Have you ever moved somewhere and find that you fell in love with the location? I first fell in love with California almost ten years ago. It happened when I flew into Los Angeles International Airport, LAX, at night. My family moved from the East Coast across the country to the West coast with little money and no concrete plan. It was the adventure of a lifetime! From my window seat on the plane, I vividly remember the view of the shimmering Los Angeles skyline. I was enchanted, spellbound by the city’s magic, and incredibly nervous to embark on this new adventure. I associate LA with self-discovery and tasty food. I remember the late-night tacos made with craved meat marinated in pineapple (carne asada con piña es la mejor) for $1.50. Since then I’ve moved to other states, and then back to CA (pictures from the Bay Area featured on this post).

From my general experience, California is most popularly historically related to stories of the Wild West, the Gold Rush, Alcatraz, and the Transcontinental Railroad or ‘Chinese Railroad.’ In a way, I found gold in California when I first traveled here years ago. The location pushed me to find the gold within myself. Today, I remain in awe of the state’s natural beauty, friendly people, and endless delicious food options (the most important detail for me honestly lol). Also, the history is fascinating here too, did you know the city Los Angeles had more racial discrimination in schools in the 1950s than most states in the South? This state always undergoes major shifts and change, pun intended for the earthquakes that happen here too. The bottom line of the story is that I’m grateful for my slice of California.

I’m currently planning a little staycation in San Diego. We embark on the 5-hour drive down to the area soon. Since I need to think of places and beaches to visit I’m using a favorite blog and Youtube channel of mine called California Through My Lens to brainstorm. ❤

https://californiathroughmylens.com/day-trip-ideas

https://californiathroughmylens.com/san-diego-guide