yup. It was a fabulous week. And a great weekend too. I spent the weekend visiting my bff Joyce in San Diego. We did all sorts of adventurous things, including hiking to a desert oasis (they really exist!) and rollerblading along the beach.

The desert hike is one of my new all time favorite hikes simply because it explores a really unique ecosystem. I mean, we're waaay out in the middle of a desert and we start hiking in a dusty, rocky valley and all of a sudden there's a stream. And waterfalls. And flowers. And palm trees. And FROGS. Oh and long horned sheep too. All in the desert! (I keep stopping myself from writing dessert... I think my fingers have a direct line to my subconscious brain).

I'll show you some pictures.

Pretty desert flowers.

I'm inspecting a unique desert plant.

An oasis in the desert. I kept thinking how excited I would have been if I had been the first person to discover this place.

My camera does this cool affect where it make things look like they're miniature. I had fun.

A desert flower blooming and Joyce finding her way up the rock in the background. 

The view from YWAM Tijuana. The Pacific Ocean looks so big and vast. I love it.

So that was my week in all its glory. I'm back in Portland now and preparing for my next adventure... which starts on Friday.

On Friday I fly to Costa Rica. Yup. Friday. That means I only have three full days between arriving back from Tijuana and hopping a flight for Costa Rica. Oh and the day after I get home from Costa Rica I help my parents move to Denver. I'm up to my old tricks again... back-to-back-to-back trips.

Oh Joy. Let the fun begin.