I've now been in California for almost three weeks, and I'm hooked. My constant stream of companions has almost come to an end - my mom just left today and my dad is in the vicinity but is actually in L.A. until Friday. Kasey arrived on Tuesday and stayed until Saturday, when my mom arrived. The trip isn't as close to over as you might think, however - I'm staying for two more weeks! Yep, I've caught "the bug," as they call it. I'm going to continue the intensive program that I've been doing for two more weeks starting on Monday. I'm also going to move to a different hotel - the Homewood Suites, which is more of an extended stay hotel, with a full kitchen and laundry services. Should make my life a little easier (and cheaper!) while I'm here.
I've basically been following the same exercise regimen that I wrote about last week. Personal training in the morning from 9-11, either the FES bike or the gait trainer (or both) after that, and pilates with either massage, Jin Shin, or acupuncture in the afternoon. I work with different trainers throughout the week, which is nice because everyone has their own style and I enjoy the combination of workout methods and programs. I can see improvements in several areas even after only the two+ weeks that I've been here. I'm able to make a connection with my glute muscles, especially on my left side. I can feel them firing when I'm on the FES bike, and today during acupuncture I could feel the left glute pulsing with the electrical stimulation.
The main thing I've been working on in most of my sessions is my posture/alignment. Because of the hardware in my back (spinal fusion from vertebrae T7-L1), I don't enjoy the same flexibility in my back that I used to as a dancer. In addition, my hip flexors are extremely tight - since I'm sitting down all the time they never get stretched appropriately - so my body isn't completely straight and flat when I'm lying on my back, or when I'm standing up. This doesn't bother me so much on a day to day basis, but it makes supporting my own weight in a standing position very difficult. My back is extremely arched and my upper body is thrust out in front of me instead of being balanced over my hips and legs. I've been doing exercises to tire out and stretch the hip flexors so they will relax, as well as working the muscles in my low back. I'm not sure what the situation is with the rods in my back, but I'm thinking of talking to my surgeon about the possibility of removing them. I've talked to a few people who have had their hardware removed and it sounds like it really helps some of these issues. I would have to build up the muscles in my back enough to support the area without the hardware, but it sounds like it's definitely something to keep in mind. Other than those specific areas, I've just been working out my upper body, gaining strength in my arms and my core through various exercises.
Kasey and I spent some time enjoying our surroundings during her stay this week. She arrived on Tuesday, so we went out in Ocean Beach, which is just north of San Diego, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Ocean Beach has a much different feel than Del Mar or Solana Beach - it's home to a much younger, more alternative crowd. Wednesday night was spent in downtown San Diego, at a restaurant called Extraordinary Desserts. The place certainly lives up to its name - we each had some sort of decadent chocolate cake dessert - and also serves great appetizers and drinks. After dinner we ventured up to Altitude, a bar on the roof of the Marriot that overlooks Petco Park and has a beautiful view of the city. It was surprisingly foggy that evening, so it felt like we were floating in the clouds! There was also a baseball game that night, so the atmosphere on the roof was very laid back. Thursday we decided to get a feel of the area closer to home, so we went out in Encinitas. Friday was Kasey's last night, and we spent it in La Jolla at Trattoria Acqua for dinner.
Saturday was an entertaining day, to say the least. We decided to go on a road trip to the north, and turned it in an OC sightseeing tour (as in The O.C., the TV show that aired on Fox several years ago). We stopped at several places where they filmed different scenes from the show, and along the way got to see another side of California that you don't really get in Del Mar. Ironically, most of the scenes from the show were actually shot further north than the Newport Beach area in Orange County (where the show was supposed to have taken place), in the beaches just west of L.A. At the conclusion of our tour, we headed back down the coast to the airport and Kasey headed back to New York.
My mom arrived a few hours later. The weather was supposed to be iffy on Sunday, so we planned to explore the nearby outlet mall and have dinner downtown. The sun came out, even though it was a little windy, so we ended up having a nice day at the mall and then enjoying dinner at an Italian restaurant in Del Mar. Mom got to experience Awakenings with me on Monday and Tuesday, and after an evening out in La Jolla on Tuesday, she headed back to Richmond this morning. She hasn't quite made it there yet, though - her flight was delayed so she missed her connection and is staying in Detroit for the night. Wish her luck getting out of there tomorrow! My dad will be here on Friday after working in L.A. all week, and we'll be able to spend some time with family this weekend before he heads back on his (what was supposed to be our) flight Monday.
I'm so excited to spend two more weeks here! I really want to give my body the chance to take in everything I'm doing at Awakenings, and three weeks just didn't feel like enough time, especially for the treatments that I only get once a week. I know that I'm lucky to be able to devote so much time to this at this point in my life, and I don't want to rush into any other responsibilities until I've fully explored what I can get from Awakenings. Obviously I do have some financial responsibilities that I still have to uphold while I'm here, but I can at least spend a couple more weeks focusing on my mind and body before going back to the real world.
That being said...I am seriously considering relocating to Southern California. Like I said in my last post, it's the ideal place for me for so many reasons. I'm hoping to take advantage of the added time here to talk to anyone that I have connections with in the area - hopefully do a little networking so I can maybe find a job! I'm hoping to at least get my foot in the door before I go back to Virginia, then continue working on it from there until something works out, at which point I'd be able to come back for good (with my Prius, which I miss dearly)! If I could find something that gives me some degree of flexibility as far as the workday goes, I could at least continue to work out at Awakenings to some extent almost every day. I know it's overly hopeful of me to think that I could find something in this economy, but I'm definitely going to try! Today as I was driving back to the hotel after my acupuncture session, the temperature was 70 degrees and the sun was about to set over the Pacific and I thought "no wonder everyone wants to be here!" The natural environment and the mind/body connection I'm working so hard on at Awakenings are really in harmony here. I can't wait to see where the next two and a half weeks will take me!
Thanks to you all for your encouragement and support. It means a lot to know that you are all so interested in what I'm doing. Thanks for being so excited for me! I'll keep you updated as things progress.
PS-Pictures to come later!
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