A Lesson on Layering: Day trip to Half Moon Bay

As overwhelming as my first couple of weeks on the farm have been, I needed to get out and explore a place in California I had never seen before. The coast is only about 45 minutes away so I decided to take a drive to Half Moon Bay. The thought of getting some California sunshine on my pale legs that stayed hidden under leggings all winter drove me to whip out the jean shorts and pack a towel in the event that I chose to lay out for a little bit.

It was a quick drive up the highway and I was on 92-North in no time—slowing abruptly to a steady line of cars, all of whom, it seemed, had the same idea that I had. As I pulled into the small town of Half Moon Bay, I instinctively rolled down my windows, bracing myself for a rush of salty air and instead, felt a cold blast of wind that sent shivers up and down my bare legs. I noticed the temperature on my car thermometer had dropped into the 50’s and I wanted to smack myself for totally forgetting that I no longer live on the humid-tempered east coast. Let me tell you, northern California is quite a bit different.

Instead of turning back, I decided to brave the cold and park in town for a quick lunch. So here I am wandering the streets in jean shorts while everyone else is bundled in jackets. I quickly decided to remove myself from the public eye and the bone-chilling wind, finding refuge in a wine and cheese shop. The shop was empty so unfortunately there was no way I could avoid the man behind the counter, and I obviously didn’t look like a local so I was greeted with: “What brings you to Half Moon Bay today?” After a few minutes of chatting, I thought I could make better use of my time escaping the public by actually tasting some of the wine I was surrounded by. It wasn’t noon yet and I had only eaten breakfast about an hour earlier, but when in California, do as the Californians do. The smooth, balanced and might I add, pricey merlot slowly warmed my bones and gave me the gusto to brave the chill again and scope out a place to eat. I settled on a small, international café and found a seat that faced outward to the street that began to fill with locals and tourists, easily identifiable by who was wearing a jacket and who wasn't. As I sat patiently for my order, an older woman approached me and to my utter bewilderment (sarcasm) asked if I was cold wearing “those jean shorts” on a day like today. After explaining that I just moved to the area and decided to visit for the day, her face grew concerned and she asked me, “well don’t you have friends that wanted to come along?” Look, lady, I know I’m sitting here alone and I know I am wearing jean shorts in 50 degree weather, but you don’t have to feel bad for me. I didn’t say that, but instead told her that I actually decided to make the trip by myself. I think that there is a lot to be said about taking solo adventures- you’re forced to listen to things you may not hear with someone else around, talk to people you may not ever speak to otherwise (such as you, inquisitive lady), and see things you may never notice if you had someone there to distract you.



So after a quick lunch, I was ready to head to the beach and decided to walk so that I didn’t have to pay once I got to the national park entrance. What I didn’t realize is that my walk was about a mile, and I was still wearing jean shorts. On my way, I passed a small produce barn with the prettiest strawberries I have ever seen. I’m not kidding you, these strawberries were perfect. They were plump, shiny and the perfect shade of red. The woman working the store said a lot of people stop in to buy them and eat them on the beach so I couldn’t possibly turn that opportunity down. I crossed over Highway 1 and my destination was in sight. I picked a spot further down from the park entrance and whipped out my camera to start shooting. I have to note that when you arrive at the beach, you are not at sea level but are standing on a bluff overlooking the shoreline below. A quick hike down the slope brought my feet into the sand and the seabreeze whipping through my hair. I was still freezing, and noticed a family huddled together against the wind, struggling to have an afternoon picnic. I knew that laying out in the warm sunshine with my perfect basket of strawberries wasn’t going to happen so I snapped a few pictures, took in the beautiful view down the coastline and made the hike back to my car.





So my beach day wasn’t perfect, and my choice of wardrobe taught me a lesson about packing plenty of layers to adapt to Bay area weather. But despite the days few blunders, making the trip by myself made me appreciate the fact that I am able to experience new things and see places that I may not have seen if I had not made the big move out here. Every day I am grateful for this opportunity and I remind myself that it is so important to take risks, take small trips by yourself, and take in every opportunity to go somewhere new.





"Travel has a way of stretching the mind. The stretch comes not from travel's immediate rewards, the inevitable myriad of new sights, smells and sounds, but with experiencing firsthand how others do differently what we believed to be the right and only way." -Ralph Crawshaw