Embarking on a journey all through Southern California and Arizona, I found myself immersed in experiences that spanned from professional achievements to personal connections and the exploration of stunning landscapes. My travels took me from Long Beach, California, to the serene beauty of Arizona, each destination weaving its own unique story.
Long Beach, California: A Whirlwind of Achievements and Celebrations
The adventure began in Long Beach, CA, where I attended a special leader conference at the convention center in the middle of the town. Immediately upon arriving to the hotel was our first #dairydeal. Here’s the plot twist: raw dairy is actually legal for retail sale in the state of California, so all I had to do was an Amazon Prime delivery from Sprouts. It’s so unfair that this can’t happen in all 50 states. For a long weekend packed with sessions and meetings, we had to load up on nutrient dense foods, so we filled our fridge with nutrient dense deliciousness.
The event was a whirlwind of activity, filled with moments of recognition and triumph. I was honored to walk on stage for my contributions to my company’s expansion as an affiliate, and my trivia skills won me a $50 Apple gift card, adding a touch of fun to the experience.
Our culinary journey kicked off with a birthday celebration at Ruth’s Chris, where we had delicious steak. The restaurant went above and beyond to make the occasion special for Kate. The following night, we had an incredible dinner at Gladstones right on the pier with our Monday mentor pod, further cementing the bonds of friendship and mentorship. Their housemade sourdough was so out of this world that we took some back to the hotel!
A surprise visit from Mohana and her 6-week-old baby Alessandra added a heartwarming twist, bringing joy and surprise to our group. It was really so special seeing the pods reaction to her surprise.
Southern California: A Drive Down PCH
Upon completing the conference, we decided to make our way down from Long Beach to San Diego, beginning our trip with a mass at St. John the Baptist in Costa Mesa with the Norbertines.
It was breathtaking to see how packed the congregation was with young people and how respectful everyone was – it was also pretty amazing to see they only distributed communion with an altar rail. Following mass, we had an insanely incredible meal at Fermentation Farm with my dear friend and mentor Berni Neal from Legatus. Our favorite meal that we ordered was the sourdough pancakes, but everything was delicious from top to bottom.
From Fermentation Farm, I also bought some snacks for the road including Masa Chips (20% off here) and honey sticks as well as some alkaline water and more pancakes to eat later!
After that activity, we embarked on our road trip to San Diego. A leisurely drive down Pacific Coast Highway offered breathtaking views from start to finish. We decided to stop at Dana Point’s Salt Creek Beach for a grounding session on the beach, which made it even better.
If you’ve been following my journey long enough, you know that San Diego has an extra special place in my heart. I always feel so enlightened and close to God when I come here. I experienced my first memories in life here. I was so excited to be back for the first time in two and a half years.
San Diego welcomed us with its charm and warmth and EPIC food. Before we got to my friend’s apartment, we did a grocery run at Jimbo’s Naturally! Organic Grocer, which is one of my favorite grocery stores in America. Here, we stocked up on food for the next few days and made dinner immediately upon arriving.
The next morning was President’s Day. We started our morning with breakfast and raw milk lattes from GOODONYA ORGANIC and took them to picnic at Torrey Pines before hiking. The meal was so unbelievably delicious, that I cannot get over the fact that this is not the norm in the rest of the country. The hike was truly gorgeous and the views were breathtaking.
Following the hike, we went back to the apartment to change before an Instagram coffee meetup, further blending the lines between online connections and real-world friendships. Since it was late, I opted for an “Italian soda” which is a sparkling water topped with cold cream foam (with or without flavor, I chose without).
Since we had a second wind, we decided to make our way down to La Jolla for food and to see the seal beach. My cousin Kate is obsessed with seals and this was seal heaven. After a brief walk around the town, the weather began to change, so we decided to order food from The Butchery to pick up and bring back to the apartment. It was pretty amazing that The Butchery did not use seed oils for cooking. I had brisket with pepperjack and tallow fries and it was amazing. We then watched Netflix and relaxed, prepping for the west of the week.
The following morning we decided to go back to Goodonya for breakfast and raw milk lattes and proceeded to Rancho Santa Fe for my first meeting with a fellow Legatus member who is an attorney and past president of the San Diego Chapter. We had an extremely productive meeting talking about so much in a span of 50 minutes.
