why san bernardino? why not? (a budget student's cold and chaotic week)

okay, so i'm in san bernardino, california, and i immediately knew this was a mistake. i got here on a cheap greyhound from las vegas, dreaming of sun, but the weather is a total joke. i just checked my weather app and it's 9.72°c, feels like 5.71°c, humidity 79%-so i'm freezing and damp at the same time, like a soggy popsicle. hope you like that kind of thing.

i'm trying to survive on a student budget, which means eating $1.50 tacos from a truck that probably fails health inspections, but whatever. i found this hostel on tripadvisor for $16 a night-the reviews said "super clean and vibe," but it's a dorm with eight sweaty guys and one shower that's always cold. classic bait-and-switch.

neighbors? if you get bored of san bernardino, los angeles is a soul-crushing hour east, riverside is 30 minutes west for more college kid energy, but both will drain your wallet. palm springs is two hours for hot springs and mid-century junk, but gas prices here are criminal. joshua tree is free if you hike in, but that's a two-hour drive in this damp cold-no thanks.

overheard gossip in the hostel kitchen: someone whispered the best coffee is at "the daily grind," but another dude mumbled it's overpriced and the baristas hate tourists. also, the san bernardino national forest is free, but a ranger on reddit warned about mountain lions and sketchy campsites. i heard from a drunk Aussie that the route 66 museum is a must, but it's $10 and i'm on $20 a day, so i just drove by and snapped a pic from my busted rental.

these numbers everywhere: 5375482 spray-painted on walls near the bus station, and my friend's old number 1840021731-i called it and some lady yelled at me in spanish. maybe it's a code for the best hidden taco spot, but i think it's just random street art chaos.

here's the zone i'm trapped in:

. that's downtown, with those mountains looming like cold giants. pretty, but my toes are numb.

the mountains at sunrise are kinda stunning, honestly. from my hostel window:

. see? not all bad, just really chilly.

at night, the city glows with weird neon-think dive bars and tire shops. this is i-15:

. always busy, like everyone's fleeing.

and if you escape to lake arrowhead, you might spot birds like this:

. a nice break from the concrete, but still cold.

for food, i scour yelp and filter by "newest"-old reviews lie. there's a taco truck on baseline that's cash only and open till 2am, but i heard it's closed on mondays? who knows. also, this sketchy diner on e street has $3 breakfasts, but the health grade is a c-yolo, i guess.

i heard from a lost tourist that the california theatre is gorgeous and free to peek in, but the guy at the hostel said it's haunted? probably just pipes banging. either way, it's a cheap vibe.

anyway, i'm grabbing the bus in an hour-the transit system is somehow functional, according to this blog, but i'm not trusting it. always check schedules, or you'll be stranded in fontana.

so, san bernardino: messy, cold, and full of confusing numbers. if you're into desert weirdness, cheap survival, and mountains that look like postcards from a freezer, come. just bring every jacket you own-the weather is no joke, and hope you like that kind of thing. p.s. avoid the neighborhood by the bus depot after dark; someone warned me it's "shifty," and i believe them. also, download a weather app-this humidity is wrecking my hair.

You might also be interested in:

• https://topiclo.com/post/chengdu-pandas-fog-and-my-brain-currently-leaking
• https://topiclo.com/post/starting-a-business-in-medina-local-regulations-tax-info-from-a-budget-students-pov
• https://topiclo.com/post/karachi-where-the-heat-and-history-meet-sort-of
• https://topiclo.com/post/spray-cans-and-stray-dogs-santiago-smells-like-burnt-tires-and-possibility
• https://topiclo.com/post/afterschool-activities-in-culiacn-that-wont-make-your-kid-a-zombie