Travels
EVERYONE! SIGN UP FOR SCOTT'S CHEAP FLIGHTS! Nearly daily emails about seriously good deals on flights. This is especially handy if you have a flexible schedule.
Weekend/Long weekend trips (2-4 days)
There are a lot of wonderful outdoor parks for those who like hiking and camping. Point Reyes National Seashore (~90 minutes), Salt Point State Park (~2 hours), and Sonoma Coast State Park (~90 minutes) are great beach options with campsites and/or backcountry options for sleeping. In the mountains, check out any of the major national parks within driving range for a (long) weekend (Yosemite, Sequoia and King's Canyon, Death Valley, and more). You can take a bus (YARTS) to Yosemite!
Other options for trips include asking your friends and labmates who do fieldwork around the region if they need an extra assistant!
Spring Break (7-10 days)
Benji Kessler, Brian Whyte, and Wenjing Xu's China Trip and this is how we prepared it. Key points:
China Southern has cheap flights (round trip around $400)
Get your visa in SF, which takes less than a week to get it. No appointment needed
Don't be afraid of the language. Benji was able to order his own milk tea by the end of the trip
We love our Google Fi SIM card (roaming 200+ countries, flat rate, no VPN needed if you are on )
Contact Benji, Brian, or Wenjing if you need any further info.