This time around, I myself am in California. Hence unabridged thoughts straight from California…part 2.
I do not know how the past few weeks have flown by and exactly a week from now I will be back in Austin. It is so very easy to get used to not worrying about anything. I know it’ll be a ginormous task to get back into schedule and attend classes again.
I have been busy being ‘normal’. Sleeping on time, getting up late, exercising, cooking at home, going for hikes, enjoying time with my husband and meeting lots of friends in the Bay Area. I already know so many people here, from school or otherwise. And yes – special mention to watching the beautiful sunsets here. Absolutely magnificent! There is so much to do around here. Hop into the car, hit the pedal for 1.5 – 2 hours in any direction and you could be near an ocean, a desert, mountains, redwood forests or in San Francisco. And the weather will always encourage and favor you. It’s a haven for people who love being outdoors. I know I will enjoy being here!
Badlands at Death Valley
I also went on a short vacation to Death Valley National Park and Lake Tahoe. The salt crystals, formations, canyons, sand dunes on the valley floor, hikes – everything was just truly enjoyable at the park. I can’t even imagine what a formidable place it would be in the summer time with highest recorded surface temperatures. The contrast at the place was also amazing with the lowest point in continental USA (some 200 ft below sea level) in the park itself and the highest peak (Mount Whitney) just 100 miles away. With no major cities around and lights blocked by the mountains on either side, it is one of the top three places in the US to watch the night sky. We were able to see gazillions of stars and not just that, a streak of Milky Way and Jupiter (of course as a speck in the horizon without a telescope / night vision binoculars). An awesome experience!
Lake Tahoe
And then Lake Tahoe, Muir Woods, beaches at the Half Moon Bay, and the city of San Francisco. This blog could easily turn into a travel blog for California. But I guess I should spare the details and keep it short and sweet. All in all it has been a great vacation. A good break from academics, classes, assignments. Am I ready for the last semester after the refreshing time off? To switch back to the student mode? Maybe, maybe not. But hey, bring it on! Let’s see what’s in store!
Watch out for more blogs in near future as I wrap up this last part of my MBA journey. Thanks for reading (riding and tagging along)!