Girl Meets Beach (and Steinbeck)

Hi guys!! I'm so excited that it's September now!!! I seriously love September (partly because it's my birthday month) and the transition into fall. It's kind of needed because my mom threw away my pair of flat sandals. It feels weird wearing platform heels to school. . . even if it's just 1 or 2 inches (and absolutely doesn't click). Fall shoe shopping is always fun :) It was Labor Day weekend and I went to Monterey! If you remember I went to Monterey a while back with J. It's beautiful especially right now (and warm enough to wear shorts thank goodness). I love the beach and just standing with my feet under the sand. So instead of me blabbing about how wonderful the escape was, here are photos (and hopefully some nice captions). I made a new label because it turns out I go some interesting places. The weekday is hectic so I don't know how regular posts are going to be (it upsets me so much too...). Continue reading to find out more about my trip :) 

The journey began with a 2 hour long drive to Monterey. Our first destination was Carmel and this beautiful and old Catholic church built by Junipero Serra. These four shots only capture a fraction of the beauty. I felt disrespectful taking pictures inside a place of sanctity and holiness so there really aren't that many more pictures. My favorite shot is probably the one of the bees and lavender. I love bees especially after reading this article about how important bees are, but I'll save that for another post. There were the most adorable bus stops in Carmel but I didn't have the chance to snap a picture, unfortunately. It's not online either :( 

There were so many pretty signs in Monterey and Carmel. Here are a couple. 

I interacted with so much nature on this trip. From the seaweed tangling my feet to the little squirrel that followed my grandma around. There was a lot of wildlife that I had expected like the sea lions and sea gulls and the ones that I was awed by, like that little deer on the golf courses. There are so many golf courses in Monterey. I guess playing golf by the soft, white sand and the crashing waves is relaxing. 

This is probably my favorite collage. I love the beach from the way the sand feels on my bare toes to the sea gulls gawking above my head. It's nice to take off your shoes and wander along the sand. I love taking pictures of weird things - like signs and footprints. The beach is such a perfect getaway even if I can't unravel a towel and sun tan (with a parasol above my head. I hate getting tan). This was a really relaxing way to spend part of my long weekend. I slept so soundly on my sofa bed with my face mask on :) those are really the best! Thank you muddypanda.blogspot.com! 

Here are some more random pictures of the bay! 

 I had to take a selfie because I love my red jacket so much. 

Hehe. this effect was really cool. I was fisheye! you wish your phone was as cool as mine ;) 

Nott instagram! But it made my photo look sooo cool!

Omg my favorite book ever.

in front of the museum!

Sorry these photos are so blurry. My dad isn't great at taking photos with my new phone hehe. 

All of Steinbeck's books omg so cool. Sorry, I'm a huge English nerd. 

I thought this was really adorable..

Now you may be wondering where Steinbeck comes in. He is one of my very favorite authors. He lived in Salinas which is 30 minutes away from Monterey. My parents booked a hotel there so it was the perfect opportunity to go visit the National Center created for him. It was so fun to learn about him and see all the books that he wrote. The museum is super interactive and it reminded me of the warm feeling I got at the Metropolitan Museum for Art. I should definitely go to more museums. It's funny to think about how much I hated museums growing up. After visiting his museum and learning a whole lot, I went to an antique store. I think I should've been born in the 1960s.... I love vintage stuff. The antique store was SO EXPENSIVE though. :( 

I wanted to buy some glass bottles but a las... $18 for one jar is too much :< 

I saw a typewriter at Steinbeck's museum and really wanted to buy one for decoration lol. I'm obsessed with vintage stuff. 

Thanks for coming all the end to my post! It was a much needed vacation and I hope all you guys had a great weekend too :) See you soon!