Arriving in Los Angeles on a hot and sunny afternoon, I had that excited feeling in my stomach, like a kid on Christmas eve…I was back in one of my favourite cities in the world (that I’ve visited), and I couldn’t wait to get back into the American way of life.
We met Tash (a friend from camp) at the airport and off we went to our hostel in Santa Monica. The next week in LA was spent shopping on 3rd Street Promenade (best shops EVER), going to the movies, enjoying the rides on Santa Monica Pier, walking along the beach, experiencing the craziness that is Venice Boardwalk, endless coffees, chats and laughs, and even a tour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. We had a blast, and I was pretty sad to leave, but I know that I’ll go back again someday.
Next up was San Francisco and, after a very long and boring bus ride, we finally arrived at our hostel and crashed out for the night. The next day we got our tourist hats on and headed out to explore the city. We took in the sites at Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf, even tasting the delicacy that is Bourdin Bakery’s Sourdough Chowder bread bowl…yum! After lunch came the best treat of all, a ride on the world famous San Fran Cable Car. Exhilarating, fun, and scary (especially when speeding down some of the steepest hills I’ve ever seen), this is definitely a must do if you’re ever in the city.
After a few days seeing the sights in San Fran, we headed up to Santa Rosa to see our friend Shell (also from camp) who is living and working up there at the moment. We spent the next two days eating, laughing, chatting, and generally loving life and loving being back together again. Then it was back to San Fran for a few more days of chilling, exploring and shopping, before jumping on a night bus and making our way south again, this time all the way to San Diego.
Arriving early in the morning, we just chilled out for our first day in the city, catching up on our lost hours of sleep, and exploring the Gaslamp District where our hostel (the awesome Lucky D’s) was located. After a good night’s sleep, we headed off to San Diego Zoo, where we spent the day wandering around, marvelling at all the animals from around the world, including some of my favourites, the Polar Bears, Hippos and Gorillas.
The next day, our last full one in California, was as very important one for me…Chelsea FC were playing Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. So I settled down in the TV room in the hostel to watch what was possibly one of the most tense and thrilling games I’ve ever seen…it even went to penalties, just like back in 2008 when the boys lost to Man Utd…aaaaah. But this time luck was on the Blues’ side and…yes we WON! Yippeeeeeee! An awesome end to an awesome time in California.
So goodbye Cali, see you next time!
Roo Around The World 
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