With a Twist: Making the Most of Your Weekend

We’ve been back at school for two and a half weeks, and it already feels like it’s been two months. On top of this, our next break isn’t until President’s Day Weekend,  and then a mere week off for Spring break. I’ll be the one to say it: This is a long time to be at school without the reassurance of knowing there is a week-long Thanksgiving break followed by a month-long winter break. Feeling frustrated yet? Don’t worry, I have answers. After all, this blog post is about making the most of your weekends — with a twist.

If you are like me and from Los Angeles, you most likely have already done all of the local “touristy” activities. Also, you know how tempting it is to go home for part of the weekend and enjoy the perks of your house (i.e. sleeping in your own bed). However, I encourage you to try something new to make your weekends seem like a mini vacation. This past weekend I traveled with a group of friends to San Clemente, Calif. We stayed at my friend’s house, went to the beach, tried new restaurants and relaxed and re-energized after a busy week at school. The best advice I can give an L.A. local is to go to a new place for a day (or the weekend if you have time). Whether it is surfing in San Clemente, lounging around in Laguna or poking around Palm Springs, create your own mini vacation to make the most of your weekend.

While taking a mini vacation away from Los Angeles is a great option, I also encourage everyone to take advantage of all the city has to offer. My top recommendation is to do something you love to fill your weekends. Don’t know what to do? Here are some suggestions:

If you love working out: Try a group workout class. Whether it is yoga, barre or spinning, you can make the day out of your workout class by finding a studio in a neighborhood you haven’t been to (Hollywood, Santa Monica, Brentwood, etc.) and spend the day exploring that part of town.

If you love food: You are in the right city. Every first Friday of the month, food trucks line the streets for Abbot Kinney’s “First Friday” event. Saturday, try a new brunch spot in Hollywood, or take a day trip to Malibu. Malibu Country Mart is not only home to some of my favorite restaurants, but also a great place to relax as the beach is right across the street. My Sunday recommendation is to go to Smorgasburg in Downtown. This option is not only close and convenient, but also a way to try dozens of food vendors in one place.

If you love adventures. There is no need to feel like you are stuck on campus over the weekend. An adventure can be as simple as a Metro or Uber ride away. Some of my favorite day trips include visiting museums (Getty Villa, LACMA, the Broad, etc.), walking around Olvera Street, exploring the Botanical Gardens in Pasadena, hiking Runyon Canyon and shopping on Melrose.

Hang in there, your next vacation is only a weekend away.

Carly Price is a freshman majoring in journalism. Her column, With a Twist, runs every week on Thursday.