Santa Barbara
It was my second time in Santa Barbara, and this time it felt a lot more wholesome. The first visit was maybe six years ago when I was 20 or 21. My friend Jacob and I drove up from Los Angeles. I remember it like it was yesterday: a huge party where I ended up getting so wasted and waking up in a random bedroom. The days of chaos and spontaneity seem so far away now. Of course, these days my life still seems a bit chaotic and random, but minus the booze and random bedrooms.
I want to give a huge shoutout to Isaac’s aunt and uncle for the hospitality they provided during the few days I was in Santa Barbara. To say it started me off on a high note would be an understatement because I left California with a heart full of gratitude and a van full of good vibes. When I meet anyone older, I try really hard to pay attention to what they say, how they say it, and how they treat the people around them. It was a pleasure to be able to converse with and listen to Isaac’s aunt and uncle. They seemed immeasurably happy, as though life was still exciting and adventurous. I say that because it can be easy to think that as we get older, life slows down dramatically and becomes stale, with the only excitement being watching TV and playing bingo. They were inspiring, in their 70s and still hiking steep hills, playing tennis, working out, and traveling the world. We have no choice but to get older, but we have the choice to grow up.
They gave us a great recommendation for a beautiful bike ride from Santa Barbara to Isla Vista through the campus of UCSB. I loved every second of the day, flying down the bike path with the wind blowing through my hair and the faint smell of the ocean accompanying it. I had no worries; it was pure bliss, and I was soaking in every minute of it. As we cruised through the campus watching students walk to class, I couldn’t help but assimilate into it. I imagined as though we were biking to class and it was just another day in beautiful Isla Vista, with my fellow classmates rushing to their classes, and I might see one of them at my Writing 101 class. It’s fun to imagine what it would be like to live a life that fleeted away.