California – Where Kate Resides

Sunsets in California

A lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon in Paris has brought me to reminisce through my old photos from my trip to California this past July. If there’s something I learned in my month living in California, it’s that every evening, my breath was taken away by an exquisite sunset. Sadly one month was most definitely not enough time in this wonderful place. California is known for its dreamy weather and beaches, and definitely exceeded my expectations when I was lucky enough to go there. Who knows, maybe my future will bring me back? Only time will tell.

The Happiest Place on Earth

A few weekends ago, I was lucky enough to take a trip to the happiest place on earth – DISNEYLAND!

We were unsure as to whether we should actually go. Disneyland during the summer holidays in California is mayhem! But I think we got lucky. Maybe everyone thought it was going to be busy, and did not go?

Disneyland really does seem like the happiest place on earth at some points. Everyone there has smiles on their faces.

Although I had been to Disneyland in Paris before, I had no idea about the “Hidden Mickeys” that are hidden around Disneyland and on/in the rides.
A Hidden Mickey is an image of Mickey Mouse (the shape of a head and ears silhouette, i.e. one large circle with two smaller circled on top in the appropriate place) concealed in the design of a Disney attraction.
We had loads of fun trying to find these throughout the amusement park.

Venice Beach, Los Angeles

The first thing I noticed when we arrived in Venice, was the extravagant colours. On the main promenade down by the beach, most of the buildings are screaming out for customers with vibrant colours.

Venice is known for the many performers that feature on the boardwalk. I happened to come across a dance/breakdancing performance by a group which was spectacular.
{Click here to watch performance}

Venice Beach promenade is also known for it’s “Muscle Beach”. Located here is an enclosed area with weightlifting equipment, and a sand box with gymnastic, rope climbing, and acrobatic bars.

Huntington Beach, California

This town is so beautiful. My first day to myself – I decided to bike around and explore Huntington Beach. Having been told Main St was a good place to go, I chose to go there first. Main Street is the ‘main street’ going towards the beach from inland. It is filled with shops on either side, and plenty of spots to park yourself up and relax in the shade and/or sun. At the end of the street you are met by the HB Pier. To me this was stunning. It has amazing views of the ocean and you can see how far the beach stretches down each side of the pier, both being completely packed with people. Almost every day the sky is cleared of clouds.

Every Tuesday night, Huntington Beach puts on a night farmers market – with music playing, plenty of stands to check out, and if you’re hungry, there are many options for eating.

Since being here, I have almost spent every day down by the beach. It has such a calming, enjoyable atmosphere here and I’m definitely not ready to leave yet. Glad I still have three more weeks to go!

Huntington Beach + Pier

Tuesday Night Farmers Market

Fresh Strawberries at the Market

T Minus 17 Days

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like time has been flying by lately.
After a stressful past few months, I can finally say I have everything organised for when I move to Paris. I can now relax and actually start looking forward to all the exciting opportunities coming my way.

However, trying to pack my whole life into one suitcase has proven difficult. I know i’ll get there and wish I had something that I did not take with me, but I guess thats just part of the journey of moving overseas. But let’s not forget Los Angeles. I asked myself the question “Will I buy things in LA?”, what a silly question. For those of you who know me personally, you should know that I like to shop. And what happens when you take someone to LA who likes to shop? They buy things. This means that I have to leave New Zealand without a full suitcase to allow room for all of the items I buy while i’m in America. Wish me luck!

June has been a cold and gloomy month, with constant rain, and sunshine only peaking through the clouds for only a few minutes a day. This type of weather calls for coffee dates with my closest friends. Maybe a bit too much coffee, but a coffee a day keeps the doctor away, right?
I’m longing for the Californian summer sun – where my days will be spent on the beach. 17 days to go.

California, Here I come

Today I booked my flight to Los Angeles. It’s hard to believe that in less than two months, i’ll be spending half of summer in Los Angeles, and the second half back in Europe!

I’m trying to decide what to do for the month of August. I’ll be flying back to Paris around the 3rd, but unsure what to do for that whole month! I’d love to be able to do some more travelling around Europe, it just depends on how my saving goes before I leave New Zealand.

I’ve started going through all of my things- trying to decide what I can sell. I feel like i’m a clothes horder and I don’t want to get rid of anything 😦

Trying to get everything organised for my visa for France now, fingers crossed it all runs smoothly!