Day 3 Post 3



I am almost 100% positive this room is nicer than
every house on my street combined.

Our lovely trip to the San Diego Zoo was our last stop on our road trip down the coast of California. For our last night, Dylan contacted some relative or family friend who works for the Hyatt hotel and got the three of us a classy room to stay the night at the Manchester Grand Hotel. Apparently, she booked the stay through her contacts a couple months in advance -- an unsurprising fact to hear -- to get us a magazine, picturesque room (or maybe I should say suite) overlooking the bay. We were more than happy to be spoiled with the amenities packaged with the room, but I am certain that the receptionist at the front desk is forever scarred by teenagers calling for room service now.


This is most definitely not your average hotel room... That's a 46" flat-screen TV.

All materialistic comments aside, every one of us enjoyed the road trip. I personally enjoyed it a lot more than I could have imagined. I found out that not all vegan food tastes sketchy and not all socialization is painful. I mean, I guess natural sunlight exposure is not as bad as it seems either.

Day 3 Post 2

Because we were all awake so early, we were able to get our table at the Blu Jam Cafe without having to wait long. We left the L.A. city limits at around 10:30 in the morning, and we were fortunate enough to have the traffic gods working in our favor to shorten the drive to San Diego to about two hours. 

We arrived at the San Diego zoo around 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Despite being a vampire my lack of appreciation for any activity that forces me to spend time outdoors in direct sunlight, I did enjoy learning about the animals and how the zoo cares for them properly.




Who can't love this giant panda's face??

There's an entire building for the "Giant Panda Team" that is home to the panda biologist researchers! A Panda Cam is available for viewing away from the zoo, too.

This is an artic fox who calls San Diego home. It is quite ironic, if you ask me.

The artic fox's tail is called a brush. It is used to protect the fox's face from harsh, icy wind when need be.









Here is a Tasmanian devil from the land down under. I really feel like
Jacob had a deeply embedded connection to this little rascal...

The Tasmanian devil reminds me of a rat crossed with a chihuahua. Jacob and Dylan tell me the two aforementioned are the same thing, but I do disagree.




 

Day 3 Post 1

The morning after our improvised night staying at Jimmy's place, Dylan woke us all up early -- again -- to take in the sunrise from the beach house. Honestly, the only reason why I got up was because Dylan and Jacob agreed to let me drag them to the Blu Jam Cafe to have their award-winning "Crunchy French Toast." I may or may not have lied and told Dylan there were vegan options -- despite not actually knowing whether or not there were any at all. (Hey, it worked out...)



Blu Jam Cafe's famous Crunchy French Toast

After the deliciously fulfilling breakfast, it was time to head off to our last stops in San Diego.  Jacob's driving was slightly more crazy eccentric than normal, and Dylan blamed it on the high-carb and sugar-filled breakfast. (I still regret nothing.) It was my turn to choose our music, but I was not all that keen to the prospect of sharing the undiscovered and underground artists of my more personalized playlists. I was content to just constantly retune the radio to whatever station we were in the broadcasting range of.

Day 2 Post 4

“Malibu or Bust”

The sun was already beginning its descent, and the sky had a new hint of pink. If we hurried, we could make it to Malibu by the peak of the sunset. We drove fast, maybe a bit too fast, and I gripped onto my milkshake and watched the coast speed past in a blur. We finally made it to a deserted part of the Malibu coast at the side of the road in which we had to trudge down a steep cliff. I threw off my flip flops and carelessly climbed down. I was in a hurry, I had to be on the beach as the sun went down. As soon as my feet hit the sand I raced into the warm water, letting it splash up around me. I gazed up at the darkening sky, streaked with pink, as the sun met the horizon. I made sure to snap pictures so I would never forget this moment.

Shortly after, darkness set in and the air became foggy. The air was thick and hot, engulfing me in a misty haze. My feet sank into the cool sand as my toes were kissed by each new wave. The last pink of the disappearing sun lingered along the horizon. Before long, the moon emerged and took its place in the sky, shining a milky-white beam onto the calm water. My lungs couldn’t  get enough of the humid air, and I breathed it in until I felt I might burst. The vast expanse of the ocean sent a shiver down my spine as I realized just how small I am. Humbled by the insignificance of my being.

