This past summer I stayed in California instead of going home to the east coast and had the opportunity to experience summertime in Berkeley, unhindered by the gray, rainy downpour of the winter season and the persistent windchill of the spring and fall. Well, maybe I was still a little bit hindered by the windchill—it’s an everpresent characteristic of the bay area—but at least there was plenty of sunshine to balance it out! Anyway, I made it my goal this summer to go on as many side quests as possible and soak up everything that summer in the bay had to offer and I would say I was pretty successful.
There’s a ton of live music and performance art in the area, especially during the summer when the weather is nicer. I personally started my summer here with a bit of a concert bender. I went to a Coldplay concert at Stanford Stadium and then a concert for The Black Keys at the Berkeley Greek Theatre the next evening. Pretty crazy weekend, I know! Then, of course since I am a Broadway show fanatic, I had to go and see the run of & Juliet on Broadway SF. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who hasn’t gone to see a show in the Orpheum Theatre yet. Plus, as I was leaving the show, I was blessed with the voice of a talented street performer singing one of my all-time favorites, “Con te Partiro.” It was such a fitting song for the evening and was just the perfect end to the musical night that I’d had.
As an out-of-state student, I really wanted to explore as much of California as I could this summer, so there was a lot of weekend tripping. Some of my friends and I planned our major girl’s trip of the summer very early on and went to Lake Tahoe. Of course, it just happened to be the one weekend there was a freak storm but that did not stop us from having the best time there. We went kayaking, hiking, chasing after sunsets, and swimming—and the water was only mildly freezing! The weekend after this one, I went to visit my friend who was at UC Berkeley’s forestry camp. It was essentially a campground set-up in the middle of Plumas National Forest, about three hours from Sacramento. There, I spent time outdoors like I never had before. I swam in the most beautiful secluded watering holes and saw a sky full of stars (cue the Coldplay song) every night, plus a few dazzling shooting stars too. Then, for the fourth of July weekend, I went along the Pacific Coast Highway, which was absolutely mesmerizing—the pictures don’t do it justice. I stopped in Carmel by the Sea and got to see the most adorable little otters!! Northern California is truly unparalleled in its natural beauty and I am so grateful for how much of it I was lucky enough to experience this past summer.
Now, for the more miscellaneous side quests which I feel deserve to be shared. I got to check out the Alameda County Fair which was so much larger than I had anticipated. It definitely outshines the little traveling carnival in my hometown. I indulged in curly fries and fried oreos and all kinds of carnival treats while soaring over the fairgrounds on a variety of thrilling rides. As for something a little closer to home, I finally made my way to the Berkeley Marina, which was not only a great place to watch the sunset from, but also a convenient place to walk around to easily get my steps in for the day. One of my coworkers organized a 5K and against all odds, my unathletic self actually made it through! I also went back to the Berkeley Farmer’s Market, something which I hadn’t had the chance to do since freshman year. I even tried out the San Francisco Farmer’s Market which was one of my many San Francisco adventures of the summer. Other favorites included riding a Waymo for the first time, taking pictures with a visiting friend in the photobooth museum, walking around the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, and trying out the decadent croissants from the famous Butter and Crumble—I won’t admit how long we waited in line for that one but it was worth it! :)
Of course there were the occasional bouts of homesickness and pangs of jealousy when I saw all my home friends spending time together, but all things considered, I really loved my summer in Berkeley. It gave me the chance to get closer with everyone here over the summer and cross off so many bucket list items. It’s difficult to find time to really do much beyond school during the semester but being here in the summer and exploring all around really made this place feel like a home. I solidified my favorite cafes to study in, my favorite takeout orders, and even my favorite routes to walk around. For anyone who is trying to plan their summers out, I would suggest spending at least one in Berkeley to really get acquainted with the place and the people who make the place!!