An East Coast fall season can be defined as chilly weather, crunchy leaves, and an abundance of sweaters. But what happens when a native East Coaster takes on the autumn season in California? Through my experiences, continuous shock in change of lifestyle ensued as I took a short trip to visit the renowned city of San Diego. Three days, a million places to see, and a significant time difference. It sounds hard but anything is possible under the California sun.

The beginning of a vacation means that there are endless possibilities. On Thursday morning, I commenced my trip by heading to the neighborhood of Hillcrest. The area is known for its predominantly gay community and is also home to some of the best restaurants in the city. Breakfast is a great place to start, especially at Snooze. Lovers of breakfast food will drool at the long list of sweet and savory dishes to start off the day. For my meal, I ordered eggs, hash browns, and bacon, and was far from disappointed. As one who is constantly concerned when and what my next meal will be, this pleasantly shut me up for at least an hour. Snooze essentially is breakfast heaven and after eating here, I did not want to come back to earth.

Always start a vacation with something great, and you will feel confident for the rest of your trip. The San Diego Zoo served as my first official outing in the city. Despite a pricey admission, the universally celebrated zoo lived up to expectations. Throughout the day, I experienced many impressive and personal moments with animals as I watched them live their everyday lives. Volunteers throughout the zoo helped in giving more information on the enclosures, as well as the zoo itself. A quick ride over the park in a gondola was peaceful and a great way to not only see the zoo, but the entire city of San Diego as well. I may have overestimated my abilities a little bit, and struggled to see everything over a span of five hours. The zoo can justifiably be referred to as extensive, considering that the entire park spans over ninety-nine acres of land. After walking for hours around the many exhibits, I still became acquainted with most of San Diego’s most respected citizens; the animals of the San Diego Zoo.

Never be ashamed to embrace the role of a tourist. I lived by this mantra when I headed down to Old Town to end off a great first day. The area is filled with period style Spanish homes and many shops that are representative of San Diego in the 1800s. Although it was clear that I was one of many tourists, I still enjoyed a little bit of historic San Diego. During my exploration of Old Town, I was let in on the fact that the city is often referred to as the birthplace of California. Spanish influences carry up from Mexico, which is less than two hours away from the city of San Diego. To tie together a great first day and a rewarding history lesson, I indulged in some Mexican food from one of the many restaurants and enjoyed the music of a local mariachi band.
A trip to California is not complete without a visit to the beach. Each beach in San Diego is different, so I confidently took on the task of exploring as many as I could in my remaining time. Friday morning, I headed to Pacific Beach for breakfast and a quick morning walk. I started the day off at Mad Beet, a mad-good spot for acai bowls. The little counter on the street bases its creation’s names of famous figures in pop culture and blasts nineties rap music to invent a creative atmosphere for customers. California is definitely the best place to try one of these bowls, especially if you are new to them. They are filled with healthy attributes, but still have the consistency and taste of a sweet ice cream. Trust me, I am in complete support of ice cream for breakfast. I took my Beyoncai bowl with me to the beach and enjoyed October 6th by sitting by the ocean in shorts and a light shirt. In order to get a feel for the area, I did a fair share of people watching and dipped my toes in the Pacific Ocean afterwards. Pacific Beach was beautiful in its own way, but was nothing compared to other beaches I would visit later.

Starting your day off in a great way only presents a new challenge of ending it even better. Accept the challenge! Coronado Beach landed next on my list of must-see places. With just a quick drive over the bridge, I was in a whole new area. The downtown is very lively and the surrounding neighborhood has a suburbia vibe to it. The architectural gem of the island can be found in Hotel del Coronado, which sits on the coastline. I stopped for a great burger at one of the hotel’s more casual restaurants, but was in a hurry to see the magnificent beach. The pine trees are juxtaposed against the mountains and beach in the background, and the water shimmers gold from the mineral mica. It may just possibly be the closest thing to perfection.

Refuse to look at your last day as a negative thing. La Jolla bound, I started the day with a positive outlook, a little bit of sadness, and certain nervousness for the kayak tour I had planned. Before braving the mighty sea in a plastic kayak, I stopped for breakfast at Woholle Juice Bar for yet another acai bowl and some amazing avocado toast. If that is not the most Californian sentence you have ever heard, I don’t know what is. Once I was done eating my breakfast, I finally built up enough courage to start my morning adventure and headed towards the shop where I would meet my group. We headed down to the beach and after a quick demonstration, the moment of truth was here. I set my feet into the kayak and my stomach dropped as a guide pushed me into the ocean. Gliding across the clear water, I looked below me and saw four tiger sharks swimming… and I was scared. Very scared.

Led by a middle aged native Californian and an Australian college student, at least I knew I was in good hands. We explored the reefs, spotting the bright orange Garibaldi fish and even more tiger sharks. I was captured by the beauty of the world that was the inspiration for many of Dr. Seuss’s books. My group weaved through the caves, in addition to making friends with some of the local sea lions, as they barked and played in the waters around us. Stories about the coasts of La Jolla were shared and fears were overcome. This kayaking trip reminding me, for the millionth time, of how amazing California really is. Only three thousand miles away and you are suddenly in a completely different world.

Experiences are a big part of what defines us. Treat yourself by exploring anything from the coasts of California to something more local like the streets of a nearby city, and you may be surprised in what you find. I challenge you to leave your life behind for a few days, or even a few hours, and experience a whole new lifestyle. Ready. Set. Travel.