Travel Vlog: California, Iowa, Omaha
I went to the West Coast and back in this vlog! In it, I enjoy California, relax at home in Iowa, and wrap up in Omaha~
California
I spent a week in the Los Angeles area - the weather was perfect to visit family and have fun! The purpose of the trip was to celebrate my brother’s promotion. Since that’s private, I didn’t include any clips of it in the vlog, but that was truly an incredible day! We used to have yearly trips where everyone on my mom’s side of the family would visit, but due to COVID and my grandparents declining health we had to stop. After this celebration my family were all in agreement to start the trips up again! (the toughest challenge is coordinating everyone).
Aside from that, I had a few days to visit Hollywood and the Los Angeles area! One of the highlights was going to Disneyland. We went on a day that was a bit drizzly, so that kept the crowds down. If it was busier than that though, I think my social anxiety would’ve kicked in big time. My last ride of the day was Space Mountain. It was one of my goals to ride it, but damn it, it was hard waiting for two hours when the ride kept breaking down! Space Mountain was doing a special Star Wars theme that day because a new Star Wars ride opened. I had a lot of fun with the ride, but it felt too short to me. When we got off, my family greeted us and my mother got me my other goal: a raspberry rose macaron.
The final highlight from that trip was getting to see some indie bookstores, and famous ones too! I visited The Last Bookstore and The Ripped Bodice. If I had to pick between the two, it would easily be The Ripped Bodice. The Last Bookstore… My anxiety was way out of wack when I visited it. I thought it was too crowded, their selection of books was poor, and their used book prices were ridiculous. It felt more like a tourist attraction than an indie bookstore. What a bummer! However I absolutely adored The Ripped Bodice. If you like romance novels, you need to go there. It truly felt like an indie bookstore. It was highly curated, beautifully decorated, and you feel like you can actually have a nice conversation about books with the cashier. It just felt like home! The next time I’m in California, I would love to go back there.
Iowa (home)
After my trip to the west coast, I was back in Iowa for a couple weeks. During those weeks, spring had really sprung and my mood was over the moon! I enjoyed the plants, The Tortured Poets Department, and my new Steam Deck. I also went to my normal weekly haunts of Dog Eared Books, Little Woods Herbs and Teas, and Morning Bell Coffee Roasters.
Omaha, Nebraska
To wrap up the month, I went to Omaha with my mother to visit my other brother and his wife! It was a very short weekend trip, but very eventful. When we arrived, there were major, major tornados in the area! It definitely made the drive in interesting. The next day we celebrated an early Mother’s Day. We went to the Timber Wood Fire Bistro for brunch. It was without a doubt one of the best breakfasts I had in a long time! Afterwards we spent the day at (of course) the Omaha zoo.
I think I have good luck with the trips I take in April! Last year I went to New York to visit a friend and I had a fantastic time. I have another big trip in July, so stay tuned for that vlog!
