August 20, 2018

SAN DIEGO ADVENTURE.

Old Town in San Diego (I could've spent all day here!)
Cabrillo National Monument 

The Tile Shop in Old Town





Communal Coffee


Leo Carrillo Historic Ranch (Carlsbad, CA)
La Jolla
Double Peak Park (San Marcos)
Blogging is an odd thing. As the years go on and my archives get dustier, I've witnessed changes in blogging since I first started in 2011. I remember the innocent days of sharing anything and everything, from cute internet finds, to blog link-ups, and the like. There was a good stretch of time where my blog was a lot livelier than it is now--when people commented daily and I did the same on their blogs. I met some amazing people then, a few of which I still exchange emails and texts with regularly as well.

But I feel like we're now living in a world where most everyone online is ultimately seeking fame and fortune, making it harder to really get to know the individual behind the screen and cultivate a sense of community, too. Instead of honest conversations, budding friendships, and heartfelt words, we see highlight reels, staged photos, and photoshopped faces. And yes, I'm guilty of falling into that trap myself.

But it's weekends like this one that remind me that we need to the authenticity, the heart, and the passion behind these feeds and posts if we want to truly connect with others--and we have to let others see those parts of us as well.

Amy and I have been friends for a looonnnng time. I remember repeatedly seeing her pop up in the comment sections of mutual blogs we followed and figured if she read some of the same blogs that I did, I definitely had to read her blog as well . Since then, she's become one of the only blogs I regularly follow and a girl who I have felt 100% comfortable with since day one.

It was a no-brainer that we had to meet in person someday. In fact, I think we've talked about doing this for years. And since she's currently living on the West Coast, I knew we HAD to make it happen ASAP.

Even though traveling solo doesn't come easily to me, this weekend was exactly what I needed. Looking back, just getting out of my comfort zone, breaking up my routine, and slowing down a bit to explore, take photos, and chat was so refreshing. And if anything, traveling always makes you a little fonder of home as well (it's the truth for this PNW homebody over here!).

I remember repeatedly telling Amy that this trip wasn't so much about what I saw or where we went but more about just exploring and getting to chat with one another. After all of our email and text exchanges throughout the years, it was nice to actually chat in real time! And that's exactly what we did. We drove around, did some shopping together, walked around different areas in and around San Diego, took tons of photos, and used the Southern California drive time to chat. And honestly, that was one of the highlights of the entire trip.

So here's to meeting bloggers in real life, having heart-to-heart chats, getting out of your comfort zone, and slowing down to capture the little things in life.

Where would YOU like to adventure next??

Alsooo, if you're interested, these were probably my two favorite spots in San Diego:
COMMUNAL COFFEE. This place is beautiful and I wish I could've walked around there all day--if there wasn't a line out the door, I would have. I snapped quite a few photos because that orange hanging display and those fresh flowers were gorgeous. I pretty much wanted to take everything home with me! Tourist tip: go earlier than later. We went on a Saturday morning and by the time we left, the line was wrapping around the block.

SAN DIEGO OLD TOWN. I love cultural and historical architecture and exploring the old buildings and walking through cute little shops was such a fun way to spend the afternoon. There are so many cute places to stop and take photos, too! Tourist tip: Per Amy's recommendation, try the olive oil and vinegar pairings. I never would have done it, but it was so much fun. The basil olive oil and apple vinegar was so good!

LEO CARRILLO HISTORIC RANCH. This place was so cute and pretty deserted when we went for a weekend afternoon. It's a beautiful wedding venue--with cute gardens and tons of peacocks to photograph, too!

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