Visiting San Diego over spring break seemed to justify all of the tropical house I’ve been listening to over the past few months.

The trip also taught me to embrace constantly finding sand in my shoes, my jean pockets and at the bottom of my bag. The soles of my feet are worn smooth after walking through so much sand, and I can’t tell what it was – the change in scenery, the grandeur of spring break, the novelty of it all – but San Diego was a dream.

An eventful dream full of first-times, palm trees and really good food.

San Diego gives off a subtle stereotypical California vibe. You know what I mean? Like, people here love to gorge on avocados – they serve it on top of their eggs Benedict, on their salads, in their burgers, their salad dressing… But I only get reminded of that when I read menus at restaurants; it’s not a zealous obsession that eventually manifests into avocado memorabilia or restaurants based on the avocado concept. So it’s whatever, since I’m a huge fan of avocado as well.

Apart from that, I’d also see cosmetic surgery offices, gyms, spas and hot yoga clubs in the suburban shopping centers that I’d drive around. So I wasn’t sure if the people in California just seem to look better naturally or if the warm weather and the natural inclination to be out or in the water plays a strong role in that apparent difference.

Being in the sun invigorates me, and I could sense a rise in my overall emotional levels as soon as the first day we went around and explored the city. There’s something about just strolling casually around in a tank top and shorts. Honestly, being chauffeured around in a car by Christina and listening to music was half the fun. If you’ve ever cruised along the water while the sun sets, you might become disillusioned when you actually park somewhere and leave the car, coming to savor moments like those.

The scenery was great – water reflecting off of the water, the waves crashing along the rocks – lots of greens, blues and browns, Mother Nature’s favorite colors. But rest assured, I saw a lot of warm tones too, intense pinks, striking yellows, and fiery oranges splattered across the open sky as we managed to catch multiple of those infamous California sunsets over the course of my trip.

Sunsets are interesting, in that one happens every day, but each can be made into such an event. It’s a ten-minute occasion, yet people drive out to prime spots on beaches and cliffs to catch the best view. They bring food, blankets and special people to share the moment with. Every night, Christina would try to time our day out so that we could make it to a new and interesting place to watch it. There’s no comparing it to a sunset that I’d watch from my living room window. 

For me, there was a subtle, unconscious feeling of no longer being land-locked, of constantly being near water that aroused a certain feeling of freedom. Lake Michigan has nothing on the Pacific Ocean, I guess. Living in Atlanta my whole life, I’m always at least a 3-hour drive away from the ocean, so even being near lakes and big ponds gets me emotional, just seeing such a distinction between land and water.

More details to come about my two-day escape to LA with Natalie,

and lots and lots of food recommendations.

Some cool places we visited in San Diego:

Children’s Pool Beach

Because who doesn’t love sea lions and the smell of their shit?

But fortunately, there were also some cool tidal pools and gorgeous flower patches to take in.

Balboa Park

I wish we had more time here, the museums seemed cool. I bet it’s really bustling when it’s open! We walked around in the last few minutes of the day.

Torrey Pines State Reserve

We saw a beached whale.

San Elijo Lagoon County Park

We carved our initials into soft sandstone with a water bottle cap.

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Like Skurt!