I spent the past week traveling along the coast of California, something I have always dreamed of doing. I packed my bags, grabbed my sunglasses and flip flops and pored over several maps of the coast. I travelled with my mother and sister, and we wanted to document the trip in a special way. My sister and I have GoPro cameras from past Christmases, so we decided to document the journey via video and string together the clips when we returned.

I had never been to California before this trip. I love the ocean, and I skateboard and skimboard at home and on the coast during the summer. Surfing, longboarding, water sports and simply being outside are such a large part of Californian culture, so I was elated to be heading to a place that has so many things I love. I’m pursuing a major in Spanish, so the thought of such a large Spanish influence in California was also very exciting for me.

We landed in San Diego in the afternoon and went directly to my cousin’s apartment on the outskirts of the city. I haven’t seen my cousin in about a year, so it was a great reunion with her and her husband, or as I like to say, my cousin-in-law. It was especially fantastic to meet her daughter, my new little cousin, for the first time. We spent two nights at their apartment and visited the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park and some little restaurants in the area. I had so much fun hanging out with my family and exploring San Diego and the Spanish culture, which was mostly present in the food.

We then left San Diego to begin our drive up the coast. We went straight to Los Angeles to visit a friend from high school who attends the University of Southern California. The campus was absolutely incredible and getting to see a little bit of L.A. was eye-opening, to say the least. It’s incredibly busy, packed and certainly different than cities on the east coast.

After dropping into L.A., we continued north to Santa Barbara. This stretch was my favorite part of the trip by far. We took Route 1, the coastal road, which is simply a two-lane highway along the Pacific. The views were stunning and I have barely any words to describe the drive. With giant sand dunes and jagged cliffs on my right and the raging Pacific on my left, it was surreal. We stopped at several shoulders on the road to get out and see the sights from the beach, and also stopped by a giant dune. People climbed to the top, so I decided to get out and climb as well because I knew the view would be great. It was quite the hike, but the scene from the top was worth it.

We only stayed in Santa Barbara for one night, but it was a lovely town. Moving further north, we continued up the coast to Carmel and the county of Monterey. Carmel, just like Malibu and the coastal road, was surreal, too. The waves were violent and raging as we approached the long stretch of beach in front of us. Everywhere we looked, there were jagged cliffs and mountains of rocks that the waves crashed upon, and it was beautiful to just sit and watch.

We finally travelled north to our last destination, San Francisco, which was far different than the coastal feel we had for most of the trip. San Fran was much more of a typical city and wasn’t quite as beautiful as the other stops, but it definitely had its perks. We visited Alcatraz Island, home of the former high-security United States penitentiary, and we actually got to meet one of the original prison guards. It was an exciting and mysterious final stop on our travels in California.

If there was anything I got out of this trip — and there are a million things I could discuss — it would be how many possibilities are out in the world that are just at the end of our fingertips. Sometimes I sit in my dorm room in Easton, Massachusetts, and think about all the amazing and exciting things going on in the world I’m missing out on. I think about my travels to Europe that I was blessed to take in high school and how buzzing the world was around me. I often feel like I’m not traveling enough or that I should be actively trying to learn about the world, and I’ve decided that it's true.

I should be doing more to get in touch with the world and for me, that means traveling everywhere I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can. It certainly doesn’t have to be to California. It can be in my own state as there are plenty of things I have yet to see. I can take a car trip to the surrounding region or save up for a big trip down the road. The point is that the world around us is constantly changing and amazing new things happen every day, and it’s our responsibility to go looking for adventure.

I've always loved this quote by Anaïs Nin: “Life expands or contracts in proportion to one’s courage.” Traveling requires courage and I wholeheartedly believe it expands life in every way possible. Don’t wait until you’re older or wiser or wealthier to travel because time waits for no one. Save up for something you want, but take as many small trips as you can and start somewhere. The world is ready and willing to be explored and the best way to do it is to pack your things and start your adventure.