For those of you who are new to the blog, I attended college in NYC, but grew up in San Diego, CA. I have spent the last five years in NYC and being that the continental US stands between home and me, I don't get to see my friends and family out west too often and when I do, it's usually been for Christmas break or for the summer holiday. While it is always good to go home, there have been four visits that have been particularly memorable. These were the ones in which I came home from the east coast unannounced.
The First
The first time I did this was December of 2008. It was my first semester away from home and I was extremely homesick. New York was great, but because my university was in a remote location and because there was snow and I was a life-long Cali girl, this strange place was feeling too foreign for me. With the permission of my professors, I was able to take my finals early and hop on board a plane homeward bound on December 11, my birthday. I took an early morning flight and made it to SD around late morning. I went home, freshened up and waited for the right time to strike...
My folks and sisters knew that I would be back, but there was one person in particular who was unaware and she was my target. In the afternoon, I hopped in my car (that first drive when home is always the best feeling!) and headed over to her house. I parked around the corner from her house, where I could see her family's property and then I made the call.
"Hi, Victoria!" I happily greeted, using my cell phone from inside the car.
"Aren't I supposed to call you on your birthday?" Victoria asked, and rightfully so.
Talking on my feet I answered, "Yeah, but I'm all alone in the cafeteria and I was really missing home."
We talked for a little while and then directly across the street from me (on the side of my best friend's house), men started to do construction on the sidewalk and it was egregiously loud.
"What's that noise?" Victoria asked.
My heart started pounding from the nervousness that she would make the connection between the noise on the phone and the noise near her house, so I answered quickly, "Oh, they're renovating a part of the cafeteria," which wasn't a total lie as back in NYC they were doing work on the inside of the cafeteria.
To my ultimate delight, Victoria accepted this and the conversation moved on.
"Well, at least you'll be home soon," Victoria said, as indeed it was just a couple of days before the regular semester ended.
Our conversation rolled to an end and I'm fairly certain that our chat ended with, "See you soon."
Then, like a panther, I stalked across the street, ran to the front of her house and rang the door bell.
The door opened.
Through the screen, Victoria stared at my smiling face for half a minute then said, "I hate you" and slammed the door on my face.
Yes, the door reopened. No, she doesn't hate me. We laughed and hugged and all was wonderful. I sat at the kitchen-bar in their house and one-by-one Victoria's family returned home and their looks of shock and disbelief that I was sitting in their kitchen still make me smile.
The Second - Spring 2010
My mom had been missing me terribly that year, but I told her that there was no way that I would be able to afford (financially and academically) to go home for Easter. Mom understood, but still, it was tough.
One day while on Spring Break (Spring Break precedes Easter Break at my University), my sister Amanda began to chat with me online.
"So when are you coming home?" she asked.
"Summer," I replied. I was in the study lounge of my school trying to stay busy and get ahead of school work so that I could relax a little - my field (Government & Politics) is a demanding subject if one wants to stay up with current events. "Can't afford until then," I further explained.
"What if we half it?" Amanda asked and that's what we did.
Amanda picked me up from the airport and directly from there, she was supposed to meet our parents for a walk and then for lunch. We drove to the lovely, seaside park where my parents were just parking. Then, out from the car I popped. My mom and dad's faces were dumbstruck. It was great to see them. This turned out to be a very exciting Easter as it was the Sunday when Mexico/Southern California was hit by a 7 pointer earthquake (the story for which will likely be featured in an upcoming blog).
The Third - Spring 2012
There is one more to follow, but this was my crowning glory of surprises. There were multiple targets:
-Victoria
-Her sister Deana
-My oldest sister Tiffany
-The parents
An operation of this size required two co-conspirators: my sister Amanda picked me up from the airport and I had been coordinating with Victoria's boyfriend, Joey, for the first surprise. My co-conspirators had been sworn to secrecy, and all was looking good. Joey had Victoria at Sea Port Village and they were walking around on a romantic date. We were supposed to meet at the Upstart Crow Coffee House, but as Joey and I were texting madly, the plan altered some, which increased the need for stealth. Seaport Village is a lovely spread of cobblestone paths, cottage-style shops, with the marina, Coronado Bridge, and Downtown as its borders. It's beautiful, it's peaceful, but it's an adrenaline driving place to be trying to sneak up on someone.
