One Last LA Adventure

Last full day in LA, and I’m so sad :( Our trip went by so fast and I can’t believe it’s almost over. But today we definitely took advantage of our free day and tried to maximize every minute!!

We woke up bright and early, got ready for the day, ate breakfast, and then we were off. We wanted to feel like locals, so we started the day with a hike! It was a pretty chill hike to some great Hollywood sign lookout points. The weather was amazing, and our tour guide was so fun and had lots of jokes. She was also from Chicago, so it was super unique hearing her perspective on both the LA and Chicago experiences. The views were incredible and of course we took lots of photos. After our hike we were definitely hungry, so we went to Doughbrik’s Pizza Shop. I had never heard of it before, but it was a great suggestion. I got a cheese pizza and a Coke, very original, but honestly a classic.

Unfortunately we did not see David Dobrik, but we did have a celebrity sighting!! We met Monique Coleman from High School Musical. That was one of my favorite movies growing up, so it was super cool meeting her. She was so kind and genuinely the sweetest person. And of course we had to get a selfie with her because if there isn’t a picture… did it even happen?

After lunch we walked along Sunset Blvd and then hopped on the bus and headed to Beverly Hills. We walked around the neighborhood and wow, the houses were beautiful. The roads were lined with palm trees and every house had that classic California character. I really admired how each home was unique and had such beautiful landscaping. We definitely walked a lot today! Eventually we ended up on Rodeo Drive where we walked along the famous street, looked at all the fancy stores, and did some window shopping.

By mid-afternoon we hopped back on the bus and headed to Santa Monica! I was really excited to be by the ocean and check out the pier. The bus ride was super quick and easy. Once we got there we walked around, did some shopping, and went out onto the pier where we saw the infamous Route 66 sign. Then we found a bench and honestly just relaxed, watching the waves and slowly watching the sun go down. We even saw a dolphin, which was super cool! The sunset was beautiful and the sky was glowing with such warm colors. After the sunset we headed to dinner and got some delicious Mexican food. I got nachos and they were so good! After dinner we took the train back and to end the night we jumped in the hotel pool and just hung out. Honestly it was a little chilly but still fun and the perfect way to end such a fun and adventurous day. 15k steps later, we definitely explored LA to the fullest and made our time count here.

Even though the week has come to an end, reflecting on the trip makes me realize how much it helped me both professionally and personally. I’ve made some great new friends along the way too. Through all the site visits, alumni we met, and networking opportunities, the Quinlan Ramble really is such a well-rounded trip filled with incredible experiences. I’m definitely sad to leave LA, but I’m so grateful for this trip and I genuinely won’t forget the connections I made and all the exploring we did!