Los Angeles

Traditionally, I travel to a new country every year for my birthday in June, but 2021 would be different thanks to COVID-19. My original plan was to spend it in Central Europe, but I ended up in Los Angeles instead. It would be my first visit to Southern California in my adult life and my first time in Los Angeles. It was a two week trip, and I initially felt apathy toward it because of how expensive hotel and car rental would be. My expenses were cut significantly days before my trip due to two decisions. First, one of my Twitter followers, Liz, offered me a condo for my stay. It was a luxury high rise in downtown Los Angeles(DTLA) with incredible views from the rooftop. Not only that, but I would pay half the price of my initially booked hotel, which was on the outskirts of the city. I gladly accepted her offer and couldn’t thank her enough for her generosity. My second decision would involve my car rental. Since I was staying downtown, I wouldn’t need a rental for the full 14 days. I decided to rent for ten days instead, saving me $500 easily. This helped to ameliorate my fears, and all that was left was fervent anticipation.

I adopted a slower approach than usual to exploring this time and didn’t have an outlined plan. I spent most of the first day in L.A. relaxing comfortably in bed. Later, I met up with my good friend Keith, who happened to be visiting California at the same time as me. It was a short meeting, but we got vegan food at Localita as we joked and laughed about life before COVID-19. Keith had to catch a train to another city, so we embraced before parting, not knowing when we would see each other again. After lunch, I decided to sample beer at a nearby brewery. As I walked, I noticed a sudden shift in the neighborhood. It went from extreme wealth to extreme poverty with only blocks of separation. There were tents occupied by homeless people lined along the streets for miles. I was surrounded by so many of them I feared for my safety. I opted to use a scooter instead of walking if I needed to make a swift getaway. The majority of the homeless didn’t bother me at all, not even to ask for money. I’ve heard stories of Skid Row, but seeing it up close is an experience you don’t forget. As I sat drinking my beer at Mumford Brewing, I pondered how the confluence of California government and corporate greed created this disaster.

The next day, I was off to another slow start, but I was getting hungry, so it was time for a walk. I expected the streets to be filled with people, but they were mostly empty. It was a sunny day and hot but not super humid. There weren’t many sounds except for the cars idling in heavy traffic and the occasional buzzing sound from people on motorized scooters riding by. As I walked, taking in the sites, an Indian man dressed in a unique garb stopped me on the street. He told me there was a powerful light inside of me, and he could see it on my forehead. At first, I thought he was crazy, but then he started speaking about specific details about me that only those close to me knew. He knew about my previous romantic relationships, including what my partners looked like. He advised me on things I needed to change and people I needed to avoid. He told me he would pray for me and then walked away. Our interaction confirmed things I knew were true but refused to admit to myself. I won’t delve deep into that in this post, though. Anyway, I continued my walk and ended up at a Japanese spot called Arashi Sushi. My meal was good, but I was still hungry afterward.

That’s when I decided to walk to Grand Central Market. It’s an indoor market loaded with Asian and Mexican foods. I circled the market for 20 minutes because the options were overwhelming, and I was indecisive. I eventually decided on a chicken burrito from Ana Maria. It was so delicious and well seasoned I wanted to hug every Mexican I saw to thank their ancestors for this beautiful creation. After eating, I walked outside and noticed a small orange train across the street. I was curious because it reminded me of one I saw in Budapest years ago. It appeared to go up and down a steep incline. Upon further investigation, I learned it is the shortest railway in the world! A decision is made at that point that I must take a ride in it. There’s usually a dollar fee, but the employee at the time let me ride for free. I stood at the top, admiring the skyscrapers while looking down at pedestrians strolling on the sidewalks.

Later, I decided to check out the nightlife. I rented one of the many scooters sprawled all over the city and rode down to a whiskey bar called Seven Grand. I wore my “FREE HUGS’ t-shirt that night, which was either a great idea or a mistake, depending on how you feel about the succeeding events. I walked into the crowded bar and ordered an Old fashioned cocktail. I stood awkwardly by myself, sipping my drink as I watched groups of 20s/30s young professionals socialize. It was a dimly lit bar with pool tables at the center surrounded by stools and couches. One of the bartenders noticed my shirt and excitedly approached me with his arms open. I gave him a hug, and he bought my next drink. Then he loudly proclaims while pointing at me, “Hey, this guy is giving out free hugs!”. When he says this, an Asian woman in her 20s walks up, wraps her arms around me, smiles while thanking me, and walks away. After this transpires, I walk outside on the balcony to escape the attention I was getting. As I sat out there, I started eavesdropping on the conversation next to me between two strangers of the opposite sex. The guy was obviously flirting with her, and she seemed to be having fun from my perspective. In my mind, I was thinking, “Good job, dude!”. The guy walks away, promising to return in a few minutes. She turns around, looks at me, and goes, “OH MY GOD, that guy was the worst!”. I was confused because I was convinced she was enjoying his company. It had me wondering how often this scenario has happened to me. She invites me to sit with her as she continues to rant about how lame that guy was. I learned that her name is Emily, and she lives in Austin, TX, but is visiting Los Angeles for a few days. Like me, she enjoys taking spontaneous trips around the world. I rarely meet other Americans like this, so I relish these moments. At this point, the alcohol she’s drinking is kicking in, and now she’s touching me more, telling me how beautiful I am. I laughed off her advances as we took turns sharing travel experiences. She told me that she had an event and her Uber was outside. She gives me her number, followed by a long hug goodbye.

