Hiking and camping were some of my favorite activities back home in Santa Barbara, so one of my biggest worries about moving to Los Angeles was that it would be hard to spend time in nature in such a big city. That turned out to be far from the truth; it’s surprisingly easy to spend time outdoors in LA. One of my favorite things to do here on weekends is go hiking, both on organized trips with clubs on campus (like SC Outfitters or Peaks and Professors) and just with friends. Over the course of the year I’ve also gone on weekend camping trips with a design team I’m part of, taken trips to the beach, and even found secluded spots on campus that almost feel away from the city.
Just a couple of weekends ago, some friends and I went to hike Escondido Falls in Malibu, a hike about half an hour away from USC. After all of the rain this year, the hike was absolutely gorgeous and incredibly green. There were flowers everywhere and the trail passed through a couple creek crossings that we rock-hopped across (I fell in… typical). The trail ended at the base of a massive three-tiered waterfall which made the trek (and the falling) so worth it.

Stoked we made it to the waterfall!!
After the hike we grabbed lunch at Malibu Farm, a super hip and ~trendy~ cafe on the Malibu Pier. It was so sunny and pretty we couldn’t help staying at the beach for a bit.

Malibu Beach!
Escondido Falls was a wonderful break from school work and a much needed change of scenery. Looking forward to exploring other adventures and LA hikes in my next 3 years here. Fight on!
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