I have wanted to go to California for as far back as I can remember; the problem was that every time I though it was a good time to go, a supposedly “better” opportunity would arise that I would want to take advantage of for fear it may never come again. Anyways, my friend Reshma mentioned she had a conference here and I jumped on the opportunity to go with her and our friend Rahila for a long weekend. It is our last day here, and I am writing this from the balcony outside our hotel room with the most breathtaking view. Here is a quick summary of our trip so far:
Day 1: Friday
On the very first day we arrived, we explored the entire city of Los Angeles including Hollywood Boulevard and other tourist spots nearby. Since we got an extra 3 hours added and had been up for almost 24 hours, we passed out early that night after a nice trip to Santa Monica Jamatkhana where I met one of my students from Camp Legacy and a few other kind strangers who welcomed us to their city. It was also where I totally lost my voice, but it was worth it and understandable after the day we had.
Day 2: Saturday
After sleeping in a little on Saturday morning, Reshma and I did a meditation and workout led by yours truly, followed by a stroll along the sunny streets outside our hotel. We also stopped by the local thrift book shop before heading to long beach, where we would be spending the remainder of the trip. In the evening while she went to her reception for work, Rahila and I shopped until we dropped and had a lovely dinner that tasted even better on vacation.
Day 3: Sunday
On Sunday, Reshma had her conference pretty much the entire day, so Rahila and I went to the beach (aka heaven and my favorite place), and then hung out with drinks and live music- literally my dream come true! We then explored the boardwalk and all its shops and restaurants, and I didn’t even mind the treacherous tan line across the middle of my legs or my sore throat, because it was all so worth it. At night, I was dealing with personal issues and still recovering from my sore throat, so I didn’t mind skipping dinner to take care of myself.
Day 4: Monday
This was the epitome of a lazy day–I am not exaggerating when I say this. Reshma was at her conference all day again, so Rahila and I literally slept in until noon and stayed in bed eating delivery pizza ordered by my boyfriend. I took a long bath and stayed in my bathrobe for the remainder of the afternoon as we watched movies and reruns of reality shows on MTV. In the evening when Reshma got back, we finally headed out to the beach to see the sunset, and then went out with one of Reshma’s friends from work at night.
Day 5:
Today is our last day when we will finally get a chance to just explore inside and around this most beautiful hotel I’ve ever stayed at called hotel Maya, and then head back to the airport for our flights home. I think we balanced the perfect amount of fun and relaxation during this trip and other than something still being very wrong with my throat, I think I am ready to get back into the real world. I know who I am and what my life is about in God as I am his free spirit living life and loving all, and I feel it worth mentioning once again that I am sitting in the balcony of the most beautiful hotel I have ever come across during my vacation to California with my friends…life is good.
