My absurd experiences in North America over the years

The San Francisco sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the hotel curtains, bright and warm.

Li Fu woke up from his sleep, reached for his phone on the bedside table, and glanced at it. It was no longer early morning; it was almost 10 a.m.

Taylor Swift was still curled up in his arms, sleeping soundly. Her long golden hair was spread out on the pillow and his shoulders, and her breathing was even and long, as if the fatigue from last night had not completely subsided.

He hesitated for a moment and did not wake her.

The flight was at 10:30, and the journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles would only take a little over an hour, making it the most time-efficient return route. However, even if they set off for the airport immediately, they wouldn't have enough time.

I had expected this to happen last night.

The two of them were up until the middle of the night, so it would be a bit much if they could get up in the morning to catch their flight...

Li Fu looked down at the blonde girl in his arms. She murmured indistinctly, snuggled closer to his chest, and fell asleep again.

Anyway, there's no rush, so it's best to just go to sleep naturally.

Taylor Swift took about an hour to slowly wake up.

She opened her eyes and saw the sunlight filtering through the curtains. She paused for a couple of seconds, then sat bolt upright. "What time is it?"

It's almost eleven o'clock.

"Oh? Then we've missed our flight?"

"What do you think?" Li Fu smiled and shrugged, while his eyes darted around her.

Taylor Swift realized she had accidentally exposed herself, but she just let out a soft moan and snuggled back into his arms. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I also woke up very late," Li Fu gently stroked her delicate shoulder, "and we're not in a hurry to go back."

"How about we drive back instead of taking the flight?" Taylor Swift suddenly looked up and said with great interest.

Anyway, there's no rush. I don't have much to do back in Los Angeles today, so it's fine to drive back slowly.

"You mean we should take Highway 1?" Li Fu understood what she meant.

There are three main classic routes to choose from when driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles: Highway 1, Interstate 5, and Highway 99.

Taking Interstate 5 is about 600 kilometers long, the shortest route and the fastest, but the disadvantages are also very obvious: the scenery along the way is monotonous, and it is easy to get tired while driving.

Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, winds along the Pacific coastline, offering stunning scenery and making it perfect for a vacation. The downside is that it's the longest highway, and even without stopping along the way, it takes more than eight hours to return.

Highway 99 is somewhere in between, shorter than Highway 1, and offers better scenery than Interstate 5.

Of course, it can also be understood that the scenery is far inferior to Highway 1 and the speed is far inferior to Interstate 5, making it a kind of "white elephant"—not worth keeping but too good to discard.

Therefore, if you want to drive between San Francisco and Los Angeles, you usually take Highway 1 or Interstate 5.

Taylor Swift chose Highway 1 as her vacation destination.

"If we drive on Highway 1, we'll probably be heading back at night. Aren't you afraid of encountering vampires or ghosts on the way?" Li Fu ruffled her hair.

Even if it means driving for more than eight hours, how could I bear to refuse her?

"I'm not afraid at all!" Taylor Swift tilted her head back proudly. "With you here, what do I have to be afraid of? Don't you always say you want to defeat all those demons and monsters!"

Li Fu had only meant to tease her, and upon hearing this, he laughed and said, "Then you'd better get up quickly, you little sleepyhead, we need to get going."

The two spent quite a bit of time getting dressed and washing up.

At approximately 11:45, the two drove out of the hotel parking lot and merged into traffic westward along the city street.

Around noon, there was some traffic congestion in San Francisco. The traffic moved slowly, and it took several kilometers for the congestion to subside.

Taylor Swift sat in the passenger seat, wearing large-framed sunglasses, scrolling through a map on her phone while glancing up at the sun, which was almost high in the sky. "Are we almost at dinnertime when we arrive in Santa Barbara?" she asked.

"Almost. You should think about where we're going to have lunch first," Li Fu said as he drove through the traffic.

"There seem to be quite a few small towns with restaurants along the way," Taylor Swift said, searching on the map. "What kind of lunch do you want? I think you can find Chinese food here..."

After leaving the city, the road began to meander along the coastline.

At the beginning, you can still see buildings and trees on the edge of the city, with occasional gas stations and convenience stores lined up along the roadside. After about half an hour, the city gradually recedes, replaced by the open sea and the occasional mountain ridge.

The air outside the car window no longer smelled of the city; it was slightly salty, damp, and cool.

Li Fu is currently driving a Bentley convertible. He lowers the top, and the surrounding view instantly opens up, making the distant mountain ridges and coastline even clearer.

At this moment, one can only imagine the luxurious cars and beautiful women, enjoying an extremely pleasant experience.

Taylor Swift turned on the radio, and FM was playing her song "You Belong with Me," a hit on radio. Hearing the song, she couldn't help but glance at Li Fu beside her.

As things changed, they actually ended up together.

The familiar music and the background of its creation undoubtedly add a dreamlike quality to the moment.

She couldn't help but hum along.

Li Fu glanced at the girl who had started swaying to the music and was naturally in a great mood. Even though his singing wasn't that good, he started singing along.

The sports car sped along the coastline, and the scenery on both sides began to open up. To the left were rolling hills and occasional ranch fences, and to the right was a wide sea with light golden waves floating in the sunlight.

They listened to music together, their bodies swaying slightly to the rhythm. Turning their heads, they could see the valley scenery and the waves. This feeling of ease was indescribable.

At 1:30 p.m., Li Fu parked his car to buy pizza and drinks at a restaurant in town.

Taylor Swift waited in the car. She's practically a household name now, and going with her would risk being photographed or ruining their vacation.

The weather was great today, and California is never short of sunshine, so the afternoon trip was just as pleasant and relaxing.

Taylor Swift rarely has a vacation where she can completely relax. Before she became famous, she was too young and completed her high school courses at home. She usually spends a lot of time on music, practicing guitar for four hours every day.

After she became famous, she seemed to be even busier. In addition, as her fame grew, she needed to be accompanied by assistants and bodyguards whenever she went out for security reasons.

Therefore, she is unlikely to have such an opportunity.

Li Fu is now her boss, her lover, and one of the world's best bodyguards. With him by her side, she can enjoy their time together so comfortably.

This experience was not only a joyful journey for Taylor Swift, but also a novel one.

At 7 p.m., the two crossed the coastline and finally arrived in Santa Barbara, which is less than 100 kilometers from Los Angeles.

It's closer to Malibu, only forty or fifty kilometers away.

Santa Barbara sounds like a name from an anime, but it actually comes from the Spanish word Saint Barbara, a Christian martyr who was later regarded as the patron saint of sailors.

In 1602, Spanish explorers sailed to this place and named it after Santa Barbara, which happened to be Santa Barbara's Day.

Strictly speaking, this place was once a Spanish colony, and many Spanish-style buildings still remain.

Because it is nestled against the Santa Ynez Mountains and faces the Pacific Ocean, it is a picturesque coastal city like Malibu, making it a famous tourist destination in California, receiving more than 150,000 visitors annually.

Of course, it's also a private garden for the wealthy and celebrities.

California's wealthy, and indeed the wealthy across the United States, prefer to retire in sunny, pleasant coastal cities.