After being thrown out from my sister's car (I'm not even sure that it came to a full and complete stop), I entered the danger zone. The final text that I received from Joey was that they were on the white wall by the kite shop. The white wall lines the village and it is a good spot to sit and watch the shining waters carry the sailing ships and the naval vessels. I knew exactly where they were and I could feel my adrenaline turn into pure giddy happiness. As I passed the popcorn machine stand and hopped down the small flight of stairs, I spotted them. I started giggling from the excitement and from the scene the pair of them were. Joey had his arm around Victoria's shoulders, which looked romantic at first glance, but a closer look saw that he was clutching on to her to keep her from turning around. Luckily, Victoria didn't think anything of this, but I had to use every ounce of my strength to not burst out laughing. Tapping her on the shoulder seemed to elementary for something as well produced as this, so instead, I did the best thing I could do: casual as ever, (possibly on the creepy side), I sat right next to Victoria and stared at her.
A lag period occurred. Before she turned to look at me, I saw the expression change on her face. Her eyes grew wide as she realized that some crazy woman was sitting uncomfortably close to her. She sat up really straight, then her eyes slowly rolled toward me, then her face turned as she started to realize that this wasn't just any crazy lady. In the background, Joey had his phone out and was ready for the kodiak moment, which was still coming as Victoria was processing what was happening. I was smiling wide by this time as my best friend was staring directly at me.
"You!" she exclaimed to me, then she quickly turned and pointed at Joey and scornfully shouted, "YOU!" then she turned back to me and then happily said, "You!"
The success of the Sea Port run took me to target number two: Deana. Victoria, Joey and I walked around Sea Port then decided to go on back to Victoria's house. Victoria joined as a conspirator and once we got back to their house, Joey and Victoria went inside in order to ask Deana to take out the trash bag to the trash can on the curb. I was hiding behind their car. Deana emerged, missing that the trash cans were still inside of the garage. She almost walked by me, but then she looked up. Upon seeing me, Deana leapt back several feet and screamed.
With the rest of us laughing, Deana pointed at me and said, "It's not real! I don't trust it!"
Which made me feel great, but given the circumstances, being called "it" is not so uncalled for.
The parents of Victoria and Deana were also in for surprises. When Victoria's mom came in, I hid beside the couch on the floor and Deana pointed in my direction and said to her mom, "Look at the stain Victoria made on the floor."
Being a mom, this was both not surprising yet still irritating to Laura, so she came to have a look and what stain should be there staring back but me!
And then came the final oo-rah. Joey, Victoria and I drove down to OB (Ocean Beach) to meet my sister and her boyfriend. We all hung out for some time. I had been in San Diego for six hours and my parents were blissfully unaware that I was in the city, let alone the West Coast. My band of conspirators traded hands; I was now in the care of Amanda and Tim. Our targets were now the final three: Mom, Dad, and my oldest sister Tiff. The location: our go-to Mexican restaurant.
Amanda and Tim had arranged for a family dinner (it was the week before Easter after all), and the parents were suspicious that this pair had an announcement to make that would result with a wedding....
As we were in the car approaching the restaurant, Tim shouts, "They're in the parking lot!!"
Sure enough, my parents had just parked and were getting out of their car. Amanda yelled at me to dive, and so I did. No one has ever unbuckled their seat-belt to dive behind the driver's seat faster than I did that day.
The parking lot of this restaurant circles around the central building, so while waving to my parents, my sister gunned the engine to disappear on the other side of the restaurant. After parking, Amanda and Tim yelled at me to get out of the car and hide. In my jetlagged and confused state of mind I started running for the front of the restaurant...where my parents were. Amanda and Tim yelled at me to stop. The plan was for me to wait until everyone was seated and then to casually join them at the table like nothing at all.
I waited on the side of the restaurant with many a confused passerby asking me why I was hiding in the backdoor way that is closed to non-employees. Not too many people seemed to appreciate the awesomeness of the master plan of surprising the parents.
