Everyone posts the same shot: the curve of Bixby Bridge against the cliffs, Pacific haze swallowing the horizon. I took it too, but never shared it. What I remember isn’t the bridge—it’s the wind so sharp it made my eyes water, the rental car smell clinging to my jacket, the ache in my stomach because I hadn’t eaten since Monterey. I stood there, surrounded by people pretending to be awed, but mostly checking their phones. I felt like I was supposed to feel something big. Instead, I just felt small. Sometimes you drive hours for a view, and all you get is yourself, unchanged, staring back. #Travel #RoadTripReality #TravelUnfiltered