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.