How I Fell in Love with California

I spent the early hours of 2020 at an airport with my mom and my best friend Allison, and it was the most interesting New Year I have ever had. We had just gotten off of a five-hour flight that took us across the country from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego. It was the beginning of our girls trip—five days of running around in the California sun and exploring all that the Golden State had to offer.

I had never expected to ADORE California. All I have ever seen of the state came from movies and the few Instagram influencers I follow. I knew it was a cool place, but I never expected it to be so beautiful! On New Year’s Day, we woke up jet-lagged just as the sun began to creep up. All three of us were standing on the balcony still half asleep watching this incredible sunrise: the first sunrise of the new decade. It was in that moment that I fell in love with California and knew we would have an amazing trip.

One of my favorite memories was when Allison and I took an Uber down to the boardwalk. As the sun started to dip, we headed out to the beach. We just sat on the wall enjoying the weather and taking in our surroundings. Then I had an idea. I wanted to go into the water. I knew that if we didn’t go in at least once, we would regret it later. I told Allison, and after a minute, she agreed. We threw our stuff down and ran fully clothed into the Pacific Ocean.

Freezing is an understatement. I had never felt water that cold IN. MY. LIFE. I screamed right when I touched the water. And since there wasn’t much thought about what would happen once we got out, we ended up walking back to our hotel shivering and dripping wet, leaving a trail of saltwater behind us.

The next four days were filled with sunsets, surfers, seals and great tacos. I made some of the best memories and had the absolute best time ever! The last thing I wanted was for it to end. I even cried because I didn’t want to leave. It was the perfect way to start 2020, and I can’t wait to go back again!

• california
• travel