Letting go in California

Do you know that feeling? You feel really comfortable somewhere, have met great people and seen the most beautiful landscapes. And then suddenly you have to leave all this greatness behind. Ouch, that hurts...that's how I feel right now sitting at the airport on my way to New Orleans, leaving California behind. I'm sure New Orleans will also be a great experience. Nevertheless, I am slowly realizing that my trip is coming to an end and I had an incredibly amazing time in California that will be hard to top.

After the incredibly beautiful impressions on the Pacific coast, I went to my 2 favorite hosts in Oxnard, hoping to explore more of Santa Barbara this time. But unfortunately, that was a failed attempt, it seems like fate didn't want me to see the area around Santa Barbara. Harry and Ryan did their best and tried to drive with me from Oxnard to Santa Barbara, but the circumstances were against us: We were stuck in traffic for 2 hours on the way to Santa Barbara, only to find out that the highway was closed and there was no access to Santa Barbara. Although the fires seemed to be more under control, it was still not enough to allow permanent access to the city. It's a shame, especially for the residents in and around Santa Barbara. They simply do not know when or if they can permanently return to their homes. If they can be in their homes, they are also constantly exposed to smoke. Unfortunately, living in paradise comes at a high price in this case :(. Nevertheless, we made the best of the weekend, because it's never boring with the guys. We tried different California breweries, tried delicious California food and went wine tasting. California has some great wine regions and I have to say, the wine is really great! All that sunshine pays off not only with happy people but also with super wine. We also visited Ventura. Ventura is also a small, very cute coastal town that was completely engulfed in flames during my last stay in Oxnard. I was amazed at how good Ventura looked again. Although there was still some smoke over the city, everything seemed to be functioning normally again. The residents of Ventura seemed to be living and working there as usual, and we were even able to enjoy some time at the beach.

Ryan and Harry were just super nice to me, unbelievable. They cooked for me, showed me how to brew beer, which are the best American movies, and how to make the most of beach life. Oxnard, their hometown, is simply a dream and their way of life is totally enviable. Just imagine, relaxing on the beach every day after work or starting the weekend with surfing and swimming...amazing. It was simply a great experience to live in a Californian city and meet such great people. Leaving behind this great time, the cute town, and the great guys really hurts. Sometimes you just have this wonderful feeling of belonging somewhere and never wanting to leave. It's a pity that I have to move on, but you never know, maybe I can emigrate later, at the latest when I retire, and hopefully stay in touch with the guys.

After the amazing weekend in Oxnard, I went to Los Angeles one last time, as my flight to New Orleans leaves from here. I am definitely still impressed by L.A. The landscape around this city is beautiful and there are soooo many opportunities to do things. Especially my beloved sport is so much fun at the beach, with lots of sun and mountains in the background. It also hurt to realize that this will probably be my last workout next to all the sports enthusiasts in L.A. So I really enjoyed the sunset at the beach even more.

In my melancholy, I wanted to get into the Christmas spirit, which worked wonderfully in L.A. (except for the warm weather). Have you ever heard of Candy Cane Lane? It is a street in L.A. that is closed to traffic during the Christmas season and only accessible to pedestrians. It is full of lights and wonderfully decorated for Christmas, with one decorated house topping the next. Christmas music is playing and Santa is on the street for a meet and greet with his sleigh. It's all very cheesy, but beautiful and incredibly elaborately designed. If you don't get into the Christmas spirit there, it's your own fault.

And my Airbnb in L.A. was perfect for me too. It was a shared room with not the most restful sleep, BUT the Airbnb had a gym attached that you could use for free. What a great idea, I enjoyed it!

Since I am absolutely not a fashion and glamour person, I never thought that L.A. could impress me so much. Even though many others talk negatively about L.A., I thought this is not my city. But I was wrong, L.A. really managed to impress me. Only the people living here are not necessarily the friendliest ;) Anne said it so nicely: You really can't rely on the travel tips of others! Without testing it yourself, you can't judge a city. In this sense, be sure to take a closer look at the world yourself, it's worth it =)

However, I can warn you: Letting go of such beautiful cities, moments, and people really hurts.