Gen Z Guide to FI

Week 2 of summer vacation was a vibe. Total trip cost $510. I spent $165 on gas and the rest on food and experiences. Housing was $free.99 thanks to my brother and homies ❤

Day 1-2: Hollywood

I drove about 4.5 hours to Los Angeles. That has been the longest drive I’ve ever done by myself. It honestly wasn’t so bad. I listened to a bunch of podcasts. I stopped at Costco in Bakersfield for some gas (I should have gotten food but I overestimated my brother). I forgot he has no chef skills and his fridge is typically empty so we went out to eat. I stayed with him in his apartment in Hollywood.

On day 2, I went to Burbank to meet up with an acquaintance I met through LinkedIn. She works in marketing in the film business and I want her to mentor me. She was very chill and I learned that there is a lot of parking in Burbank which soothed my anxiety. If I was staying longer, I’d have gone to do studio tours at Universal Studios & Warner Bros. Studio.

Day 3: Long Beach

I went to see a friend from college. We went to eat lunch, talked about life and hung out indoors. It was a work day after all. Every day is Friday to me though during this period of my life.

It was nice to catch up. Sadly, her cat passed away shortly after my visit. Here is a gofundme link to support medical expenses as she tried desperately to save her little kitty. I’m sure she’d appreciate any support from any animal lovers out there.

Day 4-6: San Diego

I arrived in San Diego slightly tired from the 2.5 hour drive from Long Beach. I stayed with my close friend and her boyfriend in North Park. It is a gorgeous and lively neighborhood. More importantly, it was walkable. I love being able to get around without a car.

On day 5, I went OUTSIDE. I started by trying and failing to find a coffee shop that I could work out of.

You might be wondering ‘Working on what? Didn’t I quit my job?’

Well, yes.

I was working on my professional development and contemplating the meaning of life. I went to 3 different coffee shops before I finally found one with enough seats. After finally finding a coffee shop, I bought a $9 smoothie so I could sit and work from there. Unfortunately, there was no WiFi so I bought the overpriced smoothie for nothing. I played candy crush and finished my smoothie to pass the time.

Then, I decided to go to the beach. Because how can you go to San Diego and not go to the beach? I went to Coronado Beach which had a lot of street parking in the nearby residential areas. I didn’t go into the water but I found a nice bench to sit and listen to my Bridgerton audiobook – the one about Eloise Bridgerton. I wish I had brought my sun hat but it was still a nice experience. Then, I went to lunch at an Italian place near the beach. The food was lowkey ASS. I should have read the reviews, but that cost me $22. It was the purchase I regretted most.

Afterwards, I went back to my friends place because I took her keys to go out and her boyfriend needed to get into their apartment. Oops. Apologies.

I took a walk to the public library which was actually great. It was well maintained and smelled nice. Unfortunately, I have a low bar for public libraries because of the homeless crises near where I live. But this area of San Diego was just the greatest of vibes.

Day 7-8: Hollywood

I cut my San Diego trip short because I kept getting ads for the Netflix is a Joke comedy festival. I realized the location for the event was a 20 minute walk from my brother’s place which eliminated my parking anxiety. I decided very spontaneously to attend a Trevor Noah comedy show in Hollywood because I absolutely love him. It cost $50 for the tickets & another $50 for parking for 2 days (using SpotHero).

The show was fantastic. It was another successful solo date. I am so happy I decided to spend on this trip. The memory dividends will last for a long time.

At the end of the trip, I spent $100 over the budget that I planned for the week. Spending that extra $100 to see Trevor was so worth it. I grew a lot from this week. I’ve parallel parked more in this trip than in the last two years. I’m not good at it but I think I got better for sure. I also now know that I can drive 5+ hours by myself.

As much as I enjoyed being a SoCal girl for a week, I am glad to be back home in my own bed. I’m definitely getting older.

‘We’re only getting older baby..’

XOXO Gen Z Fire Baby