We're Busy Making Memories

swoosh on swoosh on swoosh on swoooosh

2 am commenced the road trip of dreams.

Big shout out to Ana #1 and her man the Words With Friends Ninja, MrBuys for not leaving me on the side of I-5 with the hitchhikers and road kill. I probably would have left me...especially after I locked my keys in the trunk. See what happens when you over-pack, under-sleep, AND come back with the entire Nike Employee store? Someone put me in a cage I'm out of control...but so happy :)

After a quick cup of coffee, retrieving my phone from the resturant I left it in, and being rescued by Geico's super-efficient emergency roadside assistance, I said my real goodbyes to Tatiana and Joe (the most solid road trip team you'll ever come across) and bounced back to the Bay...on the free bridge side of course. 

I was counting on this silent drive to let God give me the clear answer I have obviously been missing for my impending move. LA or Portland? Where am I supposed to be next? I've gained more insight, more opinions, and a ton more life-long memories but it truly isn't 100% clear one way or the other. 

But then again why would it be? Here's where that thing called faith is going to come into play. I know I've got to just jump in, work, and keep my goals within sight. One location or the other isn't going to make or break God's plan for me. That guy ain't going to let me and my mind mess get in the way of where I'm supposed to be...kind of makes me laugh that I feel that pressure to even make a "right" decision. I really don't have that pull in this thing called life. Silly girl...

I still don't know what I'm doing and it's basically decision day. I'm still in PJs and feeling pretty gross but that's only because of my roadtrip hangover (I'm still car sick and my knees are broken. For reals). I'm confident in the fact that the decision I end up going with will be the right one...because it has to be. And if it doesn't go anywhere I just redirect, refocus, and keep moving forward. 

Thankful today for the orchestration of this past weekend, for the new people in my life and their investment in me. 

Oh and for not getting left on the side of I-5.

Honey, I'm home!

Yesterday I visited the Nike campus. And died.

Like the good kind of died though don't worry.
I'll go ahead and put my excitement level up there with a child's anticipation for their first Disneyland trip....yeah, that good. We pulled into the unneccesarily long driveway that all places of mysterious importance have and I felt that swooshdrenaline that's been sneaking up on me since day 1 of this experience.

This is where I want to be.

Even the over-sized poster of Tiger Woods didn't phase me in the Tiger Woods building. Everything at campus just feels so official, so champion-like...they practically pump excellence through the vents.
They do, I smelled it.

I got to check out the building that houses all the marketing hot shots, pass by the soccer fields and Lance Armstrong Gym.
Afterwards I went to the Nike employee store which was an absolute disaster. I felt like I was on supermarket sweep and I had to fill my bag and arms as fast and as efficiently as I could.
And I did.
No sales tax AND stupid prices?
Dirty trickers.

Recap of the Recap

I'm back in LA for some Nike-sitting until the final stretch home.

My last day at the tent was bittersweet since I was beat and ready for some calm but also sad to not be returning to the excitement. Watched some of the finals on our big screens and handed out 32,016 more swoosh bands. 6.0 riders won the junior titles but Mr. Slater and a chick from Australia took the men's and women's titles.

Here are a few random shots from USOS!

Paul Rodriguez's Q&A and signing

6.0 rider's signed boards up for raffle

Bourez' ride...I wish they would have raffled him off instead... 

Schwayze concert...parties ALL over!

The End :)

Actually it's just the beginning...now onto these photos for the official recap!

All Good Things

I don't really remember everything that has happened the last couple of days but I know its been delicious.I also know the 6.0 tent's show featuring Marc B was a much needed break from the brand experience's looped soundtrack that now plays in my dreams nightly. 

Today is the 8th and final day of the Open! I'm beat but really sad its all coming to a close. The EKIN shuttle is taking its last trip down to the water and the naked kids are already...well, naked.

Tgif

There's a free jazz concert tonight at the Hyatt that I'm listening to through my open window as I get ready for the Red Bull party at Sutra tonight in Newport Beach. They're killin it I could stay here and jam all night! Gotta get after that elbow brushing though ;)

Today was long but fun, went down to the beach early and met some more Nike peoples...so ridiculous listening to shop talk at such a huge level. Name dropping different athletes and analyzing, brainstorming, creating up and coming activations...all while on the beach watching Kelly Slater tear it up on the water.

Paul Rodriguez (aka P-Rod, a Nike SB athlete) came into the 6.0 tent today for a Q & A and signing. He was a really cool guy, down to earth and excited about what he does. Skateboarders get a bad rap but this guy was inspiring!

