ncdr.15 conference in san diego

For the last few days I have been on the west coast soaking up some sun and attending training sessions and seminars. 

I arrived in sunny San Diego on Wednesday morning and I was able to get to the zoo before the opening orientation. That zoo is AMAZING and worth every penny of admission, and in my case a few pennies as souvenirs. I knew that I wanted to see the polar bears while I was there so the first thing I did when I got there was head back towards the polar section. I will say that I wish I had more time to sit and enjoy the animals, but since it was a work trip I had to keep to the schedule. In order to see everything at this zoo you really do need a full day. There are so many paths to walk, animals to see, and educational programs to attend. 

On the second day the conference was the main attraction from 8-5 so the only time I had to explore was lunch and the evening. Luckily we were served lunch outside so I could take advantage of the amazing weather in the afternoon. I decided to venture down to the Gas Lamp District of downtown San Diego for dinner. The Gas Lamp district is very unique. There are many restaurants, shopping opportunities, wine shops, and souvenir stores yet it doesn't feel “touristy”. Petco Park, home to the Padre’s is just a few blocks away so I imagine during the spring/summer months that area of town is very busy and lively.

The third day of the trip included the final day of the conference. The only outside time that I was able to get was an hour at lunch and in the evening. I decided to make the most out of the evening and walk downtown to the USS Midway and Unconditional Surrender statue. I will preface this by saying that the only reason I walked down there was because the restaurant I went to for dinner was right next to the aircraft carrier. I will start with dinner, because everyone loves food. I went to a place called the Fish Market which sits right on the water in San Diego. Dinner was absolutely delicious. I got the grilled Mahi with au gratin potatoes and roasted vegetables. After dinner I knew I didn't want to make the 2.5 miles walk back to the hotel in the dark so I rode in a rickshaw, which is basically a cart that you ride in that’s being pulled by someone on a bike.

The fourth and final day of the trip was just a travel day. The flight was supposed to leave at 1:00pm but got delayed an hour and a half, and I almost missed my connecting flight home (not a great feeling) after being away for four days. In the end I got home very close to the originally scheduled arrival time despite all the delays in the process.