explore
Fresh February
New Adventures and New Learning Experiences
February was a month of learning and expanding my brain. Part of this month I went on my Navy annual training at Camp Pendletons Hospital. I’m rated as a general Corpsman (medic) which means I don’t have a specialty and I can float around where they need me. This time they needed me in the anesthesia department. Needless to say, I was a little nervous because I had no idea what they would want me to do. Not to mention I have basically zero experience in that department. Fast forward to day one of training and besides being nervous, I am ecstatic. I’ve never set foot in an operating room before! It was super clean, shiny, bright and had a level of organized collective chaos. I dove headfirst and learned everything I could as fast as I could since it was a little understaffed. I was allowed to prep patients in pre op for surgery, learned the restocking methods and was even able to watch a handful of the surgeries that were performed. The days flew by and when I wasn’t working at the hospital, I was out exploring sunny San Diego.
Exploring the tide pools and enjoying the ocean.
Tide pools at Shell Beach in La Jolla.
San Diego was a breathe of fresh air. I was able to explore and adventure around with one of my good friends that actually was training with me. She had some friends that knew cool food places to eat at and beaches to visit. I even managed to spend a few days hanging out with my brother. We tried to eat somewhere different everyday and to keep it local. Down in Encinitas we came across a delicious bakery and an amazing gelato shop.
This was delicious and the staff was so friendly! She gave us a loaf of bread for free! Add them to your list!
Go visit at night! Has amazing flavors of gelato. Fun, cozy atmosphere and only a few blocks from an ocean view.
Instead we found ourselves at dessert and snack shops than actual lunch or dinner places. It kind of kept the surprises of food on a working ”vacation.” I mean we had as much fresh seafood we possibly could have had, we had old school Italian food, amazing pizza and beer too. I also had to try ”the best coffee” that the San Diego area boasted. The coffee shops are called Better Buzz Coffee and they are scattered around SoCal. Since I’m a caffeine fiend, I of course had to stop in. I wanted to try their Horchata Iced Latte, but sadly they were sold out. I opted for their Mint Infused Iced Coffee instead and let me tell you…It was delicious! Not overly sweet, just the right amount of mint and the coffee was strong. It was great. If you ever find yourself in SoCal, give them a try. Here’s a glimpse at their MENU.
Such a fun atmosphere. Kick back and enjoy a nice coffee.
Now I think my favorite dessert place we found which ended up being on our second to last day was called Parlor Doughnuts. These are fancy home made big croissant/doughnut delicacies. I tried the Caramel Turtle and Chocolate Covered Strawberry Shortcake. They were decadent, and not overly sweet. I wish I had more time to bring them back home with me from the trip.
This annual training with the Navy actually turned out to extremely insightful to my job and fun. I managed to learn a lot of new information that made me curious enough to do my own research. I was able to spend time with new friends and went exploring out and about in a newish city! The best part of all though I think was being able to try all the new delicious foods and spend time at the beach to really enjoy it. I hope you enjoy reading about this as much as I enjoyed writing about it. 💚 Kat
“I have seafoam in my veins, I understand the language of waves.”
– Le Testament d’Orphée
San Antonio
Finally Can Explore Off Base
What is Phase 2 on Fort Sam Houston?
Very simply stated, phase 2 for military personnel means freedom. Fort Sam Houston, Texas is a joint military base that teaches us all about medicine. Since being here in a student status there are phases we have to abide by. Phase 1 means you can not leave base. Phase 2 means you can wear civilian clothes and stay off base until 2200. Phase 3 means you can stay off base until midnight and have the option of staying overnight. I am finally phase 2! Freedom at last. I know most wouldn’t know what to think of it. It’s a mind boggling idea don’t get me wrong. But, being able to explore San Antonio has been so far and this is only the beginning.
San Antonio is such a cute and historic city. From The Alamo to the Riverwalk and everything in between. Today has only been my first night out exploring and we actually found ourselves over at La Cantera Shops. Everyone needs a little retail therapy and a nice walk through shops sometimes. The weekends coming up only has more opportunity for places to explore! I love being in a new place, a new State to explore and check out. The shops, the food the attractions are all here and accessible. It is always nice to go out and enjoy the weather (when it decides to be nice) and just walk around and explore. Here is to new friends, new adventures and new brunch places! Stay tuned!
Katie Writes 