Big Sur

In the midst of studying for Step 3, the last of the 3 medical licensing exams I have to endure before I I have to sit for the the Internal Medicine boards (the last last exam I have to take before I can practice independently) at the end of residency, I was of course procrastinating. And rediscovering my love for blogs (started following this one and this one, both run by awesome girl bloggers in San Francisco!). And lamenting how I don't blog more. 

While it's true my free time has taken a dive in residency, my interest in photography and blogging hasn't waned. I do still take photos, it just takes a little longer for them to get them across. I stumbled upon these pictures of Big Sur I took at the beginning of the year, back in August. My friend A and some of her friends were visiting from NYC and invited me on their road trip down the 101. 

While Big Sur was a great place for photo ops along the side of the road, if I had to do it again I definitely would have done my research. First of all, I assumed the drive would take only around an hour to an hour and a half (never believe your out of town friends). Little did I know the trip would take three and a half hours from SF, literally halfway to LA. (I know, this probably seems obvious, but what can I say? I was a n00b). This made for an abbreviated trip as we all had plans back in the city that night. 

Second of all, we had absolutely no itinerary and literally hopped out of the car when we saw a nice overlook or cliff. While we stumbled on some awesome sights like Bixby Bridge, we also missed some of the highlights like McWay falls, Pfeiffer beach, and hiking in the state park. I'm not planning on making that 3.5 hour trek anytime soon, so that's always going to be a regret of mine. 

The beauty of Big Sur is undeniable though, and I would have loved to have more time to spend here walking on the beach or hiking. You feel like you're experience the raw beauty of California there.

 Bixby Bridge

A and I reunited on the West Coast 

Partington Cove 

Big Sur ended up being beautiful, especially as the weather cleared on our way down the coast. Next time I go, I would be better prepared and even stay a night to avoid the 3.5 hour drive back. It'd be the perfect excuse to go glamping!