Moving across the country means a chance to explore a whole new city! In Gabrielle Goes West, I’ll chronicle my adventures as I get to know Los Angeles and the west coast…

After leaving Bergamot Station late Saturday afternoon, I didn’t feel like going home. It was a beautiful day, and I just wanted to go for a drive, so I headed to the PCH. The Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most gorgeous drives I’ve ever done, and after doing it last year from Ojai down to Los Angeles, I was excited to move here and be able to drive it whenever I want!

I’m someone who really loves to go for a casual drive. I remember going on Sunday drives with my family as a little girl, no destination, just going off to explore and end up in unexpected places. We’d go to random towns in Massachusetts, farms to taste test cider donuts, and just get out of the city to see the New England leaves change. It’s an old-fashioned pastime, and I’m an old-fashioned girl. My car had also arrived from Boston the day before, and I was thrilled to have such a big piece of home in LA with me. Having my own vehicle makes California feel so much more like home, and it’s been really comforting to me.

I drove up to Malibu with a warm breeze blowing through the window and the sun on my face. I had a good playlist on, and I could smell the fresh ocean air – a welcome change from the city pollution. The drive was even more healing and brought me more joy than my stunning final destination, El Matador Beach in Malibu.