California, Baby

October 2019
A 30-day adventure by Kristi
  • 20footprints
  • 2countries
  • 30days
  • 134photos
  • 3videos
  • 10.3kkilometers
  • 9.6kkilometers
  • Day 4

    Shopping and other stuff

    October 5, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    The states are made for me...junk food, punkrock and cool clothes 😎 I can find my favorite brands like Roxy and Billabong here and bought a SF giants (Baseball)-cap...to have a little bit more that feeling of an American 😜
    as you can see in my beautiful video (a camera kid has been lost to me 😂😂)

    I forgot some cosmetic-stuff at home (don't know the reason why), so I bought some stuff (as you can see on the picture)...these products cost in sum more than 30 $, compared to that s small bottle of Jägermeister is a gift with around 9 bucks. Btw a pack of cigarettes costs around 12 $ (WTF?? - that's the reason why people here don't smoke that much, than Europeans do, but weed is legal here 😉)

    To order a Pizza costs between 20-30$ 🙈

    But...I found some Austrian Wine in the Grocery 🤩
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  • Day 5

    Crazy days

    October 6, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Almost the craziest day on my journey (until now). Already weeks before I left, I decided to go to the Masked Intruder show in San Jose (meet the band first time in August in Vienna), and ordered my ticket already from Austria. Weeks later, Kevin told me, that he and Russ will also go there, because of their friends, "The Bombpops". I know also the band from SBÄM in Wels, but never spoke with them.

    So, Kevin and me drove together with Caltrain to San Jose (about 1.5 hours to drive there) and he told me much about the tour-life. I was wondering, that they don't go out and make party so often, I thought they have the same party life at home like they have on tour 😉

    From the train station, Russ picked us up with his brand new pickup (btw. Russ is also one of the GD crew...fulltime daddy with 2 kids and one is on the way. For good measures, every child has his own mommy 🙈) and he was stoked that we are coming.

    We came to his house, a weird smell was in the air... weed 😂 It was almost 4pm, so we started with Grey Goose Vodka, some typical American stuff (beer with orange juice) and of course my jägermeister-gift
    #don't stop the tradition

    So much for a normal life outside the tour 😂
    Russ showed my his guns (I stopped counting after the fourth)...also quite normal here.
    And a nice letter from Germany. I got to know his neighbor, a famous tattoo artist.

    A few hours later, we went to the venue "the ritz". On the way we crossed another pub and some people in front of the door asked us, which band will play there today. I told them, I only came from Austria to see them...they were so excited, because they understood "Australia" that they invited us for a drink.

    After reaching the right venue, my ticket was not necessary, because I was on the guest list too...good to know. We went directly to the backstage area and met Josh (the drummer from the bombpops...know him only, because I got a few weeks earlier a friendship request on Facebook from him) .
    Later a guy came to me, said hello and was stoked that I am here, took a time until I realized that it was "Intruder Blue" - singer of Masked Intruder 💙

    I also met Dallas from Hawaii, but unfortunately way to late (we had a tinder match in Wels 😂).

    Every bartender I met here, was really nice and I got special discounts every time.
    Think about the Americans what you want, but they are all so friendly and I am really feel welcome here. Some Austrian (bartender) can take an example of them 😜

    The shows were great and two messages (from Dallas and Josh, both wrote that it was rad to see me and hope we will see us again, more sooner than later) when I came home, let my punkrockheart beat 🖤🖤
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  • Day 6

    First day at school

    October 7, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Yes, first day at school, little bit tired from yesterday, but I made it. Also Russ wrote me, that he is glad I made it at school 😂 The first day was more introducing and get to know some important things about SF, an interview with the teacher, to know which is the right class for me. We had lunch together and a walk in the neighborhood area.Read more

  • Day 7

    painted ladies

    October 8, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Second school day, came into me new group. My teacher Gifford is very cool and I enjoy the lessons with him very much. The way to the school is about 30 min walk, to go with a bus saves me only 5 minutes. So I walk every day, up and down...these are the streets from San Francisco. I don't know what SF made with me, but it feels a little bit like home for me. Leave my apartment, take the walk, listen to all that punkrock shit and entering the huge building in the financial district, drive up to the 18th floor, where my school is located....what a feeling.

    My school day ends every day at 12.15, so enough time to do some sightseeing. I thought...but time is running so fast and too many things on my bucket list, and unless to less time. I don't want to leave 😥😥

    After a burger at super-duper Burger, I am on my way to the painted ladies, make some nice pictures with Alberto (by the way...thanks Jasi for your sponsorship) and take another walk to the Full House house, which is nothing special at all, there are so many beautiful houses in SF, pictures can't even describe this feeling. If someone of you hasn't been to SF, come and see please. I will come here again, fo sho (which means for sure) 😉
    After that, I make a stop at Kevin's apartment, I really like to hang out with Kevin, it's good if you know someone in the city and the girls I already met in school, are a little bit boring.
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  • Day 8

    Alcatraz Federal Prison

    October 9, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Another day, another teacher, I forget her name, but I didn't like her at all. These two teacher switch every day. In my class are 5 people from Taiwan, 2 from Switzerland and me. If Soraya and Lukas speaks swiss-German, I can't understand anything. So we also speak English to each other. Also a good point to improve.

