When summer started, I put more focus on school and work. I felt my progress to the end of my college days was dragging so I did not want to slack off as I did last year - and so everyday was a study and work day. Work. Study. Work. Study. Finish that quiz due tonight. Then drive fifty minutes to work 6am the next morning. It reached up to the point of exhaustion that I wiped my tears of stress, moved aside the third essay due that night and opened a new tab where I compulsively bought myself a plane ticket to California. I called my sister, whom I haven't seen in 8 months, and cried "I'm coming to see you", whilst the clock slowly ticked to the deadline. It was a bittersweet moment.
My Californian summer doesn't technically count as summer because my summer was mostly filled with desperate deadlines and lifting mannequins. But it was one of the silver linings of my endless agony of jumping for my ambitions. So although I didn't have the summer of my dreams like traveling to Italy or bathing in the beach for golden skin, this was the highlight of my summer 2019.
day 1
August 9 - body temp: high. Tiredness and stress levels: even higher. I didn't expect two connecting flights to drain so much of my life from me. But seeing my sister, I felt elated.
After a starbucks run and a quick breakfast, I settled in my sister's house. Then drove down to Carmel-by-the-sea's famous landmark that is the 17-mile-road, with POI such as Bird rock and, Steinbeck and Stevenson's favourite place as well as mine, Huckleberry Hill.
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| me, a mess |
day 2
August 10 - no rain and just sky and sun. The weather was beautiful and warm, with just the sun beaming at us... so, my sister and I decided on a little trip to lover's point beach. Turns out, San Fransisco left us a lil' gift later that day: fog and chills.
day 4
August 12 - weekdays were recommended for a day trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and so Monday we went. Other than the stampede of families and their strollers and annoying photographers with their flashing Canons, it was an insightful and mind-blowing experience.
And then a saunter around cannery row, and climbing the rocks of lover's point was the simple perfect ending to the day.
day 5
August 13 - a fresh start for the day was a morning walk around Fisherman S Wharf, fishing for souvenirs; then a cool off stroll around Del Monte and taking hundreds of hotgirlsummer photos for the 'gram.
day 6
August 14 - the last day. I spent it going around Carmel-by-the-sea - the Monaco of Monterey - where I saw a vintage luxury car auction and shopped for Steinbeck books. To end the afternoon, I had my final In-N-Out meal.
day 7
August 15 - five am, quick starbucks run, and an almost 2 hour nap before departing. I witnessed the final views of gorgeous Monterey at dawn - and it was my first time seeing them since I've never woken up before 9am during my stay. It was a first on my last. And it was truly breathtaking.
home
And you can tell it's Florida by the multiple lakes.
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