Walking Around My New Neighborhood.

While I am only in this rental in Encinitas till the end of December, I am certainly taking every opportunity to explore the area by both vehicle and foot... Because I have a feeling this is where I will want to live more permanently. And a walk this afternoon made me fall even more in love with the area.

I live close to the area known as Moonlight Beach, which is near the Coast Highway and Encinitas Boulevard.

A stylist I visited with last month in La Jolla knows the area quite well and recommended this coffee shop to me, since I would be living so close...

I wasn't sure what to expect when I got there. But I was very impressed. It reminded me of a shop across the street from my house in Toronto called Seven Grams.  They had truly legit coffee equipment in this place...

TWO slow drip coffee contraptions... And a number of pour-over vessels. And I didn't even snap a photo of the industrial espresso machine they had. I ordered a latte...

It cost me about as much as the same type of latte at Starbucks, but the craftsmanship was far better. Far, far better.

After my afternoon stimulant was procured, I walked around the corner to Moonlight Beach.

I'm not an "afternoon beach" person. It's always too crowded. I prefer early morning - before 9am - or after dinner. That's when the light is the most gorgeous. And it usually isn't crowded. But despite the heavy number of people celebrating Easter on the beach today, I was able to enjoy the view of the ocean and life buzzing around me...

All of this... Only a 10-minute walk from my apartment. Amazing.