On September 22, I ventured on another road trip, but this time with a bit of flying involved. It took an entire month for me to really decompress about and think about the trip. It left waves of impact on my life and a realization that my heart belongs to the exploration of life.  Every state we visited had something unique and adventurous to it, and you can't really put into words what every moment meant. 


The Florida section of the trip was 21 years in the making. For years I have begged my parents to take trips to Florida because of a bit of place called Orlando. The Dodgers also used to do spring training there, and  I got to go one year, which made me extremely jealous. Last year's road trip, we were extremely close to Florida cause we drove through Georgia. September 22, 2021, was the day my Florida dreams became a reality. 

The first 3 days in Florida took place in Miami, and right after we landed, the beach was the next destination. This will go on record as the second time I've ever just jumped into the ocean and had no problem adjusting to the temperature. 

The second part of Florida and really the highlight of the trip was Orlando. Day one of Orlando's adventures was checking out the waterpark Aquatica, which was on my life bucket list ever since I saw it on the Discover channel.  I will die on this hill by saying this is one of the most fantastic waterparks in the United States. The two different lazy river experiences, one being a lounging one and the other being the experience of a wild rapid. 

The second day of Orlando, or 1.5 if you count it, involved going to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. It was here where I discovered that Florida never gets cold !! I mean, it was 1 am, and it was still hot as hell, and I was sweating like crazy. The walking was insane, and by the time I got back to our cottage house/hotel, I passed out. The following day we were back in the park exploring Islands of Adventure during the day! I got to ride the brand new Jurassic Park rollercoaster, which was incredible!!  To the greatest human alive Tonya Alexander thank you for being the ultimate ride buddie !!

Talking about the cottage, Margaritaville hotel is hands down the best place I've ever stayed and was gorgeous. Unfortunately, during the four days, we stayed there, I didn't fully explore it because I had a full schedule planned. 

The last two days in Orlando have explored the dream destination what Disney world is. Day one was Epcot/ Magic Kingdom and day two was Animal Kingdom/ Hollywood Studios. My advice after going is that you should spend a whole day at Epcot cause it's a foodie paradise. I ate at a restaurant in Japan, and it was worth every penny. The food in general in all four parks was fantastic! The alcoholic drinks, not so much, unfortunately.  The takeaways, though, were that if I lived in the area, I would be at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios all the time. The engineers of Avatar need a raise because it was singlehandedly the best ride I've ever been on!! The 50s diner restaurant I ate at in Hollywood Studios was some of the best food I ate my entire trip !! It also took me to Florida to ride the coveted Rise of the resistance ride, which I'd gladly wait 2 hours to ride again. All in all, I hope it doesn't take me another 21 years to revisit these parks, especially since I have a cousin moving over there very soon !!


New England was a dream, and now I understand the appeal of traveling there because it gives off such quaint small-town vibes. Boston was magical because it was a bustling city with so much rich history between its skyscrapers. The people were friendly, and it was just so pretty to walk through. Besides, the random cemeteries were historical tombs.  Salem is also the cutest little town you'd ever come across because of its time of year. Not many people get to say that they visited Salem during October, and I'm glad it was a part of our trip.  Maine started out rough but ended up being spectacular. I could spend a whole week exploring both Bar Harbor, Maine, and Boston, Mass. Seeing as Maine was our last stop, I soaked up as much as the Atlantic seaboard as I could. I realized life would not be the same after taking a trip like this one and understanding the weight of being 22, and having visited almost every state in the country. 

 Pennsylvania is just as I remembered it from my 8th-grade trip, and between all the big cities were beautiful suburban areas. I always thought the state was kept up from the parts I've seen and always gave off homie vibes. I'm sure I'll be back in this state one day because my brother's dream is to go to Pittsburgh for apparent reasons. The Amish country was lush and green. The people were generous and friendly. The state as a whole is entirely different from southern California. People are just so much more content with life, and it's so much more refreshing. 

One of the significant highlights of Pennsylvania was running the steps of Rocky. I recorded my mom running up the steps, and it will be etched into my memory until they say I die. I am a huge movie buff, so accomplishing this small task was a significant checkmark accomplishment on my bucket list of life. A BONUS TIP DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THE ROCKY RESTAURANT! JUST TAKE A PIC AND SAY YOU SAY IT CAUSE THE FOOD WASN'T GOOD!!
 
Another notable state was Maine because Bar Harbor is where I would drop everything to come back again. I legit walked across the ocean, which was insane to think about, and it was something that brought a smile to everyone's face. It's fitting to say one of the last meals of our trip was eating a whole lobster by the harbor. Every cute seaside town in America deserves its own nod of acknowledgment because of how cute and quaint it is. 

I could go on for another two pages of all the little things that impacted my heart in each state, but it wouldn't give it justice. I can't put into words how special it was to see the specialties of each state. 

This trip taught me that I need to expand my horizons past the state of California and have a new approach to jobs. I have struggled with dealing with failure in some way my entire life, and the job market for the career I want seems too hard to break into. I have decided to expand on specific passions and wait for the right job to come, whether out of state. When I was applying to colleges, I really wanted to go out of state, but I knew I wasn't mentally prepared yet, and now, at the age of 22, I can say I feel a lot more comfortable. I know I'll struggle to adjust, but I know God put me on this earth to explore my passions for a reason. 

I miss the new England fall weather so much, and I got to wear sweaters. I'm honestly tired of Cali being 90 every other day because I want to wear leggings and a sweater again. I miss the vibe that the east coast gave me with its small quaint neighborhoods surrounded by the big city life. I am a firm believer that Californians live in a bubble and only know a particular way of life. The United States and beautiful and vast !! Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to themselves and hasn't explored its vast expanse. I am just starting out life, and I hope to use my life knowledge in a career that keeps the adventure going!