My L.A. trip was the metaphor for all that L.A. has ever been for me: exciting, frustrating, strange and beautiful. I lost my driver's license and credit card within hours of arriving and was forced to reconfigure my trip, since I now could no longer rent a vehicle to bring all my stuff from storage back home. I didn't get to see half the people I planned to see, but the ones I did made up for it. I came home busted out, sore, sick and tired, but I'd do it all over again. Some things I learned:
1.) Never, NEVER trust that a shitty little special occasion purse you buy from Claire's will stay shut. Always know that the only thing that will fall out of it is the thing you need most, i.e. your ID and credit card.
2.) Never, NEVER walk two drunken anger-fueled miles in platform heels, no matter how tough you think you are and no matter how many cool nighttime photos of the L.A. aqueduct you can get. You will arrive at your host's home with bleeding feet and a bruised psyche, and will feel really stupid in the morning.
3.) When paying $422 dollars for a flight home because that's your only option, take respite in the fact that you might get upgraded to first class, like I did on the first leg of my return flight. I must say, that made it almost worth it. Those hot towels and cushy seats rock the fucking house. Plus the very attractive ad exec sitting beside me shared my enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton.
4.) Always eat at El Pollo Loco, at least once a visit. It sucks, but it's 800 times better than Taco Bell. I've missed it. Kentucky's Mexican fast food selection blows.
5.) Always pack a washcloth. My girlfriend doesn't use them (she's a loofah woman), and I didn't feel clean all week. My hands just aren't nubby enough for cleaning satisfaction.
6.) Take more pictures of your friends. The only ones I got of J. Paul and Darci were blurry at best because I hate using flash in low-light; it washes people out. And I was too sheepish to ask my mentor/former instructor Chris if I could take one of him. And damn, I regret it.
7.) There's always Thanksgiving. I'm already researching a return trip.
Thank you L.A., for being the beautiful bitch you always are to me. I'll keep crawling back, because so much of my love is wrapped up in you.
xoxo-Alexandra
1 comment:
Welcome back to the world East of the Mississippi river! I don't know about the whole purse thing but haven't you learned that the only things you lose are those that you need the most at any given moment? I don't know how many times I have torn rooms in my house apart looking for this or that which I know I have but damn it I can't find them! Hopefully you killed the credit card and license and put holds on all your credit reports. I know it costs like $10/month I think to do that but it can save you so much more in terms of hassle from identity theft. If you want a cheap way to make a camera flash less harsh, just cut a piece from a "clear" milk carton that is big enough to cover the flash and it should help in keeping people from looking more pale than normal. I know it sounds bad but actually the texturing on the carton's surface helps to diffuse that light. I have to say that I have some good memories of eating that the crazy chicken when I was in CA over a decade ago, and I do wish they would head over here to the Carolinas. Now you are going to have me craving some crispy, rotisserie chicken with beans and tortillas. too bad you didn't take a picture of that. mmmmmmmm.
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