After our weekend in San Fran, Alaina and I traveled a few hours south to San Luis Obispo, where Alaina teaches at Cal Poly University. When we arrived close to midnight, I woke up and instantly noticed that the entrance to Alaina’s house (really the entrance to her canyon) was marked with a sign to beware of mountain lions. I promise that I am not exaggerating. After traveling a few hours south, I felt like we were in a different world than the city of San Francisco.
Despite my initial concern over mountain lions, my few days in SLO were wonderful. I spent my time in SLO going to the beach, exploring downtown, hiking and even horseback riding. I can’t remember the last time I was on a horse. Probably when Alaina and I were in middle school. All our adventures were so fun and had the perfect balance of relaxation and adventures.
Each night we made dinner and watched movies, Friends, and Jeopardy. And yes, I do know how incredibly cool we are. I finally was able to read The Paris Wife, which I had been looking forward to reading for months. This kicked off my new fascination with Earnest Hemingway and the 1920s, but that’s another story. (Note: the dinner pictured below was our proudest meal of eggplant parm, brussel sprouts and sweet potato biscuits. Any picture I ever take of food should be credited to Caroline Merrill.)
Each night we made dinner and watched movies, Friends, and Jeopardy. And yes, I do know how incredibly cool we are. I finally was able to read The Paris Wife, which I had been looking forward to reading for months. This kicked off my new fascination with Earnest Hemingway and the 1920s, but that’s another story. (Note: the dinner pictured below was our proudest meal of eggplant parm, brussel sprouts and sweet potato biscuits. Any picture I ever take of food should be credited to Caroline Merrill.)
The most important thing about this part of my trip was the wonderfulness of spending time with Alaina. The friendship I have with this girl is one of the most treasured relationships I have. It is amazing the importance and balance that a best friend can bring to your life. If only California wasn’t so darn far away. J
Thursday afternoon we packed up and headed down the coast to LA, where Alaina dropped me off for the next phase of my trip. Arriving in LA was quite the culture shock after being in SLO. LA and I got off to a rough start after my ticket at the LAX airport. However, after I got over the ticket and picked up my friend Emily, our 24 hours in LA were much better. The highlight was definitely the Warner Brothers Studio Tour, where we saw the Friends set and Harry Potter props. Amazing.
After our short and sweet LA trip, Em and I headed to Vegas for Ali’s wedding. Vegas was a welcome quiet after LA and almost felt like going home. Which I know sounds strange but I was so ready to leave LA, we really could have gone anywhere and I would have been a happy camper.
Despite that we had just been in Vegas two months ago, this trip was incredibly different. We stayed in the north part of Vegas at the Red Rock Hotel & Casino, pretty far removed from the strip. When we arrived Friday night, we were able to meet our friend Mo and make it to the rehearsal dinner after-party. The weather was perfect on Saturday and we were able to do a little hiking at the Red Rock Canyon, only a few miles from our hotel. After the hike, we got ourselves dressed up and headed to the wedding.
From the moment Ali walked down the aisle, we all knew that her wedding was going to reflect her perfectly. The dress, the colors, the venue, the dinner, the flowers and all the details just matched Ali and Steve so well. We had an absolute blast at the wedding, catching up with old friends and making new ones. After sending Ali & Steve off in style, the entire wedding party went back to the Red Rock to continue the celebration.
On Sunday, Mo and I spent our last day in Vegas at the wedding brunch and then exploring the strip. We stayed at the Bellagio (my favorite Vegas hotel!) and just enjoyed walking and exploring on Mo’s first Vegas trip. Even though we had a fabulous time, by Monday afternoon we were definitely ready to head back to the east coast. After a few airport adventures and canceled flights, I finally made it home at midnight.
Monday night when I got home was the most exhausted I had been in quite a while. But it was totally worth it. I have been so blessed with amazing friends who love me and love adventures. And really, what else can a girl ask for?
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