The inside of this restaurant is dimly lit, so I was able to enter without being noticed. Our party was large (as it usually is), so my family was placed at a large booth toward the back. Without being too obvious, yet still catching uncertain glances from people, I rushed to the back of the restaurant and sat down quickly, gracefully, quietly beside my sister Tiff.
Almost exactly like Victoria, Tiff's face made that unsure expression before slowly looking to her left. Her expression was one of confusion, like she knew she knew me, but that I also must be some sort of eidolon.
Then my dad, who was directly across from me looked up. He was in shock for the following 20 or so minutes. Who I was and the fact that I was there clicked right away for my mom, though she was equally as surprised. Many hugs, laughter and tortilla chips later, my family learned at this same sitting that my application to be a professor had been accepted. It was a great gathering, and of course, a great, spicy meal. Mmmm, Mexican food.....I may have to go and get a burrito now.
Seeing that my right hand is currently swollen (I think I should probably look in to acupuncture and stop typing), I'm going to wrap up for now to do some research and to get a burrito. Tune in next week for the amazing conclusion of "Four for Four"!
With the rest of us laughing, Deana pointed at me and said, "It's not real! I don't trust it!"
Which made me feel great, but given the circumstances, being called "it" is not so uncalled for.
The parents of Victoria and Deana were also in for surprises. When Victoria's mom came in, I hid beside the couch on the floor and Deana pointed in my direction and said to her mom, "Look at the stain Victoria made on the floor."
Being a mom, this was both not surprising yet still irritating to Laura, so she came to have a look and what stain should be there staring back but me!
And then came the final oo-rah. Joey, Victoria and I drove down to OB (Ocean Beach) to meet my sister and her boyfriend. We all hung out for some time. I had been in San Diego for six hours and my parents were blissfully unaware that I was in the city, let alone the West Coast. My band of conspirators traded hands; I was now in the care of Amanda and Tim. Our targets were now the final three: Mom, Dad, and my oldest sister Tiff. The location: our go-to Mexican restaurant.
Amanda and Tim had arranged for a family dinner (it was the week before Easter after all), and the parents were suspicious that this pair had an announcement to make that would result with a wedding....
As we were in the car approaching the restaurant, Tim shouts, "They're in the parking lot!!"
Sure enough, my parents had just parked and were getting out of their car. Amanda yelled at me to dive, and so I did. No one has ever unbuckled their seat-belt to dive behind the driver's seat faster than I did that day.
The parking lot of this restaurant circles around the central building, so while waving to my parents, my sister gunned the engine to disappear on the other side of the restaurant. After parking, Amanda and Tim yelled at me to get out of the car and hide. In my jetlagged and confused state of mind I started running for the front of the restaurant...where my parents were. Amanda and Tim yelled at me to stop. The plan was for me to wait until everyone was seated and then to casually join them at the table like nothing at all.
I waited on the side of the restaurant with many a confused passerby asking me why I was hiding in the backdoor way that is closed to non-employees. Not too many people seemed to appreciate the awesomeness of the master plan of surprising the parents.
The inside of this restaurant is dimly lit, so I was able to enter without being noticed. Our party was large (as it usually is), so my family was placed at a large booth toward the back. Without being too obvious, yet still catching uncertain glances from people, I rushed to the back of the restaurant and sat down quickly, gracefully, quietly beside my sister Tiff.
Almost exactly like Victoria, Tiff's face made that unsure expression before slowly looking to her left. Her expression was one of confusion, like she knew she knew me, but that I also must be some sort of eidolon.
Then my dad, who was directly across from me looked up. He was in shock for the following 20 or so minutes. Who I was and the fact that I was there clicked right away for my mom, though she was equally as surprised. Many hugs, laughter and tortilla chips later, my family learned at this same sitting that my application to be a professor had been accepted. It was a great gathering, and of course, a great, spicy meal. Mmmm, Mexican food.....I may have to go and get a burrito now.
Seeing that my right hand is currently swollen (I think I should probably look in to acupuncture and stop typing), I'm going to wrap up for now to do some research and to get a burrito. Tune in next week for the amazing conclusion of "Four for Four"!
Your humble and currently hungry writer,
S. Faxon
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