Let's Talk About Cali

 *The OC theme song softly plays* California! When I joined the Bradley Speech Team (BUST) my freshman year, we traveled across the midwest all season long however, due to COVID, our traveling to California for Nationals was canceled. Not only was COVID terrible in general, but the travel restrictions were extremely detrimental to speech competitions. Tournaments were moved online, and I can attest firsthand that speeches are nowhere near as good when given virtually! But this past weekend a small group of BUST traveled to Irvine, California for a tournament at Concordia University Irvine. It was amazing! Finally, after three years of waiting, I was able to compete in the beautiful, Golden State. Let's Talk About It! 

Traveling 

Traveling with a group of seven college students is not an easy task. While I imagine it's somewhat easier than traveling with infants, I don't imagine it's much dissimilar either. At least babies can't run very fast, college kids have a special knack for disappearing to the bathroom or snack shop right when you need them to be lining up. Our flight left from O'Hare International Airport at 7:10 am, which meant we had to load the Bradley van at 4:00 am. Grumpy and sleepy, we loaded the van in 10-degree Illinois weather and after a four-hour flight arrived in beautiful 70-degree weather. I have often claimed I could never leave the Midwest because I'm too tied to experiencing all four seasons....upon further reflection I think I'm a liar. I believe I could easily get used to living in the luxurious 70-degree California winter. 

The Beach 

Usually, when the team travels it is solely for competition. However, when in California....you go to the beach. So, with a 57-degree water temperature, we sprinted toward the majestic Laguna Beach. I have visited Redondo, Venice, and Santa Monica Beach before, but Laguna Beach takes the cake. We arrived at sunset and were treated to a picturesque sky of vivid oranges, pinks, and yellows. As the sun set into the Pacific Ocean we were greeted by a pod of 15 dolphins. It was truly one of the most magical nights of my life. I was so taken aback by the beauty, a few tears may have fallen. 

Competition Days

With our small squad of 7 students, we competed furiously on both days at Concordia University Irvine. A speech tournament that has two separate competitions on each day of the weekend (one Saturday, one Sunday) is known as a swing. The CUI students were so welcoming to our team and made sure we knew how to navigate their beautiful campus. While I've never once regretted attending Bradley, I'd be lying if I didn't stop to think what my college experience would've been like on a campus so stunning. The whole university was surrounded by mountains, each sidewalk was lined with palm trees, and the cafeteria put Geisert Hall to shame.  However, after two long days of competition, BUST brought home fourth place overall and had every student compete in a final round at least one of the two days, if not both. 

The Food 

California is known for its amazing restaurants, and I was very glad we got to enjoy a few of them. My top food for the trip was a total shocker. We tried Nice Burger, a 100% vegan burger shack. I had never really tried a lot of vegan food before, but this burger was life-changing! I was shocked it was vegan, everything was on point! I highly recommend vegans and carnivores alike to stop by Nice Burger next time they venture out to Southern California. My second favorite food find was Randy's Donuts. Randy's is a specialty donut shop that did not disappoint. Each donut flavor was extraordinary, from churro to classic buttermilk, every sweet was perfect.

The Wrap-Up

I am so thankful to have had this experience with my team! While I wished we could've brought the entire squad, our little Cali family of seven got really close and made lifelong memories.

Talk soon!