At an ungodly hour on a Friday morning in April, I quietly gathered my bags and snuck out of the house. I had a good 6 hour drive (if not more) ahead, and the best time to start the drive was clearly at 5am. I stopped in midtown Sacramento to pick up my travel buddy, and we began the arduous journey to our old stomping grounds. 

As the sun began to rise we passed the time singing old Disney and Motown songs. The roads were fairly empty, and I was convinced into taking a pass through some hills right next to a beautiful lake. We stopped in Pismo Beach to say hello to my travel buddy's parents. And then finished the drive singing ridiculous songs we'd almost forgotten about.

Upon arrival in Isla Vista, our first stop was Freebirds. We were starving and had been craving the I.V. staple for months. After inhaling nachos, we parted ways and I headed to my favorite place in all of Isla Vista. CAJE. I spent so many hours of my undergrad years drinking their soy honey lattes, writing papers, and catching up with friends there. I even wrote a 5 page paper on their lattes for my creative non-fiction class, oh so long ago. 

I met up with my former roomies, and the weekend went from there. In all honesty I failed dramatically at documenting our weekend because I was just so happy to see my friends. But it consisted of delicious food, alcohol, and my favorite faces. The drive home Sunday, was long and sad. But I was ready to be back in Sacramento. 

I love Santa Barbara, and all the amazing friendships and memories that were formed there. But I don't think I could live there again. The beach vibe was just a little to slow for my big city heart.

Here's all of four pictures I took that whole weekend.