Our Moving Journey Journal : Catching Up- May & June

Hello blog family,

This weekend is the 4th of July, and my boyfriend and I are going away! I can't wait to share our amazing trip with all of you when I get back. For now, here's what I was up to in late May and June.

I absolutely love living in California, and right now I am probably the happiest I've ever been. Still, the hardest part about not living at home is being away from my Mom. She really is my best friend and my rock. Every year since I left Pennsylvania my Mom has made a trip to see me over Memorial Day weekend. We had another great holiday weekend spending quality time together in California! We went back to the Crystal Cathedral, got new shoes from the Asics headquarters, picked fresh lemons, enjoyed wine by the fireplace, dipped our feet in the pool, ate a vegan dinner, went to the beach and relaxed, had beignets and watched the fireworks in Downtown Disney, and ate fresh food at the farmers market. I loved being able to share my favorite things about my life here in California with her. We had an amazing time, and I was super sad to see her leave. Until next time Mom <3.

One of my favorite things to do in Orange County is to grab some delicious food and enjoy a walk along the beach to watch the sunset. The weekend after my Mom left, my boyfriend and I were both really craving a fresh lobster roll. I found a place located across the street from the ocean in Laguna Beach called Slapfish that we just had to try. It was a perfect meal followed by a perfect walk along the beach to watch the sunset over the ocean. Heisler Park is a great place in Laguna that has trails along the beach and also includes some lookout points that would be great for photos. The following weekend we had the same idea and went to a great little Italian restaurant called Cucina Alessa across the street from the ocean in Newport Beach. Dinner, drinks, and the ambiance were great. After dinner we walked across the street and sat on our blanket to watch the sunset. California truly has the most incredible sunsets. I will never get tired of sitting in the sand and watching the sun disappear into the ocean.

Every year in early June you can experience the OC Night Market held at the OC fair grounds. Admission was $5 per person and parking was $7. Once inside there were booths with many different types of Asian food. We first walked around to see all of our options before we decided what to order. We started with a lobster roll and garlic crab fries. Next we got some sushi and salmon poke. Along with a beer, we got a chocolate waffle and Korean dumplings. For our last round of food we ordered an uniq-ice cream cone and a cronut filled with Oreo ice cream. All of the food was delicious, but I felt it was overpriced. The lines were also ridiculously long especially as it started to get dark. I'm glad we experienced the OC Night Market at least once, but I probably wouldn't go back again next year.

Last weekend we decided to go on a strenuous hike in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. We parked in the lot by gate #7 off of Laguna Canyon Road. There was plenty of parking available on a Saturday, just make sure you leave by 5PM or you may get locked in. Parking was $3 for the day. We started by taking Big Bend Trail which was pretty difficult. It was uphill the entire way. It also happened to be in the 90's the day we went, so it was hard to breath. Luckily when we got to the top, we could feel the ocean breeze which cooled us down. We then took Boomer Ridge to Boat Road. Both were fairly difficult but manageable. The trail isn't anything special. There were no trees or interesting things to look at, but the view of the coast at the end is amazing! You can see all of Laguna and Newport even on a hazy day. This would be a great place to watch the sunset, so I will definitely be back for that. By the time we got back to the car we had hiked about 8 miles. This was a great hike, but definitely not for beginners.