Once we had finished romping around the beach, we knew it was time to head back. However, us being teenagers, and being too caught up in the moment and excitement of the trip, we realized that we didn’t make any plans for where to stay the night. Being a bit of a control freak and a perfectionist, I had momentary panic. I didn’t understand how I could let such an important detail slip. That’s one of the first things you should figure out before traveling! I took some deep breaths and remembered I had a friend nearby! I called up Jimmy and he quickly came to our rescue, having absolutely no problem with letting us crash at his beach house. So that’s how our perfect day ended, laughing with Jimmy, playing with his baby brother, late night snacks, laying in bed, listening to the waves crash.

Jimmy and Ozzy Bennett

              I woke up around three a.m. and couldn't fall back asleep. My mind was swimming with thoughts and my chest was full of a pain that can only come from immense joy. Sleep just wasn't going to happen. so I tiptoed to the balcony overlooking the ocean and slipped through the sliding door. I leaned against the railing and stared off into the endless, dark water. The waves were calm as the rolled onto the shore. I became so hypnotized by the monotonous beauty that I barely heard the 'click' of the sliding door closing, and turned around to find a person right behind me. It was so dark that I couldn't make out the face as they came at me and put their hand over my mouth. Good thing, because I was definitely about to scream. Jimmy laughed as he let go of me and I slumped into a chair, trying to get my heart rate to return to normal. We sat in silence for a while before he brought out his guitar and quietly played some of the new music he had been writing. Before we knew it, the sun was beginning to rise. Though I knew I'd be tired for the remainder of our trip, I didn't care, and I rushed in to wake the others to show them the everyday beauty that they miss out on. 

Day 2 Post 3

Once we had just about as much time in Santa Monica as we could take, we headed back to our little bus to ensure that we didn’t receive a parking ticket. They are pretty strict in Santa Monica and Venice about such affairs. We changed clothes and made our way into Venice, which is where we had previously planned to have dinner. After much persuading, I convinced Morgan and Jacob to agree to dine at my all time favorite restaurant; Cafe Gratitude. It’s a 100% organic, plant-based restaurant featuring only vegan meals, meaning I can actually eat everything on the menu! Even just walking into the place makes me happy. The light that streams in through the large, open windows, the little candles and succulents perfectly arranged on the tables, and the pillows that line the booths. Everyone in the room gives off a similar vibe; compassionate, grateful, health-conscious lovers of the Earth. Okay, maybe borderlining hippie.

We sat in a cute little booth and reviewed the menu. I, however, already knew what I wanted. I had an asparagus risotto called “I Am Inspired” and steamed vegetables, and let me tell you, you have not lived until you’ve tried these things

.

While waiting for our food to arrive, I glanced over to see a little old man sitting at the table next to us. His skin was tan and leathery from years in the sun, and his clothes were ragged, his feet still holding on to sand from the nearby ocean. He caught my eye and smiled, then politely asked if this was our first time dinning here. We had a friendly chat, and he explained that he has lived in Venice for 20 years. He embodied the Cafe Gratitude vibe, and left us with some parting words.

“Don’t settle. If you aren’t happy, change it. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t practical, it doesn’t matter if it’s scary, change your life. Quit the boring job, move out of your home, change cities, step out of your comfort zone. And above all, always remain grateful, even while changing things up.”

I let these words sink into my skin and find their way to my sub-conscious. They resonated with me, and are the most important things I took with me from this trip. By the time our food got there, I had been running a list of things I have to be grateful for over and over again in my head. This somehow made the food taste even better. After we were done, we were all itching for dessert because not only is it absolutely divine, but it’s also almost completely guilt free. Jacob and Morgan split a gluten free brownie with cashew-milk ice cream called “I Am Surrendering” which is a dish I had there on my 17th birthday. After, we all ordered a milkshake to take on the road with us, which is a tradition of mine. I had “I Am Cool” which is a mint-chip shake. We hopped in our bus, blasted 80’s rock music, and headed out on the road.

