Okay so first stop on the way out from Los Angeles to San Francisco was Pismo Beach. My parents and I went there once when I was about 8 years old and I remember that I fell in love with seafood; most specifically crab, at this very same restaurant that's on the clifftop there. It's one of those places that you eat at the once and then consciously try and eat cheaper for the rest of the holiday to make up for the guilt you feel spending that much money on any one meal. But it was SO worth it and incredibly delicious and the view was to die for. It really made up for being in the car all day. 

From Pismo to Carmel. My parents did this same journey on their own two years ago when they came over to the states for my wedding. They told Juan and I that Carmel is the most beautiful beach they've been too and I have to say I totally agreed with them..

The only sad thing was that it was getting dark by the time we got there so were only there for 30 - 45 minutes or so but we did manage to catch a phenominal sunset. Juan Carlos, my dad and myself tried to get into the sea and it was ABSOLUTELY FREEZING. I'm not one to run out of the water just because it's a little cold, or even really cold, but this was really ridiculously cold and waves whacking you in the face at every turn. Something that made up for that though was that there were dolphins swimming and jumping real close in to the shore. The whole setting was like a movie.  

Then on to the final destination of the day... San Fransisco. We found another Airbnb spot that was two bedrooms and a bathroom in a ladies house. At first the idea of actually staying in a strangers house seemed a little strange - but the reviews were really good and when we got that we felt comfortable right away. The second night we stayed we got to learn a lot more about her - she lived in this lovely house with her husband who was a retired lawyer, he had fallen ill and she cared for him in the house - she was an artist and the whole house was full of amazing artwork - a lot of which she had created herself. We stayed up talking with her late that night and watched the Paul McCartney Carpool with her and her husband. I'll always remember this moment as a really special moment of sharing something beautiful, a fleeting moment in time with complete strangers.  
I took pictures of where we stayed but I didn't feel comfortable sharing them because it's her own house and it felt liked I'd be sharing something personal that's not mine to share. But; for example; the bedroom that Juan and I stayed in was painted purple and had an orange and blue canvas painting behind the bed and the bedside tables had matching lamps; one that eminated blue light and one that eminated orange. The rest of the room was full of artwork she'd collected and made over the years. It was such a wonderful environment to stay in and the house also came with an incredibly fluffy cat - not that I'm that into cats but it was fun to play with. 

Our time in San Fran was spent between the city itself and the Apple Store. My father is an avid apple fan and he wanted to visit - to use his own words - 'the mother ship' - Apple Park. It was pretty cool but the main part isn't available to the general public - so that kinda sucked. We then went to the city and Fisherman's Wharf - where we ate the most delicious fresh crab and watched a picture of the golden gate bridge get created with spray paint and like the tourist suckers we are bought one to take home. (It's now above our bed and I really love it!!! - it also reminds me of the kind of artwork hanging in the place we were staying at - all-in-all a good souvenir to take home with us) One of the highlights of the whole trip for me happened that night as we travelled on the way home via the second bridge - with all the lights on it - I stuck my head out of the window the whole way (like a dog) and loved every second of it!!! City lights at night excite the crap out of me! I love San-Francisco it's such an individual city and it holds that exciting city feeling that you get in places like New York and London. It's one of my absolute Faveeeeeeees. 

The last evening that we were staying in San Fran we went to visit my Auntie. Well she's my dad's Auntie. Her and her husband have lived in the same house since they were married in the 70's! They had no idea at the time that they had moved to what would be an absolute Californian hotspot for apple employees... The house hasn't changed since I visited twenty years ago and my cousin informs me it hasn't changed much since twenty years before that! It's like a gorgeous little Californian time capsule and the whole outside of this little cove of a  house is swarming with humming birds. It's such a beautiful place to be. We loved catching up and how my Auntie has managed to keep her British accent and sense of humour all these years is beyond me!! (Please look below for the most old fashioned photo set-up OF YOUR LIFE. LOVE IT!!!!!!)

So Sunday, we set on our journey home. My dad drives to Reno... we originally had the plan to stop on our way home as the whole journey back was about 14 hours... but we got so close that we decided to just continue on.... and so happened one of my life most greatest achievements....

I drove the whole journey form Reno, Nevada to Ephraim, Utah in one sitting - through the night time. We arrived in Ephraim at 7am the next day. I was very, very proud of this!!!!!! 

In hindsight I think the week held a little bit too much driving. We were always on the move and the feeling of always being in a small car with lots of luggage around your face and feet is not fun for long periods of time. Especially in the heat; when it's too hot to have the windows open as the fresh air is no longer fresh and just steamy hot air. All this aside we did have a great time and made some pretty fantastic memories and have logged A LOT of places that we'd like to revisit for longer in the future.. it was like an investment trip;) 


Well peace and happy road tripping to you all. ✌️

I still have yet to write the third entry of my Road Trip diary; but first something that cannot wait. I am currently sat in JFK airport waiting for a connecting flight and I can't help but take everything in around me. Maybe it's because I'm over tired and my mind is attempting at a rate of overload to focus and concentrate and so is picking things up, maybe, that usually it might not in so much detail, but as I'm sat here I can't help but notice people. people. Actual people. Like myself, but not at all like myself. But also EXACTLY like myself. Every one of us an outcome of our life's experiences. Every one of us with family, with friendships, relationships; some good relationships and some bad. Everyone varying in colour, race, nationality, culture, language. Crap it's crazy. Different personalities; people that are outgoing, people that are shy, people that are in a rush, people that seem a bit crazed and people that seem very practical; The guy I was sat next to on the plane from SLC was wearing trouser that zip-turned into shorts and had a very sensible felt sweater on and his own bottle of water with a slice of lemon. I never normally look at what people are wearing; like.ever. But it was the water bottle that started it - it got me thinking (which is always dangerous) - you're not allowed to bring you're own water in past security right? So that guy - even if he had himself just got a connecting flight - had Brought his bottle with the intention of filling it at some point and where had he got the lemon from? From home? From an airport restaurant? Maybe I'm entirely  wrong. Maybe it wasn't water at all? Vodka Maybe?? Who Knows?!! From this bottle I started to guess what kind of person he might be - this is when I noticed the trousers and felt sweater. He also had a pair of glasses hanging off his zip collar and put the free eye covers and his own headphones on to sleep. I made the conclusions from all of these things that he was a very practical person.. the greatest thing about this is that I really have no idea it was all 100% assumption on my part. 

We all have a story. We all have a reason that got us here to this exact moment in the exact same place as another but each and every one of us has different reasons and journeys that brought us here. Thousands and thousands and millions and millions of us all over the world and we're so wonderfully different. It makes me feel a lot of love for people, watching everyone for a tiny instant in their lives - it makes me want to celebrate who we are, our souls - Who are they? What are their likes, their dislikes? Their religious beliefs, if any? Why they have those beliefs? Their happy stories? Their tragic stories? Things they've done in their past because of bravery? Things they've done because of cowardice? Achievements, the things they value? I'm just so curious and we all walk past each other forgetting that we're unified simply because we're the same in the fact that we're so individual and all just trying to make the best out of what we have?

I really love people and I guess that that is all I really wanted to get to saying. I love people. People I know, people I don't know. We've all had experiences that shape us and we're all journeying somewhere from somewhere. When we cross each others paths in our daily lives do we ever stop to wonder, who are you, how have you got to be in this place in your life and how are you doing? Also, sir, m'am. In case you feel like you're not and even if you feel like you are; maybe you need reminding.. please know that you are loved. Really, really loved.