Work Trip to LA

This past week, I had my first trip for work, and it was to Los Angeles!!! I was a bit (ok a lot) anxious about flying solo to California, but luckily the trip out went smoothly and I met up with my supervisor at the airport.

My view from the hotel room

It was a rather neutral trip, no spare time for fun (Disneyland was so close!) and I had a rough return trip. I also brought home a cold 😞 I figured the actual time out there could have been worse though, so overall a good learning experience!

Historic Philly and Valley Forge Weekend Trip

Back in October, my dad cashed in his Christmas gift certificate for a weekend trip to historic sites in Philly and Valley Forge. We had gorgeous weather, especially Saturday when we were in downtown Philadelphia. Sunday in Valley Forge was a bit colder, and unfortunately I didn't take any photos of that day. But here's some cool pics from Saturday.

Independence Hall

PA Supreme Court Chamber in Independence Hall

Assembly Room in Independence Hall - where Continental Congress declared Independence, and where the Constitution was debated and signed. 

George Washington Statue in front of Independence Hall

Congress Hall, House of Representatives Chamber

Congress Hall, Senate Chamber

Liberty Bell

We also toured the National Constitution Center there in downtown Philadelphia, where we happened to find a piece of York!

All in all, a wonderful trip exploring Philly and immersing ourselves in history!

Daytona Beach 2018

This past September, my dad and I spent most of a week at a condo complex in Daytona Beach for the first of hopefully many visits. It was a timeshare, this week being my parents' technically, although we stayed in my aunt and uncle's unit this year. I also bought a week in May starting this next year, so something to look forward to.

Our trip was partially a working vacation, so we worked Tuesday and Wednesday, but that left Saturday evening, Sunday, and Thursday morning for exploring and enjoying the beach, and we took a trip on Monday to Kennedy Space Center!

That was a fun day trip, even when the bus got stuck on the side of the road due to a wide load coming through! I didn't remember the space center at all from my childhood, so I was in awe at some of the exhibits, especially the space shuttle Atlantis.

I really look forward to this trip in the future, the September week matches up with some cousins, so it was nice to see some distant family who we don't see often. And although I prefer mountains and lakes, walking a quiet, offseason beach isn't too bad! 😜

Day 10 - Exploring Lahaina and Overnight Flight Home

On our final day, a couple of us (not me) went snorkeling at Black Rock again. Then we spent the morning packing everything up. And take some last pictures from our lanai.

Once we checked out, we decided to spend the rest of our time exploring Lahaina some more until we had to head to the airport. Of course, I decided to get a henna tattoo in honor of the three green sea turtles we just saw.

Then off to the airport for the long overnight flight home. Losing time at night was definitely tough, it took the rest of the weekend to recover.

All in all, it was a wonderful vacation to Hawaii! I honestly didn't want it to end, it was just so gorgeous and carefree. I'll definitely cherish the memories from this trip! Here's one last sunset picture for you!

💜🌴🌅

Day 9 - Surfing and Snorkeling at Black Rock

On Thursday, we added a surfing lesson for three of us! Because where else to learn to surf than Hawaii?! We were all beginners, but after a couple attempts each, we all were able to stand up for longer than a couple seconds!

 We even got surftificates!!

After a short break, we took the afternoon to properly explore the Maui Ocean Center. We saw lots of fish, eels, sharks, turtles and rays.

 

 

 

 

After another rest, we decided to go down the beach and check out the snorkeling at Black Rock. That was probably the best snorkeling we had! The coral wasn't as bright as other locations, but we saw lots of fish, some eels, and even 3 green sea turtles! Definitely a cool way to spend our last evening in Hawaii!

💜🏄🐠🌴