Weekend Getaway to the capital, Washington D.C.

Since my last post was about California, I thought I am gonna write a bit more about my trips to the US on here.
So let´s jump over to the East Coast where I spent most of my time in America yet. I lived near Washington D.C for about a year and I think the city makes a great place for a weekend getaway as it has a lot to offer. Maybe even for a Valentine´s trip?

Pin it for later! (edited with Canva)

One of my favorite, maybe even my favorite place in the District of Columbia is Georgetown. I love walking down the roads, looking around the cute shops and afterwards sit down at the river and relax. It is just such a lovely place. I think it gives you the feeling of a little student town including the cool cafes and restaurants. If you walk down the streets you can  admire the old cobblestone houses whilst enjoying a good coffee and you can probably spent up to an entire day here, depending on your interests.

Another thing that is great about Washington D.C. are all the free activities. There are loads of different and interesting museums that you can visit for free. (This also means you will always have something to do on a rain day;)) Nevertheless D.C. is also a very walkable city. Besides oficial government buildings like the White House and the U.S Capitol, a lot of monuments are located in the city center. A walk around the monuments (and down the National Mall) is definitely a "must-do" when visiting and it is a good opportunity to learn about history as well.

I always went to D.C. for one-day or two-day trips. Generally I think a weekend is great for the city as there are various activities, but it is not a big city like NYC. If you stay longer discover the area around it. Virginia, Maryland and also West Virginia have a beautiful nature which is well worth a visit. There are various hiking opportunities and you could even walk a part of the nearby Appalachian trail. Personally, I really enjoy spending time in nature after a city break, so perfect combination. Do you agree? Have you been to Washington yet?

Have a lovely week!

California Dreaming

Lately I´ve been thinking, I´ve been thinking… a lot about California sunshine and travelling. I have been to California exactly one time before and it was one of the most amazing trips. So today´s post is dedicated to my trip to Cali and also a bit to future trips, because I want to share with you the things we did and things I wish we would have done/ I want to do next time. Hopefully this will give you some inspiration for your own trip. 

Our trip started in Los Angeles and we spent most of the week around there which was awesome, but if you want to travel more around, I ´d suggest flying to San Francisco instead. From there on you can drive down to San Diego. Now, I have never rented a car in the US before as I am pretty sure you have to be at least 21 or sometimes even 25 years old, be certain to check that out before coming.

What I love about California is the fact that you not only have beautiful beaches, but also amazing National Parks which to be honest I (sadly) haven´t visited yet. They are on my list for the next visit for sure.;) I love spending time in nature. Therefore a good option after San Francisco would be to drive inland and visit three mature parks. Yosemite National Park is the one on top at  my list, probably because I have seen more photos of it then other National Parks.  Besides Yosemite there are a few other National Parks in that area. However I believe sometimes less is more when it comes to travelling for a longer period of time. Don´t squeez in to many parks and sights, because it can make it harder to appreciate every single one. ( That´s how I sometimes felt when travelling thru Australia, everything is so gorgeous you need some time to really take it in) My top NP picks in California are Yosemite, Seqouia und Death Valley National Park.

Afterwards drive towards Los Angeles and towards the beach, yeah! We spent one whole day at Venice Beach and Santa Monica and I highly recommend it. We also walked thru Venice " Canals" or more like waterstreets with very interesting and beautiful houses. There is a lot to do at the seafront, the Santa Monica Pier is a must and can be a nice place to watch the sunset. We watched it whilst we were on the ferris wheel at the Pacific park which is located on the pier. I would recommend staying in a place near the Sea. LA itself is a pretty average city I think, but Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Co. are right around the Corner. For me the Walk of Fame and walking/ driving down Rodeo Drive was another highlight of the trip and it was fun to see famous (movie) sights like the Beverly Hills Hotel. If you´re a person who finds joy in visiting "movie sets" in real life, here is your place. There are also various film studios that you can visit, for example the universal studios. We took a tour thru their sets and visited the actual Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives. Moreover the original Disneyland is located in the LA area, but if you are a bit older and not a absolute giant Disney fan you might want to leave that out and perhaps spent more time at the beach instead.;) I think there is nothing quiet like just sitting at the seafront and watching the surfers catching the waves, anyone agrees with me?

From LA drive down Highway 101 towards San Diego and I would just stop at all the beaches that look beautiful, haha. Well maybe do some planning and pick your top 3. One Beach/Town I really want to visit is Huntington Beach. Probably because  Hollister made it look so appealing to me and it really does look like a great surfing spot which is a sport I really want to improve in.

Pin it for later!

Have you been to California? Which places did you like the most?
If you have any recommendations let me know in the comments!

Have a great week!

Selfcare & Selflove

I don´t know how long it´s been since I uploaded something on here, but I wanna give blogging another try. I hope you enjoy this "first" post (back) and will continue to follow me on my blogging journey.

                                                            Selfcare & Selflove

Honestly you probably read about a thousand articles about selfcare, but this one is gonna be a bit different. A while ago when I felt really low & anxious I created a list of 10-15 things I wanted to do to take care of myself and you know what? I never really followed this list. Maybe selfcare & selflove starts with not having a list. What do you think? Don´t get me wrong, I love to Do-lists & Co., but let´s think about it. We already have so many meetings, appointments or examens listed in our calender that it´s probably a good idea to not put more pressure on us by listing things for our down time.

So what is selfcare all about? It totally depends on you. It can be whatever you want it to be, whatever helps you unwind, recharge and feel more relaxed. You don´t necessarily need fancy candles, aroma oils or a bath caddy, you just need you. (Quick reminder: You are awesome just the way you are). Therefore I don´t want to write down  "the 10 best selfcare tips", but remind you that you need to do your individual selfcare whether it´s going for a run, cuddling dogs, sleeping the whole day, partying with friends, cooking or baking, watching Netflix...just do it and set yourself free from any selfcare expectations. That is also the part where selfcare and selflove go hand in hand. I think we often, maybe even subconsciously, adapt habits or do something influenced by other people´s moral & thinking and forget about what we really desire. Selfcare is to do what your heart desires and love yourself as you are.
With that said take care of yourself and have an awesome weekend.

Until next week,
kiara

Pin it!:)