We Went On A Self-Isolation Road Trip To Find...

The brainstorming began one morning when I sighed and told my boyfriend, Leo, "my spring break is next week and I just really wish we could go somewhere." With the current weight of the Corona Virus and the constant fluidity of safety guidelines, I knew we wouldn't be able to take an actual trip, but I couldn't help but breathe it into existence. I had accepted the fact that my week off from work would probably just be spent at home, but I still had the desire to get out a bit. Maybe we could find a way to travel somewhere for the day and just road trip up the California coast? But then again, how much gas money would we need to spend just to sit in the car? And was that a waste? Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Leo's head and he pulled out his phone. "Hold on." I knew that tone of voice well. He had an idea, and that meant he was on a mission to find out how to make it work. I sat down next to him, eager to be on the same wavelength. Leo smiled. "What if we take a road trip to the cheapest gas in California?" -- Thankfully, after doing some research on the trusty app, "Gas Buddy," we found that the cheapest gas was only 2 1/2 hours away! Honestly, if it had been way up in Northern California, I'm not sure we could have done it because we wouldn't have been able to sleep anywhere other than our car which isn't the most comfortable lol. Once we found what our destination was, we braved the store (don't worry we took precautions!) and bought things for a picnic. We had no clue where we would have this, but we knew we'd find something. The drive down the coast and through the mountains was just what we needed. We ended up stopping outside of Temecula, California to eat. After adventuring down a side road that led to different ranches, we decided to park near a gorgeous field away from everyone and everything. Although there was a fence between us and the greenery, it was the perfect little picnic with the most gorgeous view. The blackberries, oranges, sandwiches (I'm gluten-free so I had a tasty chicken bacon ranch lettuce wrap), and wine made for the perfect lunch! Such tranquility was an incredible re-charge of the mind, body, & soul :-) Definitely needed!

After we ate, we got back on the road and headed to the gas station that supposedly had the cheapest gas in all of California-- La Jolla Gas Station. When we got there we were shocked!! Can you guess how much gas was per gallon? Hint: it was under $2.00!!

The answer is *drumroll please*... $1.89!! Yup! Crazy right?! It's something that we've never seen before, and something that we may never see again in our lifetimes. So, of course, we had to get a picture with it! -->

After filling up the tank for a total of around $19 (we had started with a full tank and needed to fill up a little more than halfway) we decided to continue our day trip a bit longer. Off to San Diego to watch the sunset and eat takeout sushi! We ended up spending wayy too much money on some bad sushi, but it was okay :-)

Ironically enough, this trip was probably the most socially isolated outing we had done in months. Besides being in the same general area as people at the gas station and then later picking up the sushi from a restaurant, it was just us & nature the majority of the day; the fact that we experienced a lot of it from the car didn't matter. We got to eat and walk outside, and that was enough! We're all going through battles during this scary time whether they be physically, emotionally, and/or mentally. None of us have ever experienced something like this before, but we're doing it together. And it's so important to listen to your body right now while also making sure to not endanger others. What do you need? And how can you realistically obtain it right now? Invite creativity and spontaneity into your life. Go find where the cheapest gas is in your state and have a fun adventure getting to it! We can get angry and frustrated about what's going on, or we can utilize this time to develop both a deeper connection and appreciation for the world around us.

With Love,

Lindsay <3