I missed the Jimmy Eat World concert because I was working but did have a blast putting flag tattoos in risque places of beach goers and even got a burrito delivered to me. I could pass out right now and skip the party but...just got to keep grinding ;)


Inappropriate award of the day goes to a teenaged girl in a blue floral bikini with a hand painted advertisement for "50 cent butt grabs" slathered on her lower back. Classy.

Room Service

Welp, I'm still here. So is the pool, my big cushy bed and all 8 of my pillows. The fridge of beer on the other hand has gone missing...odd.

Here is a shot from outside the 6.0 tent yesterday. Dance contest stage left!

Nike Wasted

I can't even put this day into words...or pictures because I was way too buzzed off the Nike sauce to snap anything that really captures how fabulous this day was!

Checked myself into the Nike Villa this afternoon...unreal. First of all the Hyatt in Newport Beach is BEAUTIFUL. Really a pretty property with the World Record number of palm tree species (who knew there was more than one?). But the villa I'm getting put up in?

How's THAT for a walk of shame? I'm basically staying at the Nike party spot that's got three bedrooms, a living room, stocked kitchen, and private pool. I could barely get a full work out in at the fancy hotel gym because I was so excited. I did sprint uphill for a solid 15 minutes though so the Nike-adrenaline did me well.

 

Work hard, play hard baby!! I absolutely love these people. 

I barely had time to shower and pound a complimentary post-workout Muscle Milk before work started on the beach. Today was nuts (I feel like I say that every day). The people multiply more and more every day I don't understand how this isn't a fire hazard (Except because of this, the fireman-to-beach goer ratio is high and they ONLY hired hot ones for the positions. No complaints from me).

Made another handful of really great contacts while playing around with customization in Jack's surf shop across the street from the beach. I have a bunch of pictures but they will have to wait since I'm still bubbling with excitement and cannot operate my phone correctly at the moment.

Tonight is my old CU roommates birthday so we're hitting the town in Newport before heading back to the crackin spot that is my new home for the weekend.

I really can't handle all of this. Who needs drugs when you're high on that Nike hype? MY goodness...

Wear Sunscreen...and pants.

I fell in love on Sunday.

I got a little tap on my arm and a perfectly bronzed 4 or 5 year old stared up at me and said so sincerely, "I got this for you". He handed me a purple piece of a shell with a very business-like look on his face.

I gave him a Nike swoosh silly band. 

Even at that age they know how to make females melt! We're doomed from the start I tell ya.

On the flip side of the youth card at USO, the demographic on the sand is very young and very naked. 

Like, very naked. I don't know if these kids are just stripping as they approach the beach or if parents are really okay with their 12 year old daughter wearing cheeky bottoms and a push-up bikini top (which btw, thanks to Victoria's Secret Summer Bombshell collection, is extremely popular down here. It looks ridiculous. Put a swimsuit on not a bra). 

The PacSun tent is encouraging the skin fest by providing body paint where kids are branding themselves in all the places you can (and shouldn't) think of. 

Quickly! Who can put this in the most obscene place readyy-GO!

I wish I could snap some pics but I'm sure it's against child pornography laws. 

There is some great beach style happening amongst the Ke$sha look-alikes. The messy beach bum thing actually creates opportunity for some solid creativity. Chop up a tank, mix and match bikini, sprinkle with sand and blend well. 

EKIN dinner last night on the water in Newport. It's actually fun being back in the old hood from Concordia days. Definitely wasn't hanging at spots like this though back then:

The Cannery, Newport Beach

I had seared something-encrusted tuna, grilled asparagus and a perfectly caramelized creme brulee. 

The last one was an accident.

Back on the beach today! Peep this video...the girls are tearin it up!

FACT: You Snooze, You Lose.

I wish I could just upload my brain onto this thing because there's so much that I visually soaked in on my first day and I knew I wouldn't be able to do it justice in a text recreation. Just think sun, skin, and 14 acres of action sport-influenced interactivity...here's a scratch on the surface to the sandy excitement that is USOS!

Fusing art, action sports, and fashion all over the beach...a free-for-all art wall that changes out every day

The Nike 6.0 tent and it's stage where The Chosen

Contest experience lives and where I preform a solo

tap number every day at 1:30 and 3.

Converse built this little treasure...on the beach.

Caught up with a friend from Concordia over 2 baskets of tortilla chips (get me every time), took a punishment run, and then had a Yogurtland reward. 

Life. Is. Good.