Never would I ever have thought that I would fly over 10 hours across the Atlantic ocean just for a three-day holiday. Well, I just did that – and it’s actually possible.
The summer season is coming to an end, and before I get into the autumn mood with my jumpers and hot chocolate with marshmallows, I joined my parents with my remaining days of annual leave for a quick trip to America.
Trading London’s chilly weather and grey skies for the scorching Californian sunshine, I packed my tiny suitcase to visit Los Angeles, San Francisco and Malibu all in the same trip.
At first – like many would have – I hesitated to spend hundreds of pounds on a flight ticket and fly for half a day just to be there for a few days. But as per my New Year’s resolution list, I wanted to be more spontaneous and say ‘yes’ to things that I wouldn’t normally agree to.
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Instead of the typical sightseeing activities a tourist would do in LA, going to In-N-Out and IHOP or trying the viral $20 (£14.72) smoothie from Erewhon, we decided to use these three days to travel to the other nearby cities – which were San Francisco and Malibu. Very random, I’d say so myself.
I arrived into Los Angeles International Airport at 6pm, a 12-hour journey from London Heathrow. At least with the time difference, it became a three-hour flight. It’s crazy how time works differently depending on where you are, right?
The next day, we woke up at 4am – which, with the jet lag at the time, it wasn’t an issue – and drove almost six hours to San Francisco. The vibes reminded me of New York, and I couldn’t believe how the weather suddenly changed from 31 degrees Celsius to a chilly 19 degrees Celsius.
Our main goal was to see the Golden Gate Bridge. I would only see that in movies and postcards, and the fact that I was able to see it in real life was a bucket-list check moment. Then, we drove around the city and saw the Palace of Fine Arts and Fisherman’s Wharf, until it was time to drive for another six hours back to Los Angeles.
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The next day, we decided to stay in the city. We had a packed day, and I wanted to ensure that we didn’t miss anything that would make us seem we hadn’t been in LA. Places like the Beverly Hills, the Walk of Fame, the Capitol Records, The Grove, and, of course, seeing the Hollywood sign.
All I’m going to say is that if we didn’t have a car, none of this would’ve been possible. I also got to try the infamous Crumbl cookies, and let me tell you, it’s not worth the hype nor the price tag.
With a flight at 11pm, we woke up bright and early for the last day and drove to Malibu. It wasn’t that long of a car ride, but the holiday blues started to kick in. The perfect weather with the windows down and playing Miley Cyrus’ Malibu tune – we even passed across the Sherbet Homes on the Pacific Coast Highway. It honestly felt like a dream.
It was a long journey and road trips involved, but it was completely worth it. Although I wish we spent more time in each city, since the landmarks are far from each other, I still enjoyed seeing different places and vibes – and even a weather change. Plus, you don’t realise how big the US is as a whole until you’re there.
This trip wasn’t the typical ‘California Girls’ holiday, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. I got to see three different cities with completely different environments and weather changes, and although the jet lag has been a struggle to cope with, I’ve made a lot of good memories. This is definitely the summer I became the most spontaneous.
So, if you’re looking for a motivation push for some spontaneity or ever wondered if it’s possible to visit the US in less than a week, it is. Of course, it really depends on what you’re looking to do and if you have access to a car, which I highly suggest.
