California

C A L I F O N I A

Yes, the state that is expected to break off continent. (Actually that's just a myth)

But anyhow, its the beautiful state the Hubster and I went to for our vacation this past December.  Here are some of the highlights of the trip...

1. Attending an amazing wedding! The main reason we went to Cali was because the Hubster was photographing our friend's wedding. The both of us pretty much became part of the family and being a part of a fun crazy big Eritrean wedding basically consisted of dancing and partying for 3 days straight. Eritrean dance is so different and basically consists of a two step dance with a bunch of shoulder popping. For those of you who don't know, Eritrea is a country on the horn of Africa.   
2. Being spontaneous and booking random hotels off priceline.com the day of our check in. This actually was a super smart idea because we paid about $50-$60 for 3-4 star hotels each night. The best was Marriott's Residence Inn. An apartment with breakfast included all for $50? Yea, it was sweet. 
3. Visiting friends, family, and random people every single day, literally. There was this Palestinian and African American couple I saw at the wedding and then ran into the next day randomly at the San Diego Mosque. They had noticed us and we noticed them because we're both obvious interracial couples that people don't normally see. We ended up becoming really good friends and went out for coffee the next day out in Inland Empire. Then another day we were at Coronna Masjid for the Friday prayer. When I finished and turned around I ran into a friend of mine that I was in Egypt with two years ago! She was super surprised. 
4. Chilling in Venice Beach! This place is soo beautiful. You can walk along the beach which was really nice and peaceful during the day. So the city is named after Venice because Venice, Italy is known for its canals and Venice Beach in California actually has similar canals running along the coast which homes all along it. 

5. Hollywood Blvd. One word for this place: LAME.
6. Lo Jolla Coves in San Diego was a lot of fun. I met up with a good friend of mine and we just walked along the coast, looking at pretty shells and trying not to slip on the wet rocks. 

7. Eating at Diddy Riese Cookies in Westwood, LA. Now this stuff was goood stuff. Freshly baked cookies sandwiching amazing ice cream which together just melts in your mouth like Heaven on earth. mmhhm. 
8. FOOOD! We ate Eritrean food, Persian food, Chinese food, Soul food, Arab food, ... you get the point. It was soo worth!

All in all it was a wonderful trip filled with meeting people, partying, experiencing scenic views, and just having a good time!