California Dreamin

Photos by Fran (here) and Matt (here)

If you've ever read this blog before or you know me in person then you'll probably be aware of my complete obsession and love affair with the city of Los Angeles. I visited California for the first time when I was really young, so I could barely remember it. But when we eventually returned during the Winter of 2015 I truly fell in love. Since then I've only been back twice and every time I leave I'm ready to plan my next trip. Some of you may not know that I actually have family over there, so that's even more of a reason to book a flight. But, a third family trip to Cali isn't looking likely so I've had to take things into my own hands...

Yes-this is my official (very exciting) announcement and something that I've been pondering over, planning and just bursting with excitement over for a while now. I'm going to Los Angeles! By myself! It's terrifying, amazing and so dang exciting, I just can't wait. I've been dreaming of LA ever since my last trip in 2018, which only lasted a few days. So, my flights are officially booked and I'll be heading to the city of angels early March 2020! I'll be staying in an Airbnb (which I'll talk more about when I'm home, for obvious security reasons). I plan to be completely independent, flying, travelling within the city and looking after myself. But it's also nice to know that I'll have family close by if I need a little company.

I'll be in Los Angeles for exactly two weeks, that's two weeks all on my own on the other side of the world. Without my family, friends and Ben I'll be entirely dependant on myself and that's absolutely terrifying. But, I hope that throwing myself into an intense experience like this will give me a confidence boost to travel more in the near future, whether that's solo or with other people.

So, other than trying to not die and maybe catching up with my cousins, what will I be doing? Lots and LOTS of thrifting. This trip is about me and my personal growth but it's also for my business. Last year my Depop and Instagram store brought me an entirely new source of income and it's something I want to continue growing and improving this year. I've thrifted for my store all across New Zealand, with pieces from Auckland, Wellington, Kapiti, Queenstown and more, but this will be my first international thrifting trip!

I also plan to take a ton of photos, so many photos that you'll probably be sick of seeing me pop up on your feed! Some of my most successful prints and photo series' have come from California and I plan to shoot a whole new series while I'm over there. I can never really plan what I'm going to shoot, I just kind of turn up somewhere and start snapping. But, I'm picturing American diners, retro signs, Venice Beach, pastels and that classic warm Cali light that just never gets old.

So, in between thrifting expeditions across the city and plenty of photoshoots, I want to see more of California. I'm currently in the process of trying to figure out a way to bus from Los Angeles to Palm Springs for a day or two. Palm Springs is my all-time favourite place and a spot that I didn't feel I had enough time to fully experience back in 2017. I'd love to spend some quality time there taking pictures, checking out stores and maybe even going on another mid-century house tour! It'll also be great to just soak up the general atmosphere, meet interesting people, eat interesting food and completely step outside of my comfort zone.

Of course, I'll be keeping this blog as up to date as possible and I'll share more with you over the next couple of months leading up to my trip. But, for constant updates, while I'm over there make sure you're following me over on Instagram (here). This experience is going to be crazy, probably stressful at times but overall super exciting. I can't wait to explore a city on my own, with no time constraints or obligations. I'm yet to sort out my full itinerary but I know I'll definitely be visiting the Rose Bowl Flea Market, plenty of Goodwill stores, Santa Monica, Venice Beach and hopefully Palm Springs. I'd love to hear any suggestions or recommendations if you've explored Cali too, just flick me a message I can't wait to share more as the months, weeks and days before my trip count down, so stay tuned!

Bella 🌼