As I recap my recent travels to California this past week, I’d like to share my latest learning’s. Knowledge is power after all. Here we go.
1. Shoving all your stuff into one medium sized back pack while traveling makes the transition from one state to another SO.MUCH.SMOOTHER. I’ve been using this bag for week longs trips for a few years now. Minimalism = less stress.
2. Driving on the freeways of California are not nearly as terrifying as I anticipated. I even managed to keep up with the locals. 80 is the new 60.
3. California continues to KILL IT with the vegan eats. If I were a rodent I would never leave the dumpsters behind the below restaurants.
Peace Pies – San Diego
Peace Pies – San Diego
Native Foods – Carlsbad
Native Foods – Carlsbad
Choice Superfood Bar & Juicery – San Diego
5. I love Washington. This isn’t new, but I’m always reminded when I travel away from my home state why I love it so much. The fresh air is unbeatable. Thank you trees, keep trapping toxins in your trunks.
6. I learned what the Santa Ana winds are. Aka abnormal heat waves. Running at 7:30pm, in the dark, and it was 80 degrees!
7. I’m not as anti social as I thought. I made a gaggle of new friend this weekend. It was swell. This helped me appreciate my alone time when I got home. #recharge.
8. Trails in California are not like trails in Washington. They have their own kind of uniqueness, but nothing compares to the peaks in my area. Tried to hike multiple (baby/under 2k’ elevation) mountains, but due to above mentioned Santa Ana, fire warnings were high.
Managed one adventure in the mountains to watch the sunrise.
9. Toilets are not always porcelain. I went to a restaurant with all black toilets and they made my bum feel extra fancy. Pinky up.
10. Running on the beach is no joke. No joke at all. I’m no road runner, but my pace slowed from a 10min/mile to a TWELVE minute mile (and some change) once I found my feet in the sand. Was great.
11. Two more people told me I look like Ashley Judd. Puts my tally over ten people now. I’m thinking about quitting my job and moving to Vegas to be a stand in wax statue for Ashley.
12. I really, really, really don’t like makeup, but I do like fancy hair. Being a bridesmaid means you get fancy hair and ten pounds of make up. I had more make up on my face in one night then I typically have in one year. I’m still washing it off three days later.
More wedding photos and shenanigans to come.
Q: Fancy hair, or fancy face? Definitely hair. I really want to chop mine off so it’s short like these photos. 
Blissfulbritt 