Malibu

I've been wanting to take a trip to Malibu my whole time in LA. It might have been a littleee bit because of Madison on Million Dollar Listing (a surprisingly influential show to me since I've been here as I pass million dollar houses every day on my runs in Beverly Hills), but I'm so glad I did. Midway through our day there, I thought, I could really see myself here. 

I was hesitant to admit I like LA because I always thought SF would be better. But undeniably, I liked it from the moment I stepped out of LAX, the breeze just smelling like the ocean. In the beginning, I pushed the thought to the back of my mind: it's still early, you've only been here a few days. But throughout my entire stay, I realized I haven't had a bad day in LA.  And the more I see, the more I could see myself here in the future. It's sprawling and huge, more like a big suburb with fun neighborhoods and things to do if you want, but also residential and chill in between. The weather is sunny and temperate all year round (boo drought though). And it's close to both the mountains and the beach, so you can be outside any day of the year. Sure, I enjoy watching the seasons change on the east coast, but then it starts getting below 40 degrees and dark at 5 pm. I'll gladly trade no seasons for winter, thank you very much. Combine this with views you can't find anywhere else in the world only a short drive away, I'm definitely considering LA more and more for residency...

On Sunday, my friend K and I rented a car and made the short drive to Malibu. We started off with a hike in Solstice Canyon. 

6 miles later, we had definitely earned some time at the beach so we drove to the breathtaking El Matador State Beach. We turned the corner onto the rickety staircase down to the beach and I literally gasped in amazement. Take a look at this view!

On our way down the stairs, a guy next to us remarked that this was a "porn star's beach." I believe it! Can't you just imagine a Sports Illustrated (or even more NSFW) shoot going on here?

We had dinner at the famous Malibu Seafood, which is basically a shack on the Pacific Coast Highway overlooking the beach. We had to risk our lives to do so, darting across the highway to get our food, but the fresh seafood, casual atmosphere and views were worth it!

After you order from the shack, you pick up your food from the window and make a beeline for the outdoor patio. There are two levels, and the top one has a great view overlooking the ocean. Cheap food and priceless views, who can resist?

The best fish and chips ever! Way better than the ones I've had in London. The fish tacos were too
dry though.

After dinner, we darted back across the highway onto this beach.

Amazing, right?

I was never a beach person until I came to LA but now I feel like I can never go back to the beaches of the Atlantic. I think it may be the call of the Pacific...

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From Hollywood, California to Hollywood, MD, I'm off for a month to do my rural medicine rotation in Southern Maryland tomorrow. Hollywood, MD is at the southern most tip of Maryland, far from the reaches of DC and Baltimore, a 1.5 hr drive away. I'm going to be shadowing an internist there in a rural community and getting a sense of what's it's like to be a traditional doctor with limited resources. Looking forward to a relaxing month before heading back to Baltimore in November.