When the words "college" and "spring break" come together, many think about Cabo, Cancun, and even Vegas. For most of my spring breaks, I have either taken it easy or spent time with family -- a.k.a. the opposite of Cabo, Cancun, and even Vegas. But for my last spring break of college, I really wanted to utilize my time of being young and free of most of my responsibilities and take a trip with some friends. After brainstorming a few ideas, my friends Selinna, Elizabeth and I decided on a road trip down the West Coast. We figured if we planned accordingly, we could hit quite a few cities without spending an arm and a leg. What followed was a week full of car dance parties, pictures of new cities, and one of my best college memories.

Bellingham to Roseburg...

We began our journey from Bellingham straight down to Roseburg, Ore. The start of our road trip down the West Coast was full of new opportunities and exciting uncertainty. I ended up falling asleep in the backseat (no surprise there) for a chunk of our seven-hour drive south, and eventually we found ourselves rolling into a Best Western around 1:00 in the morning.

The first official morning of our road trip had us rising at a decent hour to take advantage of our hotel’s continental breakfast before heading out to find a hike recommended to us by the concierge. Unfortunately, due to poor signage (and nothing at all due to any of us), we were unable to find the hike that was only supposed to be a short drive away, and we ended up stumbling upon Whistlers Bend Park. Settled right along the Umpqua River, the park offered lush greenery suitable for RV parking, frisbee golf, camping, picnic area, accessible walking, and fishing. After some walking around and GoPro filming, we headed even further south. After a quick stop at In-N-Out in Redding, Calif., we made our way to San Jose.

...to San Jose...

Our friend’s parents were generous enough to let us stay at their house for our time in San Jose, Calif. We had planned three full days in the city, which was close enough to San Francisco and Santa Cruz, two cities we wanted to make day trips to. When we drove into town, the difference from Washington was clear. The weather was warm and palm trees lined most of the streets.

What I loved about our time in San Jose was the amount of people we met and quickly formed bonds with. Our friend celebrated her 21st birthday while we were staying with her, and her parents threw her a big celebration with friends and family. While I was initially intimidated by only knowing a small number of people there, everyone was incredibly welcoming and I was reminded that fun times and good bonds can come when you open yourself up to new situations.

...to San Francisco...

San Francisco was one of my favorite stops during our road trip down the West Coast. I’ve wanted to come back to the Bay Area ever since my first trip (and when I became a big fan of the Giants). As we drove past AT&T Park, I couldn’t hide my excitement at seeing the ball park one of my favorite teams calls home. We spent our day walking around Fisherman’s Wharf and almost getting attacked by a hoard of seagulls. I filled my phone with a bunch of pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge and candid pictures of us walking through the streets. To me, San Francisco has always been a city of endless possibilities and intrigue, and my second go-around was no exception.

...to Santa Cruz...

When the idea of a road trip for spring break was brought up, my mom had thrown out the idea to me of checking out Santa Cruz. I had heard about the boardwalk in Santa Cruz, and the idea of an amusement park right by the beach sounded exciting to me. Unfortunately, we seemed to have brought the rain of Washington to California and the sky was overcast all day. But we bought a pass for a few rides and walked down the pier as the sun set before retiring to the arcade where I crushed it at skee-ball, Spider Stomp, and pinball.

...to Santa Monica and Venice Beach...

For a day trip, we wanted to check out the Santa Monica Pier. We spent a short time walking amongst the rides before walking down towards Venice, where we encountered many interesting folk. There were guys with snakes around their arms, skateboarders surrounding a skate park, and plenty of street performers. The eclectic oceanfront towns offered us plenty of people-watching opportunities and a nice start to some sunburns.

...to Huntington Beach...

From San Jose to Huntington Beach, we decided to take the Pacific Coast Highway all the way down. What we saw were amazing views of waves crashing against rocks and the coast, and occasionally stopping to take a quick selfie.

Our last stop on our road trip down the West Coast was Huntington Beach, Calif. Our hotel was right on the beach, and each morning, I would be able to walk out on our balcony and look out onto the scenery that makes the city such a hot spot.

On our last night, we made our way over to Anaheim for dinner at Downtown Disney. As a Disney fanatic, it felt weird not going into the park and only getting dinner just outside of it. But I couldn’t help but revel in the relaxation and magic of it all, enjoying a wonderful meal and reminiscing about our time on the road.

I wanted my last spring break of college to be memorable. After all, I’m never going to have another spring break again. At this point in my life, I really wanted to get out of my immediate surroundings of Bellingham and see new environments. Now is the perfect time for me to experience more of what is out there because nothing is holding me back. No job, no crazy bills, no real responsibilities.

I can easily say that my spring break road trip has been one of my favorite college experiences. My two friends and I were able to travel down the West Coast together, sharing new experiences that only strengthened our friendships. There's something almost magical about wandering around a city with your friends, or laughing together over 40 tacos at 1:45 in the morning, or watching the sunset from the Pacific Coast Highway while the radio plays some Top 40 hit.

When I look back on my experience in college, a few moments will truly stand out and make me realize how those moments helped shape who I am today and made me a happier person. This road trip is one of those moments.