The balancing.

       When I say, "end to an awesome trip," I mean it was time to take my chauffeur/cross-country travel buddy/dinner date/fellow explorer/mom to the airport. It was bittersweet, but I was a little excited about going to the LAX. I kept telling her to keep her eyes peeled for all the celebs because I was sure she would make best friends with Ashton and Mila and they would ask me to be their live-in nanny. Or at least the Governator and he would offer to fund some kind of extravagant life for me. Unfortunately this didn't happen, but I did get some cool Hollywood magnets in the mail the next week. After successfully navigating the chaos that is LAX traffic, she made it to the gate and successfully back to sweet home Alabama.
       I, on the other hand, continued exploring. I decided to drive west until I hit the water and then go south, towards Long Beach. This ended up being the greatest of ideas and I stumbled upon the gem that is Manhattan Beach. Anyone who ever visits this little gem of a neighborhood and doesn't want to immediately to take up residence in one of the seaside bungalows fits in the Lohan/Bynes category. I mean this place is the adorable town where you can walk to breakfast and sit outside year-round, then stroll to some neat boutiques, and finish your day with a picnic on the beach, all with your puppy along side. And most people do.

With a day before beginning my first ever night shift, I took the opportunity to do absolutely nothing all day long. On Monday, I decided to begin the day of my all-nighter with a walk on the beach and an outdoor lunch at The GreenHouse with my Kindle. Then a nap and my first night at work. It went well but I began feeling a cold coming that progressed into the worst I can ever remember feeling. Lots of sleep followed and after about a week, I had decided that I wasn't on the verge of death. This could have been because of a combination of night shifts and the change of climate/extreme lack of humidity that is abundant in Alabama, but after it was over, I was finally able to drive home without being convinced my head was trying to explode through my sinuses.