Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is my hometown. I lived there for my whole childhood, up until I was about eighteen years old, then off and on in my twenties. It's a coastal town in Southern California, about two hours from Los Angeles. When I was a kid, it was a very laid back beachy place full of weird artists, and some of that persists, but, as with all things in California, it's become a lot more expensive and bougie in the last decade especially.
Eventually, I'd like to add some photos of my childhood here, once I find them, but for now I mostly have photos taken within the last few years on visits home. I visit often, and almost my entire family (mom's, dad's AND step-dad's) live there. The older I get, the more I love it and feel deeply grateful I'm able to spend so much time in such a beautiful place (even if I can't afford to live there myself, lol).
Beaches
SB has some really great hangout and walking beaches! Not all of them are ideal for swimming, being kinda rocky, cold, and full of kelp (though that, of course, did not stop my friends and I from running into the ocean in our jeans frequently in high school, lol), but if you like to stroll and tidepool, they've got you covered. I owe my early love of nature to being able to spend a lot of time enjoying the beach as a kid.
The Foothills and San Marcos Pass
Santa Barbara is great because it is nestled between the coast and a range of small mountains. A highway winds through them, leading to some hiking trails, ruins, water towers, and eventually out into the valley on the other side. As a kid, I only went up into them every so often, but starting in high school and into college, friends would drive up there often to go to hidden mountain raves, to hook up, and occaisonally just to hang out and take in the view of the city below.
Other Stuff
Other places and details, as I remember them.
