This blog post is a tribute to the great people and places that we enjoyed during our three month stay in Oceanside, CA – August through October 2019. You’ll get a sense, through lots of pictures and links, of what our neighborhood and daily living was like and why we loved it so much!
RISE & SHINE
Never having to set an alarm clock, I’d treasure seeing these sleeping 9 & 12 year old babies each morning – often it was the most quiet and peaceful they would be all day!. Stepping to the front of our awesome airbnb condo, I’d see the morning sun reflecting off the water, and we’d all check out the status of the waves and the surfers from the patio. On days when I would sleep later than the boys, I might wake to find them already at work on their skills in the living area! These easy mornings have been some of the most glorious moments of homeschooling that I’ve enjoyed so far.
MORNING COFFEE
Every morning that Dave wasn’t traveling, we enjoyed a walk to The Cup where they had my favorite chai tea latte and Dave’s favorite quad shot Americano coffee. You can’t beat getting BOTH of our coffees for $7 TOTAL! We’d often recognize the surfers we knew from the beach and enjoyed the friendly smiles of the staff.
HEADING TO THE BEACH
Most days, we headed to the beach to surf shortly after we woke up and had breakfast or got coffee. We walked down the alley behind our condo building, turned left at the amazing white house with the gorgeous lawn and roses, crossed Pacific, and enjoyed surveying the waves once again from the top of the Tyson Street steps. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the completion of the renovation to the Tyson Street Park (including their restrooms – we used the portapotties all summer!), but the views were spectacular. On our way down the steps or out to the beach, we would often see our transient friends Ken and Jeff that we came to know by name. At the base of the steps next to lifeguard “Tower 5” we’d find Matthew’s Oceanside Surf School tent – usually empty of people but full of supplies because he was consistently out with his colleauges growing amazing surfers in the water!
SURF COMMUNITY
The neat thing about surfing is: if you have a board, and you can paddle out, you get to hang out. It’s kind of like an informal “club” of sorts. Everyone is in it for the same reasons – to enjoy the ocean and get some excercise. We were lucky enough to be in Oceanside long enough to get to know some familiar faces within the surf community. Neighbors Karen and Nina pictured below were particularly inspirational to me because there weren’t as many surfer chicks out there as there were dudes. I figured if they could do it, then I could, too! These gals were an inspiration with how often they went out, and how they persevered despite not having surfed for a while, the cards life dealt them, and more. As for the surfing dudes, Matthew, my surf instructor and founder of Oceanside Surf School was, of course, my favorite (see my blog all about how his training was incredible). I also enjoyed the counsel I got a couple times from Michael Willis, and the conversations engaged with Paul, Mark, and several others whose names (but not the type and colors of their boards, hairstyles, and wetsuits!) escape me now. It was a privilege to be able to connect with other humans daily and participate in a shared experience with my family.
EXERCISE BEYOND SURFING
Some days, the waves just weren’t right, so the boys headed down to the Oceanside Pier for fishing, or to the Vital Climbing Gym, just a short bike ride away. The boys loved being on their own for fishing, and the boulder-style climbing was super challenging for them. I loved the community feel at Vital and the occasional yoga and aerial silks classes I got to try. I also enjoyed a more meditative experience at Black Sheep Yoga, which was a longer bike ride down the main strip and where a few other local moms Sara and Emily made me feel sane and welcome. It was fun that Tanner and Cole got to try out “tween yoga” and get connected to their own strength in different forms at Black Sheep as well! I even ventured into pole fitness at Darkside around the corner from our condo and for several weeks regularly enjoyed an amazing group of diverse women honoring all things uniquely feminine and keeping in killer shape. I wouldn’t have met my friend Helena if it hadn’t been for those classes, and I wouldn’t have been successful in my technique, passing the first level with flying colors, without my teacher Amy, both of whom I miss dearly now!
SUNSET WALKS
My favorite ritual in Oceanside was our ‘sunset walks’. Whenever Dave wasn’t traveling, typically just he and I, and on occasion the whole family, would head out for a 2,500 step walk, taking in the breathtaking experience of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. We’d head down the street, stop at the Wisconsin Market and say hi to “Mo” who worked there, grab a can of something fun to imbibe, then head down to the beach, walk along the main strip along the sand, watch the sunset surfers, and just take it all in. The last picture below is of Tanner heading out to sunset surf with Dave one night. After our sunset walk along the beach, we’d catch one last look after walking up the Tyson Street steps back to our condo. and then appreciate the dramatic changes in the sky from our condo. What an amazing way to end any day!
YUMMY EATS
Dave loves amazing food and is an avid Yelper. We feasted during our date nights on the best 4 star restaurants the area had to offer including: Master’s Kitchen, Jalisico Cantina, Bagby Beer Company, Miss Kim’s That Boy Good, and Local Tap House where my friend Helena and I enjoyed great girl time.
OUR FAVORITE YUMMY SPOT
Our favorite hang out spot, also just a short walk from our condo, was The Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen. The staff was by far the friendliest and most professional of all the places we went, and the food was outstanding. The inside has a homey, comfy, eclectic, casual feel. Dani – the manager, Lyndsay, Levi, and Sean – behind the bar, and Logan a super artist server always greeted us by name with warm smiles and, by the end of our time in O’side, even hugs! (Yes, we were there A LOT.) We were SUPER sad to say goodbye to our Pig family and have vowed we will return one day!
LEAVING WAS NOT EASY
It was very difficult to leave Oceanside at the end of October. We had put some roots down, and yanking them out to head elsewhere was hard. We all loved surfing and the amazing weather, and that will be hard to give up for a chilly winter in NYC and Tahoe. My friends and family know that I never cry, but on our last morning walking to The Cup, I got a little teary, much to Dave’s surprise. My heartstrings were being tugged quite a bit. It was a special three months that our whole family will treasure forever, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing!
Next stop… Manhattan, NY… More soon!
🙂 Carolyn