Reflections on Three Years of Living in California

Over the last three years, California has been so much more than just the place I call home; it has become one of my favorite, most beloved destinations on the entire planet.

California is an incredibly diverse place, in terms of the people that live here, the colorful cultures they’ve brought with them, and the amazing natural landscapes.

There aren’t too many places that can boast about their epic mountain ranges, alpine lakes, rugged deserts, towering redwood trees, dramatic coastline, fertile farmlands, white sand beaches, and vibrant cities…but California does it easily.

With our move to Austin, Texas coming up, I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting on the past three years and the many adventures we’ve had here in California.

Today, I’m looking back at not just all of the places we’ve visited in California (there are a LOT) but also the most special moments from our time here. Let’s take a walk down memory lane…

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All the destinations in California we’ve visited…

Some of the destinations we’ve visited in California are difficult to quantify, as in many cases we’ve focused more on exploring the region as a whole rather than the specific cities (example: Sonoma County, where we’ve visited five cities but usually focus on rural areas where the wineries are located).

That said, there are least 30 distinct destinations on this list!

• San Jose (Duh, we lived here! We also visited pretty much the entire greater South Bay/Silicon Valley area: Palo Alto, Mountain View, Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Santa Clara, Cupertino…)
• San Francisco
• Sausalito
• Oakland
• Carmel-by-the-Sea
• Santa Cruz Mountains (Including Big Basin Redwoods State Park)
• Santa Cruz
• Pescadero
• Half Moon Bay
• Montara
• Livermore / Pleasanton
• Sonoma County (Sonoma, Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Kenwood)
• Napa Valley (Calistoga, Napa)
• Big Sur
• San Luis Obispo
• Los Angeles
• Universal Studios / The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Yosemite
• Bodega Bay
• Gualala

(Side note: Before moving to California, we had previously visited Lake Tahoe and San Diego).

We definitely racked up a lot of these destinations in 2018, when Derek and I set a goal to travel somewhere new in California every month. That was SUCH a fun year!

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Favorite memories from 3 years in California

Narrowing down that HUGE list of destinations above into our top favorites is certainly a challenge…but then again, these few memories really do stand out for a reason. When I look back on our time in California, these destinations and experiences will be the very first to come to mind.

1. Spending a long weekend in Yosemite

Yosemite was the number one destination on our California bucket list when Derek and I first moved out here, but it ended up taking us just over two years to finally make the trip.

My friends, it was BEYOND worth it. I know this is a bold claim, but I’d venture to say that Yosemite is the single most impressive and memorable place I’ve visited in all of California. It’s just like nothing I’ve ever seen before; the mountains, trees, waterfalls, and rivers are all so powerful, grand, and wild within the park boundaries.

Waking up with the sun—when the valley floor was still cool and misty—then hiking to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls and seeing the sheer size and scale of the park below will live on as one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever done.

I also really loved our stay at Yosemite Valley Lodge, right smack dab in the middle of Yosemite Valley. Sleeping inside the national park (rather than one of the small towns outside the park) was such a good decision. Worth every penny!

2. REALLY exploring California’s wine culture

I’ve always enjoyed indulging in a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, but my passion for wine reached all new heights when we moved to California. We’ve made it a priority to make the drive out to wine county a few times each year, and we’ve payed countless visits to our local wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

I can’t even begin to guess how many hours we’ve spent soaking in the views and sipping glass after glass of Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon at the tasting rooms just 20 minutes from our house.

Napa and Sonoma quickly became two of our favorite weekend getaway destinations, though we’ve also loved discovering lesser known wine regions like Livermore and San Luis Obispo.

You can read about some of our adventures in California’s various wine regions on my Wine Travel page.

3. Discovering the wild, natural beauty of Big Sur

This was the second paragraph of my Big Sur travel guide:

“You drive through redwood forests and over historic bridges, darting through patches of fog and chasing glimmers of golden sunlight. It occurs to you that you haven’t seen a restaurant, storefront, hotel, rest stop, or gas station for miles and miles…maybe not since Monterey. All of the while, the crashing blue waves of the Pacific are right there below you, ravaging the rocky shores.”

If that doesn’t sum up the magic of road-tripping down the Big Sur coast, I’m not sure what does!

During our two days in this rugged and remote region, we bid adieu to cell service and city living, and said hello to foggy coastlines, rustic accommodations, and hair-raising twists and turns along Highway One.

We hiked, we rested, we connected with nature, and we savored every delicious moment of it. To put it simply, Big Sur is pure, untouched magic…and I hope it always stays exactly the way it is now.

4. “Glamping” in some seriously scenic locations

Speaking of Big Sur, that trip was the first time Derek and I truly experienced the thrill of “glamping.”

Sure, we had stayed in some pretty unique accommodations in the past…but nothing quite so unusual as a two-story, hand-woven Twig Hut perched among the forested hills of Big Sur!

Sleeping in the Twig Hut at Treebones was an experience, to say the least. The structure contains a small round futon pad, but we supplied our own sleeping bag and pillows. We also received an unexpected late-night visit from a gigantic raccoon!

But in exchange for roughing it a bit, we were able to fall asleep to the sound of the Pacific Ocean each night, and wake up surrounded by the beauty of the central California coast every morning. Armed with fuzzy socks, good flannels and an extra blanket, we were as cozy as we could be!

We also had a memorable stay in a treehouse on a Northern California vineyard, less than an hour from our home. Unlike the Twig Hut, the treehouse came with an actual (comfortable!) bed, as well as electricity, WiFi, and a space heater.

The views were amazing; not only did we have miles of forests and rolling vineyards below us, but we were also high enough to see the way to Monterey Bay. It was definitely one of the most peaceful, special getaways I’ve ever experienced.

5. Quiet moments on the foggy Northern California coast

Northern California’s coastline is my happy place. It doesn’t matter which stretch of coastline exactly; anywhere north of Monterey will do the trick for me.

Growing up on the East Coast, “beach days” for me always looked like this: flat, sandy shores dotted with colorful umbrellas and coolers; plenty of sunshine and hot, humid weather; and the smell of sunscreen, sweat, and warm beer in the air.

Three years of living in Northern California has reshaped the way I think about “beach days.”

Now, a trip to the coast means dense fog that rolls in and blankets the entire landscape in shades of gray and white; dramatic, rocky cliffs that are pounded by powerful waves; bottles of red wine and seafood stews; thick sweaters to protect against the damp air and chilly sea spray.

…and I LOVE it. I can’t even begin to count the number of times Derek and I have driven over the hills to the small towns that dot the NorCal coast, like Half Moon Bay and Montara.

As for those occasions when you get lucky, and arrive to a beautiful blue-bird day on the coast? That’s its own kind of magic.

Derek and I actually chose to say goodbye to California last weekend with one final visit to Half Moon Bay.

We sat on the grassy ledge overlooking the beach below, and I closed my eyes as I felt the wind blowing through my hair, the small yellow flowers rustling against my skin, and the dampness of the sea in the air. I listened to the waves crashing, and took note of the markings and lines on the cliff faces.

As I did this, I reflected on the past three years. I thanked California for all of the experiences I’ve had, for the memories I’ve made, and—most importantly—for the ways that living here has enabled me to grow.

Then I said my final goodbyes to the place I’ve come to love more deeply than anywhere else I’ve lived in my 28 years on this planet.

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California, you will always hold a special place in my heart. Texas, I’m ready for the next chapter. ❤️✈️