When it's over...on a few fronts (debriefing)

So I now sit at my desk typing...once more. Having left the sunny shores of Califas behind me for the warmer than when I left yet dismal skies of Baltimore. I must say I do have more than the usual "trip hangover". Most of the time I have been in a place where the people I know all returned with me. I usually just miss people I have gotten to know over a short period of time whereas know I have left someone that I have known for years and are sure to not see again in the immediate future. It's a different feeling alltogether. I am reminded of a letter from a movie I like and now I am left to wait for another hurricane to spin me around and around. No doubt that flying is adding to my sluggish return to the mindstate of being at home. More often than not I go on road trips so there is the long distance to cover which allows me to gradually slip back into Baltimore. Taking a plane means that over a short time I have left the comfort of a vacation across the country to driving down the streets that are...home. Riding through the streets of the area known as "Down the Hill" is not the type of sight that you want as a homecoming. It also doesn't help that my ears popped like hell when I landed and I still can't hear up to maximum yet. Since it sounds like I'm writing a novel let me sum up San Diego-

Downsides:

1. Not many black people and the one I got to actually meet was not cool because he was threatened by my presence as he is smitten with my host.
   
2. It wasn't home so I didn't know alot of people (naturally).
   
3. I only stayed a week.
   
4. Jet Lag
   

Upsides:

1. Great weather.
   
2. Laid back populace.
   
3. Many cool sights.
   
4. I loved the layout of the city.
   
5. Went to mexico (there is something inherently cool about going to a different country like I travel from B-more to D.C.).
   
6. I was the most sharp dressed person (re: upside #2).
   
7. Beaches rock!
   
8. I am now planning future purchases from Mexico - with a better bargaining strategy.
   
9. Balboa Park (much better than Druid Hill).
   
10. San Diegos poorer neighborhoods are like our middle class ones.
    
11. Better restaurants.
    
12. Great Host - I can't put enough emphasis on this one. I usually don't have a "host" per se when I travel and it's good to know that in the future any other host will be judged against my recent one (high standards). Even in times when she had to work her friends and family held me down to a point beyond what I deem as just being civil. The only thing about my host's friends that could have come close to being annoying was that I almost had to assert myself to pay my own way. That is never a bad thing. This is the first time that I can say that I will really miss someone from out of town. I know this is biased because I already knew them, but I love people who are open and I miss their presence severly. In this case it is more so because I know it is a matter of money before I can see them again. In addition the situation may not be the exactly same and I would accept that. My zen nature wouldn't allow otherwise..."The world is like a mirror you see? Smile and your friends smile back." Japanese Zen saying.
    

All in all I had a wonderful time. It did suck that I found out three positions will be cut (not including mine but what affects one affects all) this is news however for another post.