So when I first started thinking about leaving Japan, I got it in my head that I would move to LA and keep up my "career" in music journalism. Even though
trick/rock. wasn't something that Lisa and I did for
money, it was something I really loved and I thought the West Coast would be the best place to continue pursuing that.
I used some of my accumulated miles for a ticket, fought with our bundle-of-wires internet for a cheap rental car via Priceline and arrived in LA on a Wednesday night. Honestly, after all those 11-14 hour plane rides between Atlanta and Tokyo this was a breeze; I was more worried about finding the rental place and getting to Carrie's house safely.
Oh, and when I say I'd been
driving in Georgia, I mean I'd been driving around town and then maybe like, 30ish minutes to Doraville and Roswell. To be honest I don't think I've even driven
downtown since I moved back. So getting in that little car and getting on LA's big highway (I'm sorry, the 110? I can't remember now) was
terrifying. Actually, I take that back. The highway itself wasn't bad--not too different from highways in Georgia--it was all those damn side streets and crazy parking signs that got me nervous.
By the time I got to
Carrie's house my legs were shaking a little and I couldn't have been happier to be out of that car, I won't lie. Anyway, we headed to
Swinger's Diner for dinner and had omelets and roasted potatoes while we caught up. Because, let's be real. Breakfast for dinner is
always the best :)
day 1
The next morning I went to try out the Coffee Bean and can, I just say:
I fuckin' love you Coffee Bean. I don't know why. It's not exceptionally amazing or anything, but I just really took to it. I could have done without, however, the meth head affecting a faux Irish accent hitting on me. "Well, aren't you just a slice of gorgeous there, aren't you."
Right. What is a slice of gorgeous? Is that pie? Pizza? I'm confused. And I haven't washed my hair since yesterday, I'm not wearing makeup and I really just want you to go away.
I ended up walking to
The Grove during the day. Beautiful, beautiful shopping center, but honestly the only thing I ever did there was a eat a chicken salad wrap and people watch. And discovered that apparently cupcakes are a big thing? Looked delicious, but I was too cheap to drop almost 4 bones on a sugary treat.
That night Carrie had a beachfront BBQ with her run group so we headed down to Dockweiler Beach. There was a run as well, but we decided to sit it out and be in charge of the smores and cider instead. Everyone was
really nice and super chill and definitely the type of people I think I'd get on really well with if I moved out there. I'm just really bummed I'd probably never be able to run with them since I kinda messed up my knee in college. Sad! Beach running seems like it'd be awesome.
day 2
On Friday I drove to Los Feliz to visit with my cousins! My one cousin lives in LA and the other in NYC and we both just
happened to be visiting at the same time.
It was really nice to see them and catch up and I think one of the hardest things about moving to Georgia was being so far from our extended family. We talked a lot about that, childhood memories, watching Santa Claus come down that cul-de-sac in Jersey on a firetruck, and our grandpop. We all miss him
a lot and it was really nice to talk about him with them. Miraculously I didn't cry, but I would've loved if my brother could've been there with the three us, too.
Oh! And we went to this great little place called
Home. Anyone know it? I initially thought it was just the coffee shop and didn't even realize that giant outdoor area next door was part of it. Or rather, the actual restaurant haha.
That night I went to
El Coyote with Carrie and Joey for dinner. As we were getting out of the car, we saw a pink corvette and Carrie tells about how supposedly there's this woman that got famous off of billboards that owns a pink corvette just like that one. Then
just as we're walking in we literally almost walk
right into her. Haha!
A woman sitting next to us in the entrance told us her name is
Angelyne and she came to prominence in the 80's for all her billboards. Wikipedia says it better, but you get the gist.
My first celebrity sighting? Am I an Angeleno yet?
Not quite.
day 3
During the day we went to see
Interstellar at the
Cinerama Dome. Seeing it in a dome was kind of awesome and I'm starting to think
all movies should be shown that way.
No, but really.
Great movie by the way! At first it was really weird to see McConaughey not putting on a sleazy slur and leather pants, but it was really well done. I actually loved it until...the last 20 minutes. But! This is not a movie blog. So...
A few weeks earlier, we had signed up for a
"Haunted Hollywood Sunset Hike" of wonder and joy and joyness. Despite the title, I thought it was
just going to be a hike, but after our tour guide started talking about how there were sightings on the tour and people smelled gardenias coming down the hill, my first thought was
hell naw. Maybe I watch too much Ghost Hunters, maybe I believe in it more than I'd like to, but I deeefinitely don't want to experience it.
Anyway, the hike itself was gorgeous and we got to hike around all these fancy mansions and super pricey houses built into the side of the hills. Our tour guide asked us all for ghost stories at certain "rest points" and told us some of her own. Apparently she had multiple ex-boyfriends who lived in haunted buildings. I had an ex who hunted ghosts. It terrified me. Nope nope nope.
When we got to the end of the tour, our guide told us that it was another 30 minutes or so to the top of the Hollywood Sign. Being the spry foursome that we are, we're all like, "Pshh no way that takes 30 minutes. We'll be there in like 20."
No really though.
It took about 30 minutes.
Or more.
Also I went from being afraid of running into Casper to running into a mountain lion.
A DAMN MOUNTAIN LION. I saw this thing in
We Bought a Zoo that said something about big cats being afraid of loud noise. So I suggested we just stomp around and be obnoxious if we suspected any big cats were getting close.
We're good guys, we're good. Thanks Matt Damon.
Luckily there were no mountain lions or ghosts, but I
did feel this weird breeze when we started back down the path. I'm about 90% sure it was just a weird air pocket or something, but at the time it did freak me out...just a
little. Or maybe I was just secretly hoping Zak Bagans would come running down the hill and we'd be on surprise episode of Ghost Adventures.
Wait. Scratch that. That's not what I want at all.
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Yay! Two blogs in a week. I'm excited. You know what else I'm excited for? Having Thanksgiving with my family for the first time in nearly 5 years! I want to say, "I'm not going to eat too much!" because I have a consultation at recruiting agency next week and I have to buy a suit buuuut I don't see that happening :D
If I don't post again before then, Happy Turkey Day everyone!
♡
jennifer