    After school I made a short stop and Lunch break at Fisherman's wharf...I really love this area, although it's really growdy and a typical tourist spot. Last time I was here, it was Saturday 8 in the morning.

    On the afternoon, we met at school and went together to Alcatraz with some guys I met on my first day. So, we got to know each other a little bit better. We drove with the boot to the Island. The whole island impressed me really much. If you want to go to Alcatraz, you need to buy tickets early in advance (up to one or two months), otherwise it could be very difficult. We had there an audio guided tour, which was quite interesting, prisoners and officer spoke on this audio, you where standing in this building and look at the pictures with these people's faces on the wall and it seem's so real. All in all, 45 bucks was it even worth it.

    So, two funny people in this group. Janusz from Poland (38, married, 2 kids) and a really funny guy, almost one of my buddies at school. And the second one, Lili from Hungary (19, deals with weed in her homecity). So, after the trip, we decided to hang out together, Lili wants some beer, which is difficult because she is 19 and not allowed to get into a bar and order some. So we decided to go in my/our residence and hang out in the "playroom" and buy some beer in the grocery store.

    On the way to the apartment, we met "Peter the smoker" (21, Germany, smokes every time...mostly weed). So, Lili was really happy that she got some stuff to smoke now. After that, we went to the grocery to buy some beer and I found quality wine from Austria. When Janusz wanted to offer Lili some beer, she said: "No, I don't drink when I smoke weed" oook, we came only here for you WTF. Ok, Lili is hungry, so Janusz ordered some Pizza. 30 bucks btw (!!!). The Pizza arrived after nine, so Lili didn't eat from the Pizza, because it was too late for her do eat Pizza 😂😂 Janusz words to that: I am gonna kill you. 😂 Janusz kids are only a few years younger than Lili is, funny evening.
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  • Day 10

    LA weekend

    October 11, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Friday, 7 am meeting point for the LA weekend, but someone is missing. Lili...all of us where sitting already in the bus, when she wrote me, that she just woke up...the story sounds familiar to me. I was sure, we have to drive without her, buuuut....she got it 💪After a loooong drive (more than 10 hours, btw 5 to 6 should be normal...and yes, in the meantime I like long bus drives 😂) wie arrived at Santa Monica Pier. Nice place, growdy and strange people. Next stop at the hotel, the first "nice" one 😉 We walked along the walk of fame, not that special for me, after a few stars it's not really intresting. Than someone stopped us and offered us free movie tickets. Not so untypical to get those offers, but it sounds strange anyway. Valentine from France (speaks veeery less English...I speak soo much as in German, but my main problem is still, that I am mixing the tense everytime 🤩) Anyway, Valentine went with these nice guys in the building, so we followed her. Above the entrance was a huge sign "Scientology" 🙈 I said to her: "Run, run, run" 😂 afterwards she said, she couldn't understand anything. Valentine, Sandra and me went in a bar for this huge cocktail, quite cheap here (Lili wasn't able to join us, because of her age...but she organized herself a joint from strangers 🙈) crazy Lili...and afterwards...time for bed 😴Read more

  • Day 11

    Farmers Market and Venice Beach

    October 12, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Next stop, farmers market...crooowdy 🙈 we had a small lunch. This restaurant offered only food to share...4 girls mac and cheese for 5 people (the menu said) and "some" garlic bread. So, we took the rest to the hotel and had 3 times the same food 🙈. Afterwards a walk at venice beach...strange people everywhere and a little bit too shitty for my opinion...Read more

  • Day 11

    Griffith Observatory and Staples Center

    October 12, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We start our day at Griffith Observatory with a great view to LA. From here you can see the Hollywood sign...little bit far, but ok for me 😉 As mentioned, LA didn't impressed me that much. Than we drove to the Staple Center for a short stop...Read more

  • Day 11

    Beverly Hills and Fonda Theatre

    October 12, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    From Venice Beach to the different side of LA...Beverly Hills. Rich people, well dressed all the time. Time here also quite short, maybe a disadvantage of an organized tour. So, what are the plans for the evening. Moki recommened me some cool spots (Moki, former band member of Get Dead alias "da dicke Chines" 😉...was my fav buddy from the band...lives in LA now and felt very sorry that he had no time for me to meet because of work)...anyway, he recommended me "against me" but the show was already sold out...ok, let's look on the facebook-event. A guy offered his second ticket for a good offer, I asked him about...he said that another guy wrote him already, but if my offer is better, I will get it. My answer: "Party with an Austrian girl and some drinks included"...no response. Hours later, when I planned my evening with the girls, he wrote me, if I still want the tickets....fuuuuck, yes. So, I met Tim and said the girls "call the police when I am not coming back" 🙈 There was another girl Kirsten from LV with him, they also met before the first time and it was a great evening, and a craaaazy party and I am still alive 💪 or do say it in Birgit's words "Superkristi geht Schwammerl suchen"...so, create your own story about it and let me know in the comments 😜Read more