Day 2 Post 2

After getting back on track, we headed straight for Santa Monica, intending on soaking up as much sun as we possibly could. I was much more enthusiastic about this portion of the trip because of my love for the heat, but my friends were less excited and found ways to remain in the shade. I changed into a swimsuit and raced towards the water, eager to feel the coolness on my skin. I felt like a child again, my heart so full of joy it felt like it might burst. After a couple hours of bumming in the sun, hunger pangs began to set in and we went off in search of food on the Promenade. They ordered their meals while I looked around for a green juice. Afterwards, we walked along the boardwalk and I stood in awe at the beauty of the ocean, not even marred by the sheer amount of people who were also trying to enjoy it. It was hot, really hot, which Morgan eventually got sick of and ventured off onto the Promenade to sit in a cool bookstore. I couldn’t blame her, but the beach was where I wanted to be.

Yup, I took these pictures

View from the pier

        I collected shells and took pictures with them, and then decided to do some people watching. In new places, particularly when there are tourists from all around the world, I enjoy watching the different ways that people act. People from Europe often seem to wear things to the beach that stand out as odd to Americans. They show even more skin than we do, which I honestly didn’t think was possible. I pulled out my ukulele for a bit, which I insist on bringing to most of my beach trips. Some seagulls sat by me whilst I played, and I imagined them as my audience, interested in each note I played. I also used this time of lounging to study the map for the rest of our trip. We weren't’ going much farther, just to San Diego, and it was a straight shot from here. Our whole trip was basically just a long line south. Traveling makes me so excited, and at that moment I could barely wait to see what adventures were in front of us.

My attempt at being artsy

             Okay, yes skin cancer is a thing. But at this point it was just a small thought in the back of my mind. I cooked in the sun without sunscreen, and left with only some light pink dusting my already tan shoulders. My hair was thick with salt and my skin was peppered with sand and new appearing freckles. In hindsight, this much sun probably was not the most ideal action, but I enjoyed every minute of it. By this time, Jacob had left me as well and was off venturing the Promenade. My favorite store, Brandy Melville, is located there so I took a quick trip inside. It seems a mile long and is so full of "one size fits all" clothes and gorgeous girls that it can be a bit intimidating. I'm not sure what it is about being in this environment, but every time I step foot in this store, everyone watches me. I'm not kidding, even my friends and family that I have come in with noticed. I do my shopping with my head down generally, occasionally looking up and flashing a smile. This got old pretty quickly though, and I texted Morgan to see if we could head out.

Day 2 Post 1

           We woke up at the crack of dawn this morning which I rather enjoyed, but my trip mates had a harder time rubbing the sleep from their eyes. I stepped out of the vehicle momentarily to perform some quick yoga moves to ease the kink in my neck. The Monterey air was cool and foggy, wrapping our bus in a blanket. When I climbed back in the bus, Morgan and Jacob had drifted back to sleep, and I had the challenging task of waking them and getting them travel-ready. Though our trip started off a bit bumpy, the first day had actually worked out almost perfectly according to our plans, and I was both surprised and relieved. None of us were particularly hungry so we skipped breakfast and headed on to our next destination: Los Angeles. Jacob continued to drive, and after a few hours of staring out the window and listening to music that didn’t fit my taste, I was anxious to arrive. After five long hours we saw the a sign welcoming us to LA.

          We continued to drive and marveled at the famous sights we passed, such as Beverly Hills. Then we hit it, the traffic that this area is now known for. We were only moving a few miles per hour and wanted to make it over to the carpool lane. After signaling and making our way over, we heard sirens right behind us. I hadn’t even realized that there was a cop anywhere near us. Jacob reluctantly pulled over and the policeman told us that was had crossed a double yellow, which is illegal. Double yellow? To get into the carpool lane? None of us were aware of this seeing as we don’t have anything like this in the Bay Area. He let us off with a warning, but the moral of this story is to always be well informed on differences of new places, particularly traffic laws. Though we had finally nearly made it to our destination, we somehow managed to get momentarily lost. We turned it into a detour and drove up Mulholland Drive, becoming increasingly more jealous with each house we passed. Pausing at the top, we jumped out of the bus and took some photos of the amazing view of LA.