LA During COVID-19

Hi everyone!

Happy Week 9! I cannot believe this quarter is already over- I feel like by the end of every quarter I am always saying this, but spring quarter went by exceptionally fast! I think that getting out of the winter quarter slump and moving closer to summer has just gotten me very busy- mentally and physically. I have been spending a lot more time outside and with friends which definitely helps the days and weeks move by quicker. My mind has also been very preoccupied with planning for summer- figuring out where to put all of my stuff when I move out of my current house, getting move in details ready for my next house, planning trips with friends and family, internship interviews- the list goes on and on!

This weekend was a little different than usual because it was one of my friend's from home birthdays. A group of them drove down to Santa Barbara on Friday and we went to LA for the weekend. This was my first time going to LA during the pandemic and it definitely felt different than how it had been in years past. Everything seemed less crowded and busy, which was very surprising for Memorial Day Weekend. I was also surprised to see how many people are still wearing masks outside, but maybe my skew is just thrown off a little from being confined to our small community of Isla Vista.

The majority of the weekend consisted of driving and eating, but it was still good to reconnect with my friends that I hadn't seen in a while. We went to a great sushi place in Manhattan Beach, walked around UCLA to tour it for my friend who is transferring there, and even had a beach day in Newport. On our way out of LA we stopped by Melrose Trading Post which is a really cool collection of stores in various booths with a lot of vintage, thrifts, and jewelry- I would definitely recommend checking it out sometime this summer!

I had a lot of fun this weekend but it is definitely time for me to refocus with finals coming up. I am guessing that these last two weeks are going to be a lot less active than the majority of my quarter as I have lots of essays due that I have not started. Hopefully I can multitask and work on them outside to get some fresh air and maybe even a tan.

Good luck everybody!