I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity than to live with a few close friends of mine in Carmel for the fall semester. We weren’t allowed to go back to campus, but this was the best alternative I could’ve asked for (so thankful to Meera’s family for letting us stay in their house!) I loved getting to spend time with my friends and “do virtual school” with each other. And! We were only a 2 minute walk from the beach (which I never got used to). It was surreal getting to see it every day.

I’m very grateful that I got to spend the semester with other college students. It was a lot of fun hanging out in-between studying (because ya know, we didn’t spend all day at the beach), and it made focusing on my school work a lot easier. Aside from schoolwork, we spent time cooking and eating dinners together, going on walks, playing Code Names, having dance parties in the kitchen to the Hamilton soundtrack, and watching TV together. As a group, we got hooked on the TV show The Good Place (we’re almost at the finale)!

One of my favorite things to do in Carmel was walk along the coast on a road called Scenic. I loved seeing the ocean in it's many states. Some days, the skies were completely clear and the sun reflected off the ocean, making the water a beautiful turquoise-blue. Other days, the waves looked like the ones you see in surfing magazines (…massive). And other days, the ocean wasn’t visible because there was so much fog and mist in the air (but even those days were pretty). Every sunset looked different too. I was in complete awe as I watched the sky turn into different shades of yellows, oranges, pinks, purples, and blues. I had never seen such beautiful sunsets before. We also found a really great lookout spot along Scenic, where we could walk out onto the rocks and we were surrounded by waves.

There were so many moments throughout our time in Carmel where I couldn’t believe I was surrounded by such beauty. Along with these incredible sights, I’m grateful that I got a chance to slow down and take some time for myself. I spent a lot more time reflecting and thinking about what’s important to me. Before I started my day, I often took some time with God and thought about healthy mindsets that I want to have. I also spent more time doing things that truly bring me joy, like singing, cooking, going on walks and runs, spending time with friends, and journaling.

The practice of slowing down and taking time for myself is something I plan to take with me wherever I go. I think it’s important for us to take care of ourselves, no matter how crazy our life gets. While I know that it’s easier to take care of ourselves when life is less hectic, for me at least, life outside of quarantine almost always feels a bit hectic. But even in the chaos, we can create moments of calm.

This experience was absolutely incredible…I feel so grateful for it all. I’m thankful for the time I had in Carmel with my friends, and I’m thankful that we got so much out of the experience. Oh, and I’m thankful that my friends put up with my constant singing around the house ;)

Here are some pictures from our time in Carmel! All of these pictures bring back such good memories. If you haven’t already, I hope that you get a chance to visit Carmel one day.

The Beach

Daily walks along scenic

One of my favorite things to do was get outside and go on a walk. It helped give me perspective and it was also a nice time to unwind. And going on a walk along Scenic while the sun was setting was surreal.

Mission Trail Preserve

I found the Mission Trail Preserve while I was out on a run, and I’m so glad that I did because it ended up being one of my favorite spots in Carmel. I loved walking and running through the trails—they reminded me of some of the hikes close to home. I remember one day, Katia and I went on a run through the preserve and it had just rained the night before. The trees and leaves had this freshly-rained-on scent, and the leaves were vibrant yellows, oranges, greens, and reds. There was a cool breeze in the air, and we watched the leaves gently float back and forth as they fell to the ground. It felt like the definition of fall.

Katia and I started discussing all of the reasons of why we love fall (and there were many). I love fall because the trees start changing colors and everything feels a bit cozier, and I also love the foods that come along with fall (like pie, chai lattes, and pumpkin everything). Fall also brings back good memories of when I did cross country in high school. I have such fond memories of cross country practices with friends and our post-practice runs to Trader Joe’s where we ogled all the delicious looking food and got free-samples. One of our favorite Trader Joe’s treats was the fall edition pumpkin mochi.

While I know that it’s winter now, I’m curious what feelings or memories fall brings for you? What do you like about fall?

Downtown Carmel

Downtown Carmel is one of the most story-book-looking towns I have ever seen. There are so many cottage-style shops and restaurants, and they even have a candy store called the “Cottage of Sweets.” I enjoyed discovering new shops and exploring the many hidden alleyways and courtyards.

From various visits to Carmel, I’ve found a few great food spots in the area. My favorite places to eat in Carmel are Pangea (delicious fusion restaurant), Little Napoli (Italian food), Sea Harvest Fish Market (great seafood), Stationæry (neighborhood restaurant with high-quality food), Carmel Belle (nice breakfast and lunch spot with wide selection), and Cafe Luna.

The Mission

Earthbound Farms

Thanks to Donald for introducing me to the Earthbound Farm’s Farm Stand! We visited The Farm Stand, and were charmed by the cute little store which sold fresh produce and other products like candles, soaps, and cookbooks. And if you know me, you know I could spend hours looking at those things ;) Before Halloween, they set up a little pumpkin patch which was super cute too.

The streets of Carmel and visiting our neighbors, the sheep

Just hanging :)

One of the best parts of living with friends was getting to hang out a lot! Our favorite group activities were eating (gotta have your priorities), playing Just Dance, having dance parties in the kitchen, playing Code Names, watching The Good Place, and going on walks together.

I loved the fun day we had at the beach where we had a picnic and played spike ball together!

Picnic after getting soaked from the ocean ;)

Oh…and I dressed up at Shawn Mendes for Halloween

Thank you to Micaela for braiding my hair to make it look curly like Shawn’s hair, thank you to Meera for drawing Shawn’s tattoos on me, and thank you for Katia for being Camila ;) You guys allowed me let my inner-Shawn shine 😂