Whenever I go back to San Diego, I fly instead of drive. It should be obvious why I do this, an otherwise eight-hour journey, shortened to an hour and a half is the logical decision. Plus, if I plan ahead, flying is also the cheaper option.

What if I decided to drive home? (Part 1)

The first decision to make was, am I taking the I-5 or Highway 1? I've navigated the route up the grapevine a handful of times, although it's faster, the barren landscape drags on and on. The coast is a few hours longer, but the gorgeous terrain is what people travel from every corner of the globe to see. Plus, I could visit friends and surf along the way. With these two options in mind, the former appealed to me. So it was set. I would take a couple of days cruising down the 1, stopping here and there. 

I left my house on Thursday morning at the crack of dawn. I had packed my car the night before, allowing me to leave home swiftly. I made it out of San Francisco in no time, once cars started to fill the roads I was already in Half Moon Bay. It was your typical summer day in this part of the state, grey, and damp. I was hopeful that this would change the more South I went.

As I approached Santa Cruz, it was like I was in a different world. My thermostat read 73 degrees, people were walking around in boardshorts and I even had to throw my sunglasses on. I stopped to check the surf at Steamer Lane, which wasn't really doing its thing, so I decided to keep on moving. 

By Noon, I rolled into Big Sur, this is the part of the trip that makes it all worth it. Everybodys seen the pictures of this place, high cliffs and emerald water to the west, luscious trees and hillsides to the east. Being here for yourself blows all preconceived images out of the ballpark. I stopped to eat a sandwich overlooking the Pacific and wandered around for a bit. Even though I wanted to stay here for a couple days, my final destination was still three hours away, San Luis Obispo. 

Just like that, I was back on the road, winding down highway 1. I couldn't believe that I was still in the same state that I had woken up that morning. Around every bend was a completely different scenery from the last. 

Never once did I think about how much longer this was taking than flying. Nevertheless, I had been sitting in my car for six or so hours and was beginning to get restless. 

(End of Part 1)

Today, was like most Sundays. I woke up around nine in the morning, got ready for the day and made it work by ten. What if I woke up at five in the morning? This would tremendously change my day in that I would be able to mozy around for that much longer. Let's see what this might look like. 

I had a tough time making it out of bed this morning, I attribute this to the fact that my alarm was set for five in the morning. I'm traditionally not an early riser but I'm trying to get into a new routine. I want to get in the habit of giving myself some free time before heading to work on Sundays. I mean isn't this the day of the week that is traditionally devoted to leisure? Anyway, I forced myself to the kitchen where there was hot coffee waiting for me. Sat down with a cup, opened my computer and scrolled around the web. A few minutes later, when the caffeine started to kick in, I got the motivation to go on a morning jog.

By the time I left my house the sun was just starting to rise, it's been a while since I've witnessed this. After making it a few blocks it dawned on me, Sunday mornings are a real ghost town. I felt like I had the city to myself. I passed dark window after dark window, one by one, eventually making it down to the beach. I hung out here for a bit checking the surf. To my surprise, the waves looked fun so I sprinted back home to grab my board and wetsuit.  

I packed my car and headed right back to where I just was. By this point, windows were starting to light up and nearby cafes were coming alive. Now, back at the beach parking lot, I quickly changed and headed for the water. The waves were decent, at least for summertime standards. Nevertheless, I had fun and felt a sense of personal pride in how much I had already accomplished this morning. 

I made it back home around eight thirty, this meant I still had an hour and a half to kill before work. I never give myself enough time to eat anything other than cereal, so I thought I'd treat myself to a healthy breakfast before heading out. With a stomach full of eggs, fruit and more coffee, I was ready to take on the day. 

Introduction to What If?

Welcome to,  "What if?" a blog dedicated to answering this very question. My goal is to talk about different scenarios. First, I will describe how they actually happened. Second, is when I beg the question of "What If ", constructing a fictional story about what could have happened. 

You should understand that I'm not going to be dealing with a serious subject matter. People often ask this question while pointing to monumental points in their life. Examples of are, What if I never had kids? What if I married so and so? What if I took this Job? Rather, I will be taking a lighter approach. Flipping the cards on my day to day routine. I guess the whole point of this is to document what I daydream about. I'm hoping that this will influence myself and those who read this to mix things up. 

This leads me to my very first topic. What if I rode my bike to school today?

The time I start class plays a massive role in planning my transportation for the day. If it's in the afternoon, I try to take the bus. Morning classes, often result in me driving because it's much quicker. This allows me to clock in maximum sleeping opportunity, leaving my house with mere minutes to spare. 

Today I had class at nine in the morning, can you guess how I got to school? That's right, I hopped in the old car at eight thirty and gunned it to campus. It felt like any other start to the day, same old same old. So, what if to spice things up, I rode my bike to class? Not only would my actual commute change but so would my entire routine.

This morning my alarm was set for six. As I often do, tapped the snooze button a few times, finally making my way to the shower fifteen minutes behind schedule. Did what had to be done around the house, got dressed and was out of the door by a little before seven. 

By this point, I had two hours to make it to campus, more than enough time for my two-mile journey. Extra time in the morning is out of the norm for me. I figured, better make the most of it, so I went and got a coffee and a small bite to eat. This pit stop left me in a location that allowed me to take a different route than normal. 

I pedaled through the residential neighborhoods, away from the hustle and bustle of the main roads. A new park and a couple of restaurants caught my attention. How did I never notice this stuff existed just a few blocks away from my house? 

With school now in view, I began to panic just thinking about parking, only to remember this wouldn't be necessary. The bicycle parking was all mine for the taking! Plus, the proximity it was to my class made me feel like a VIP.  Still, there were thirty minutes to kill before class and it felt like I already had a full day under my belt.