I had set the alarm a bit later this morning, because I went to bed so late last night, but happily I wake up about a quarter to five. I slept quite well the first night in the car and feel energized for my favorite hike, to the Hollywood sign. It’s still dark and a bit chilly outside when I start walking, but very soon it’s not cold anymore. The hike up to the sign is always a big climb. It’s very misty this morning which makes it a different experience than last time, I like it though.
It’s roadtrip time
It’s Monday morning, time to leave the hostel and pick up my car. After I’ve packed all my bags and done a bit of work, I take the bus to the center. A bit early I arrive at Hertz where I’m greeted enthusiastically by Melisa, the manager. We catch up for a bit and then she hands me the keys to a minivan.
Happy Easter!
It’s Easter Sunday. Back home we usually don’t celebrate that extensively, but here it seems like a bigger deal. People have easter bunnies in their yard and are coming together with family. I also have a gathering with friends planned in the afternoon.
In the morning I first go back to the coffee place I found yesterday, because I enjoyed hanging out there.
Fun day with friends
On Saturday morning I walk to the grocery store around the corner of the hostel. I don’t know if it’s because of inflation or that it’s a local supermarket, but I notice that prices seem a lot higher than last year. I’m glad that the dollar is so low compared to the euro at the moment, that compensates it again.
I get the usual things for breakfast and walk back to the hostel. After breakfast I look up where some good coffee places are nearby and I find Bird Rock Coffee and Moniker nearby. Bird Rock doesn’t have much place to sit, so I walk further to Moniker. It’s a nice hip coffee place and I decide to sit down for a while.
Enjoying a vacation day
It’s around 4.30am and I’m in the shower at the hostel where I’m staying the coming days. The shower head reaches just over my shoulder, so I have to bend a bit to get water on my head. Just a detail, but it makes me realize again how good things are back home. Simple things like a good shower are easy to take for granted until you’re in a place where you don’t have it.
The first day of travel
It’s just after 5am and I’m in the kitchen making sandwiches to take with me and having breakfast. For the so maniest time I’m asking myself: are you sure you want to go? Wouldn’t it be way more comfortable and easy to just stay home? The nice thing is that the answer to both questions is yes. Yes, it would be easier to just stay home, but also yes I want to go traveling and have an adventure.
The freedom of the unknown
So many times we can worry about making a wrong decision or that things aren’t going the way they should. It’s so easy to beat yourself up when a choice didn’t work out as planned. Getting frustrated or angry when things go wrong.
Booked
A few week I had been doubting if I should travel again. Work is busier than ever before and life is very comfortable most of the time. And it’s exactly that second point that motivated me to start looking at flights again. Being in the comfort zone is nice, it’s easy. You know what to expect mostly from the days and weeks to come. The routine makes it relatively predictable. And how much I enjoy that, part of me longs for adventure.
At a coffee place
I sit all the way in the back of a narrow long coffee place. At the other seats people are socializing, studying or working. On the small table in front of me I have a chai latte and my notebook. The notebook is dark red, has an icon of the universe at the front and the pages have golden borders. I got it on one of my previous journeys and I use it to write down my thoughts. My ideas about business and life and the things that keep my mind busy. Writing them down helps me process my own thinking and keep inspiration for later.
Sitting in a coffee place with a hot drink and a notebook and pen is one of my favorite things in the world. Present in the moment, relaxing and being creative at the same time. Wherever I am, I love being in a good coffee place.
Back in California
It’s Wednesday afternoon. I drove about 700 miles yesterday and another 250 miles this morning. By now I’m a bit tired, but also glad I made it back to California. A few more days until my flight home, so it’s nice that I can relax a bit before that.