Land of Life and Beauty.

Well, I finally put this semester break to good use. John and I road tripped to California and man oh, man, did it have an effect on me. I had no idea what I would see and discover about the world and myself. Here's a day to day account of our journey.


Day One: West Texas
I don't know if there's really anything to say about west Texas. The people are friendly and the steak is great! Other than that, it's nothing for miles and miles and miles.

Day Two: New Mexico
I spent most of the day driving through New Mexico. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Mountains slowly come into view and the hills are sprinkled with tiny towns. We stopped in Albuquerque for some car maintenance and while we were there, we decided to hit up their museum of natural history. We watched a short film in the planetarium about the search for other  habitable planets in the universe. It stirred up some subjects I hadn't really thought about since childhood: Are we really the only life forms in all of everything? Is our existence THAT much of a fluke? What would the other life forms be like? How advanced would their civilization be? The film was optimistic about 2013 being a great year for discovery so I plan to keep watching the Internet for exciting things.

After the museum, we drove until we decided to rest in Flagstaff, Arizona and this is what we woke to see:

Day Three: The Grand Canyon, The Hoover Dam, and Vegas

I still have yet to see the Grand Canyon. The fog was so dense we couldn't see much of anything. I did, however, see this awesome cat sculpture! 

After moar driving (SO. MUCH. DRIVING.), we came across the Hoover Dam, which is probably the most massive man-made structure I've ever seen. We drove over a new bridge that looks like something out of Lord of the Rings. John and I decided that it reminds us of the statues of Argonath. If that doesn't put the size of the bridge in perspective for you, then I can't help you. It's huge. 

If you've never seen the Hoover Dam before, here you go! 

VEGAS. Vegas was a surprise for me. I had never seen why people were so fascinated with the place. It seemed like a place of shallow consumerism and irresponsibility. The closer we got, the more excited I became. On the strip, anything you can imagine can be brought to life. Everything is extravagant. Everything. Las Vegas is definitely a sight for everyone to see at least once. We stayed the night at the Bellagio, which is one of the casinos featured in Ocean's Eleven. Like any good tourists, we watched it that evening. The fountains out front put on a show every thirty minutes. The fountains are synchronized with music that you can tune into on the television and it's pretty spectacular. Here's the view from our window: 

NUTS, right? I couldn't believe how awesome everything was. I'd definitely visit again! 

Days Four-Seven: Los Angeles, California. AKA Heaven. 

I spent my life hearing how amazing California is and listening to musicians dream about the beauty and opportunity that can be found there. I figured it was probably overrated, but I wanted to see it for myself, especially after hearing what my lovely former roommate had to say about her formative years spent in L.A. I was excited, but nowhere near prepared for the beauty of this place. One minute you're in a desert and the next, you're in the midst of lush, green vegetation. The vibe in L.A. is something else entirely. From the moment you enter the city, you feel the hope, the drive, and the acceptance that L.A. brings. It's a city where you can truly be yourself. 

The first stop we made was Venice Beach. If there is any place that I can feel right at home, it is Venice. Even though it was foggy and cold, Venice was packed with people of all sorts. There were people surfing on waves you couldn't even see, people selling art, people making music, and all sorts of other things. If you're an artist of any sort, Venice is the place to go for inspiration and publicity. Here's a tiny taste of the things I saw: 

One must-do for California visitors: Take a drive through the hills of Malibu. Everything is green, even in January! The houses that dot the hills are beautiful and every turn brings new delights for your eyeballs. And the sunsets. Words do not do the sunsets justice. Pictures do not do the sunsets justice. All I can say is if I got to look out over the Pacific Ocean stretching out into infinity with the sun sinking over the edge, sending out rays of neon colors every day, I would have an entirely different outlook on life. 

California sends a different message than Texas. Growing up in Texas, you're taught that what's important is being larger than life and that climbing the ladder of success is the only route to happiness. California teaches you what real beauty is. It teaches you that there are bigger, better things out there than doing what you're told.

If you wake up to this every morning, I don't know how you could ever be unhappy. I just don't. 

The original plan was to head to Costa Rica, but sometimes, plans change. Although I still haven't left the country, I've seen that America still has beauty. I have no regrets about this trip at all. It opened my eyes to the fact that you can live life the way you want to. You don't have to suffer just to live comfortably. You know the phrase, "If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?" Still relevant. Everyone's going to college, to grad school, and then to careers that suck the life out of life. I'm not going to jump off that bridge with everyone else. I'll finish my degree, but after that, I will live my life. I don't want to work my life.

I got to visit with an old friend who continues to be a role model of mine. I was surprised when the Internet told me she was moving to California. After seeing all of her pictures and posts about being in California, I was DYING to talk to her about her experiences. She's having the time of her life and she isn't hiding it. She's succeeding in following her dreams and I have seriously never seen someone smile so much! Her bravery has inspired me to break the mold and to just go for things that I want. 

Forcing myself to leave California was one of the more difficult things I've had to do in my life. I'll be back. I hope to live there for a few years, at least, but we'll see where life takes me. I live my life in pencil, you see.

If you've ever watched the show Six Feet Under, I'm sure you're familiar with the song that plays in the very last episode: "Breathe Me" by Sia. I really identified with the character Claire, who is a young girl about my age, searching for the same answers and meaning to life and work as I am. This song was played as she left L.A.

"Breathe Me"

 My boyfriend played it as we left and it brought me to tears. Leaving was so hard. I didn't want to come back to Texas life. I wanted to stay there forever. I love so many people here, but I will miss the opportunity and glory of California. But I will be back. One day. 

Texas, you may have my body. California, you have my heart and soul.