last few weeks in the USA

...and I'm still staying with the Stults family in California. After a cozy Christmas and an uneventful New Year's Eve, I'm very relaxed and happy to be on my journey in the new year.

The holidays themselves weren't that special, considering all the fuss they make beforehand. I mean, they even decorate public trees (see photo)! But I think they're just really excited for the family to be together. The adult children who all came from their studies all over the USA. I especially enjoyed being able to take a walk on the beach after Christmas dinner and that I can still swim outside in December. At the pool, I also got to know my colleague, Bob. He's 42 years older than me, but I did some cool things with him; watching and playing basketball, eating burgers and pizza, judging the bikini-clad beach girls, and getting cooked by his girlfriend, Lynn. I slowly got back into jogging in mid-December, but unfortunately I currently have a problem with my Achilles tendon, so I have to give it up (again) for now. But overall, I feel pretty fit thanks to a good balance of yoga, swimming, and exercise. I had a lot of fun at the 'Vital Climbing Gym' this month, I visited 22 times. The special yoga class with a focus on handstands and twists was my favorite. Marcia took me to the cabin in Palomar Mountain (1,800m) where we spent 2 cozy days. Unfortunately, Steve couldn't join us due to health reasons. On January 1st, the traditional 'Polar Plunge' took place at Del Mar Beach (known all over the world). It wasn't exactly polar with 20°C warm water, but it was a fun event with drinks and conversation. If you don't watch the news, you won't hear much about the shutdown. But now they have closed Yosemite and Joshua Tree National Park in California. They are curious how long the guy will demand his billions for the wall, it doesn't look like the Democrats will give in.

Since I've always wanted to go to Six Flags Park, I saved it until after all the holidays and it worked out really well with almost no waiting time. Thanks to a special offer (only $10 more than the regular admission), I now have a season pass and free access to all parks in the USA. I took advantage of that and spent 7 minutes sleeping in the car and then enjoyed the crazy roller coasters for the second time. Tobi spent a day alone at Six Flags; as always, in a rush so as not to miss anything! I stood behind people in line, to see if someone would walk out faster than me. And yes, sometimes I had to wait for more than 10 minutes (currently, according to the crowd tracker, it's the best time of the year), sometimes I sat for 2-3 times and then rushed to the next ride. After 3 hours, I survived the crazy roller coasters, went to the car to rest and have a meal (I have to stick to my principles). Then another 3 hours on the best rides and completely exhausted at the end. My conclusion; it was pretty crazy, I let go of all the nonsense and it had 8 good roller coasters (like Silver Star and Blue Fire). My top 4: #1 - Full Throttle, #2 - Twisted Colossus, #3 - X2, #4 - Superman. You can see the roller coasters at https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/attractions/thrill-rides, just click on them and experience each ride on YouTube.

My 90-day visa will expire in 2 weeks, so I have to leave the country. After much consideration, I decided to leave my car here, fly as far south as possible to Mexico and then go backpacking through the country. I will enjoy my last few days in the USA with the Stults (thank you so much for everything!!) and on January 16th, I will head to Cancun (not because of the location, but it was the cheapest flight). I'm looking forward to a little more summer and something new :)

I hope you had a good start, hasta la proxima vez in Mexico...