Those Were The Best Days of My Life…

“Come on Sandie, let’s go!”

Rosa was my one cool friend from junior high-school.

Rosa and I hung out all the time. Thanks to her I was introduced to my first Jack-in-the-Box taco.

Yummy.

I learned a lot hanging out with Rosa.

Rosa and I were twelve-years-old and we attended the same junior high school in San Diego, California. My family and I lived just a few miles away from the famous San Diego Zoo. In fact, the Junior High School I attended there was situated right next to the Zoo. It had its’ running field facing the camels.

Made it hard to take an extra deep breath while running laps for P.E. It was somewhat aromatic and not in a good way.

Junior High is such an emotional tempestuous time for most tweens. I never understood why Rosa G., one of the cool chicks, wanted to be my friend. But I’m so grateful she did. She rawked.

Rosa and I would hang out after school, on the weekends, and of course during the summer. I went and saw Star Wars with her. We took a bus to the mall and waited for what seemed like forever to see that movie.

But the best part of the summer were our La Jolla trips.

Rosa and I would always start our summer hanging out time with a trip to Jack-in-the-Box. We would load up on tacos and fries. This was way back in the olden days of dinosaurs and cave men. Well maybe not. But value meals and supersizing were not even heard of yet.

Yes, I’m old.

After hitting the Jack-in-the-Box, Rosa and I would get on a city bus and travel 15 miles to go to the beach at La Jolla.

Yes, you read that correctly. Two twelve-year-old girls would go all by themselves on a city bus to a different suburb, just to go to the beach. This was also way before cell phones.

We loved our freedom.

When we got to La Jolla, we’d get off closest to our favorite beach: La Jolla Shores. But first? A smoothie. Yes, Rosa also introduced me to the wonderful, delicious world of smoothies. We’d buy one and then start walking to the beach. Once we got there, we would relax, walk along the shore and just enjoy the fresh sea air. I never swam. I was never a strong swimmer.

One other thing I learned was to pack my beach bag carefully and to hold onto it for dear life.

Yes, I learned this old lady trick way back then. I’m surprised Rosa never laughed at me (at least not in front of my face). It was hard for me to let go and relax. My eye was always confirming that my red beach bag was in sight.

I mean for heaven’s sake, I probably had three dollars in that bag and a towel. But I would get so nervous if I couldn’t see that red bag in sight.

I laugh about it now.

Yes, I’ve always been an old lady in training.

Despite my obsession with the beach bag, we’d hang out until the afternoon wore long, we’d get back on the bus and head home for the day. I remember Rosa would get off the bus first and I would have to continue on a few more miles by myself.

Hey, as long as I had my beach bag, clutched tightly to my chest? It was no big deal.

I’d walk in from one of my “long-distance” excursions and neither one of my parents would bat an eyelash.

“Have fun, Mija?”

“Yes, Mom, I did.”

Then I would retreat to my room for my usual dose of alone time. And make sure I hadn’t lost anything from that red beach bag.

Those were the days!

I loved them!

And now?

I’m shocked my Mom and Dad let me do it.

It’s unheard of these days.

My how times have changed. I miss those lazy days of summer and safety, where all I worried about was a red beach bag and I could explore and enjoy the world around me and not fear getting raped and murdered along the way.

On the other hand, I can still enjoy me some Jack-in-the-Box Tacos.

And Smoothies.

Yes, not everything has changed for the worse.

Yummy.