Coast to Coast

As part one of my travel adventures has officially drawn to a close, I finally have a moment to catch my breath, enjoy the luxurious screen real estate afforded to me by my laptop (sorry, iPad), sort through the pictures, movies, the memories, all the moments shared and reflect upon the last few weeks away from home.

After I made the difficult decision to not travel overseas, I hit a huge road block. In the back of my mind, I knew that there were things to do, places to see, and family and friends who I wanted to spend time with. I sat around for ages trying to find the right time to leave my work, book tickets and travel. But all the while, I wanted something different. I craved something adventurous. And so I planned my travels with a delicious twist - my great epic plan would involve a series of one-way tickets so that I could hop around the country.

I kicked off my travels with a whirlwind weekend in my city by the Bay. In 3 days, I tackled my first food truck festival, ventured down to South Bay, ate yummy izakaya, and was able to spend time with the best of company. After taking a redeye to DC (never again), I met up with my cousin and li'l bro from my fraternity. Hanging out with my li'l bro always brings back fond memories as if we had never skipped a beat. Love that kid. DC was a ton of fun. There's just something about urban living that speaks to me. The touristy things are fun, no doubt. I loved spending hours upon hours getting lost in the Smithsonian. The amount of information was completely overwhelming. I guess I'm finally at that age or maturity level where I'm able to appreciate such things! My favorite memories were crafted from the times when I'd walk down the street to the nearest Whole Foods Market or when I'd wander aimlessly throughout the city, happen upon a local bookstore or cafe, or when I'd simply meet up with my li'l bro for a study session. The food was fantastic. It was my first time trying Afghani, Turkish and African cuisines. I loved the Mediterranean delicacies as well as my extended foray into Ethiopian foods. I even ended up extending my stay by about a week (first time ever to do so!) which turned out to be a great decision as I had somehow canceled my flight back home a few weeks prior. Otherwise, I would have turned up in the airport at Newark without a flight back home!

I did some major work on my bucket list as I was treated to my very first outdoor music festival (thanks so so much, Kaythi!). It was chilly and wet but after the 6 hour musical journey concluded--I couldn't be more satisfied! Dancing and singing always manages to warm the soul. I had an awesome date visiting the zoo and exploring the city. I roadtripped up to NYC and hung out with friends from Cali, OKC, and Florida! I was able to celebrate my li'l bro's birthday with him in the Hamptons with my amazing family. I beatboxed and rapped "wheels on the bus" on a bus. I bought my first scalped ticket for a concert and I baked macaroons with my awesome cousin! All in all, I made some awesome memories, met new friends, grew closer to old ones, and reconnected with others.

I can't wait to see where my travels take me next. 4 weeks. Orlando, Vegas, SF, SJ, DC and NYC. See ya on the flip side.