I just finished my first semester of college. Born and raised in sunny Southern California, I decided to tackle college in a completely different part of the country, the Midwest. While I love the Midwest and all that my rural college in Southern Indiana has to offer, there are many things I miss about SoCal. So, after a semester away, here are the four things I missed the most and the things I have taken for granted in the first 18 years of my life.

1. Flip Flop Weather All Year Round

This photo was taken on December 19. When most other parts of the country are fighting blizzards and trudging through knee deep piles of snow, those of us in southern California can keep our flip flops on and preserve our tan lines. With temperatures barely below the 50s even in the coldest winter months, flip flops are appropriate footwear year round and for that I am grateful. Long live my Rainbows! Featured in this photo, Rainbows are a SoCal footwear staple!

2. In-N-Out

"If you've been there, no explanation is necessary. If you haven't, none is adequate." This is a quote I often see underneath beautiful photos of natural wonders that leave you speechless. Though it's appropriate in that context, I believe it sufficiently describes the experience (yes, experience) of dining at an In-N-Out Burger. (In reality, it's a quote by Lou Holtz, former coach of many prestigious college football teams, from his time at Notre Dame University in northern Indiana.) In-N-Out truly delivers on it's promotional tagline, "Quality you can taste" in more ways than one. It's restaurants are truly quality. Every time my experience is fast, simple, and delicious. If you live in select locations in California, Texas, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and now even Oregon, you may be blessed to live within driving distance of an In-N-Out. If you do, consider yourself fortunate, as the rest of the nation can only dream...

3. Authentic Mexican Food

With Mexico just a few hours away, you'd better hope SoCal has some pretty authentic Mexican food. And it most surely does. From chains like King Taco (featured in the photo above) and Don Jose's to individual favorites like my local El Cantarito and Blue Agave, SoCal offers a plethora of delicious authentic options. This doesn't mean the Midwest doesn't offer authentic Mexican food, I'm sure there are some great places, I'm just still searching for them.

4. The Proximity of the Beach

Having access to beautiful beaches is truly incredible. Even though the Pacific Ocean is always a bit chilly, the beaches of Southern California (pictured here is Crystal Cove) offer many opportunities to relax and to play, to go on adventures and to people watch. At the beach one can surf, swim, read a book, relax in the sun, ride a bike, go for a run or a walk, get a suntan, make a sandcastle, have a photoshoot, watch a sunset, go kayaking... the list goes on and on. My personal favorite is watching the sunset. I have many fond memories from watching the sunset with my family or friends on a warm evening with the ocean breeze rustling my hair. It just doesn't bet much better than that.