The weather was torrential but we were not going to stop it from hindering the rest of our day, so we made our way to the Mission San Diego, meeting another instagram friend in person named Rachel who was so awesome and we had the best time touring the grounds. At the mission, we got mistaken for high school kids – thank you LIQUID BIOCELL (<– $25 off + free shipping)!
On our way back, we stopped by Nectarine Grove to pick up a late lunch/early dinner as Mohana prepared to make her way back to Sacramento.
The next morning we had a beach sunrise walk and made our way to Coronado, which is one of my all time favorite places. I started the morning with a meeting at The Henry, catching up with another friend of mine who is also a past president of the San Diego Chapter of Legatus. I really love Legatus because it has allowed me to meet so many like minded people across the country.
Shortly after the meeting, Kate and I strolled through the island, walking in shops and having coffee at the Hotel Del. They recently renovated it and it is fabulous there. We also had a loaded smoothie from Parakeet Cafe which included acai, banana, colostrum, maca, coconut water and raspberry. We decided to have an early dinner at Buona Forcetta Garage which is the most authentic italian restaurant on the island, eating homemade pasta and made our way back to Del Mar. Each meal in California was truly an incredible experience.
Arizona: Desert Adventures and Viral Connections
The narrative took a desert turn upon our arrival in Phoenix, where my dear friend picked us up from the airport and we spent a great afternoon together, starting it off with latte flights, followed by making custom trucker and cowboy hats at the Rancher Hat Bar. It was an unbelievably fun experience! That evening, we had a steak dinner in the hotel followed by delicious authentic gelato.
The following morning, I woke up extremely early and walked to a health food take out restaurant called Kaleidoscope, where I ordered a loaded smoothie with acai, coconut water, pineapple, raspberry and colostrum and then a coffee, which woke me up and made me feel energized.
Kate and I hiked at Papago Park where the trails and scenery were out of this world. I absolutely loved the experience hiking in the desert, surrounded by red rocks and cactus, and even a little wildlife. After the hike and freshening up to prepare for the day, I had an Immunity + Magnesium IV session at ASAP IVs, which rejuvenated me both mind and body, preparing us for more explorations throughout Scottsdale before I made my way to the other side of Phoenix.
Just before heading to the other side, we checked out some western shops and the Old Adobe Mission, which is the oldest church in Scottsdale, it was very beautiful.
Another great highlight of the Arizona leg was meeting my dear friend Lizzie in person. Lizzie is ex-amish and she and I went viral over our amish videos from a few weeks ago – approximately 15m+ views together.
We had a dinner of epic proportions from Wren and Wolf in downtown PHX – including the most insane bone marrow I’ve ever had. Everything at the restaurant is cooked in animal fats, I was blown away! Lizzie and I caught up on a lifetime worth of conversation and we ended up both waking up at 5am to keep our conversation going, covering all things raw milk, social media, grass fed meat, collagen, Miss Commando (CLICK HERE for 10% off), women’s health, amish, and more. Our bond, forged through shared experiences and digital platforms, highlighted the unexpected ways in which travel can connect us with others. I encourage you to follow Lizzie on social media. She posts amazing content!
Reflections on a Journey Well Traveled
As I continue my travels throughout New York, seeing friends and family, I reflect on the productive and enriching experiences that Southern California and Arizona have offered. From professional recognitions to personal reunions, culinary adventures to breathtaking hikes, each moment has contributed to a journey that is as diverse as it is memorable.
This trip has been a reminder of the beauty that lies in the unexpected and the connections that can be forged across distances. Whether through the beach landscapes of California or the desert vistas of Arizona, the journey has been a testament to the enriching power of travel.
Here are my recommendations for food from the journey!
Places we stopped in Southern California (from Long Beach down to San Diego)
Raw Farm from Sprouts or any gourmet grocery store
Fermentation Farm in Costa Mesa
Jimbo’s Naturally! Organic Grocer
Batch & Box (only cookie that has seed oils is Sugar cookie)
Phoenix Arizona
Cimmino Gelato (flavors with no additions – cream, chocolate and vanilla)
Wren and Wolf (get the bone marrow appetizer)