The next day, I took a Lyft to Hollywood Boulevard. I signed up for a tour of the Chinese Theatre. While I waited for my tour to begin, I scrutinized the hands and footprints of celebrities molded into the ground. The tour began with an intriguing history and architecture, but I zoned out for much of it, thinking about unimportant things like how small Susan Sarandon’s hands are. After the tour, I bought a ticket to watch a movie there, A Quiet Place 2. When the movie ended, I spent the rest of my time looking at murals and Hollywood Stars on the sidewalks. Hollywood is mostly underwhelming, but it’s one of those things you should experience at least once anyway. I ended my day on the rooftop of my condo, staring at the skyline and reflecting on the influence of television and music on American culture.

It was now time for me to pick up my car rental. Los Angeles isn’t a walkable city outside of DTLA, so the real fun was about to begin. It would take 3 hours of standing in line to get a car, but it was worth it because I was unexpectedly upgraded to a new Mercedes. I consider myself a minimalist, but now I spent two weeks in a luxury condo while driving a luxury car and enjoying every minute. That day, I attempted to hike up to the Hollywood sign but realized I didn’t have enough time to make it before the sun went down. Instead, I enjoyed the sunset at Griffith Park Conservatory. It was getting too crowded for my liking, and hunger was setting in. I drove to Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles, which I’ve wanted to try for years, and ordered a meal to go. The remaining hours of my day were spent watching the NBA playoffs. The food was incredible, by the way.

The next few days would be spent mostly hiking. Eaton Canyon, Moro Rock, and Bishop Peak were some of the trails I hiked. All were strenuous and had me questioning my life decisions. Then I made it to the top, and the views and serenity made it worth it. The peace you feel at the top of a mountain is unmatched by anything that exists in this world. It is naturally therapeutic. My favorite of all my hikes was the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park. This is where General Sherman lives, the largest living tree on the planet. I sat, processing the fact that I was literally in close proximity to the largest living being on the planet. I was euphoric from this experience, but nobody else around me seemed to make a big deal out of it.

I left Sequoia as the crowds swelled, thinking it would be a smooth drive back to DTLA. It wasn’t. While driving through the winding roads of the mountains, traffic stopped suddenly. Motorists were walking around outside their cars and calmly talking to one another. After 20 minutes of waiting, I turned my engine off and got out, confused about what was happening. Temps were in triple digits that day because of a heat wave, so standing outside was unbearable. Another motorist informed me that a tree fell onto the road, and authorities are working on removing it. An hour later, we were on the move again. Things were going smoothly again until I got into L.A. I was only 3 miles from my condo, but traffic was so bad it would take 45 minutes to get there. I was tired, sore, and dehydrated. Once I returned, I don’t think I left my room for the rest of the day. I went out for drinks that night but wasn’t feeling it, so I left.

As I'm leaving, I notice a food vendor directly outside the entrance of the bar, so I inquire about what he's selling. As I was purchasing an overpriced hot dog from said vendor, three women strolled by, and one of them touched my shoulder as she walked by, making eye contact with me. As she’s walking away, we lock eyes again, and she walks back to talk to me, introducing herself as Adriana. We converse for a few minutes when she tells me she likes my vibe and puts her number in my phone. As I departed, I told her I’d text her later. This is when one of her friends in the background yells out, “Text her now!”. I did what I was told and headed home.

The following day was spent more on the coastal neighborhoods of the city. My first stop was Beverly Hills. I’ve never felt so poor in my life. Stores like DIOR, Dolce & Gabbana, and Prada were present on both sides of the road. People of all races and ages drove swiftly through the streets in Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, and Bentleys. Even the pedestrians walking around me had a look of wealth on them. I was hungry, so I picked a restaurant on Rodeo Drive to eat at. The menu didn’t have prices, which, in hindsight, should have been a sign of how expensive it was, but I didn’t care at the moment. When my bill came afterward, I almost fell out of my chair. It was $297. This was the most I’ve ever paid for a meal, but I was also on vacation, so I convinced myself it didn’t matter. Afterward, I walked around Santa Monica Pier, where I ate churros and people watched all night.

The following day would be the most fun of my trip so far. I was meeting my friend Ashraf for the first time. She started as simply an Instagram follower, which blossomed into a friendship in a matter of months in 2020. She's among the most interesting and intelligent women I've ever met. She reminds me of the fictional character Jane Eyre in that she lives outside the confines of societal norms expected of a woman. We are both passionate about traveling and have similar paths to our discovery of our love for this planet. This was only one of our numerous interests, so it was easy to form a bond. The plan was for her to pick me up and go exploring the best parts of the city. So I got into a car with someone I met on the internet. We first ate lunch at De Planta Buena. I don’t remember what I ordered, but it was good food and conversation. After lunch, we walked around Venice Beach Pier, laughing at the antics of street performers and the bizarre conversations of people around us. There were shops selling food, marijuana, and cold drinks. Kids on skateboards and rollerblades performed tricks at the skate park overlooking the beach. There was so much happening all at once. It was almost a sensory overload. We sat on the beach watching a silent disco party, which, if you didn’t know what was happening, would look like a group of mentally insane people making cultic bodily movements. We left Venice Beach around sundown and went brewery hopping. Almost everything after this point is a blur because of my goal to try as many beers as possible. You already know intoxication followed. All I remember is her laughter at everything I was saying. I couldn’t tell you if she was laughing at me or if I was actually that funny. She had to work in the morning, so she took me back to my accommodation, and we embraced one last time. As I’m walking inside, I get a text from Adriana asking if I want her to come over. I reply, “Yes,” and 30 minutes later, she arrives in a Lyft. We lay in bed talking and getting to know each other better. Like me, she lives an unorthodox life, making income through non-traditional means while traveling the world. Through our conversations through text and in person, she seemed authentic and fearless in everything she did. She was a free thinker with a unique view of the world, not swayed by others' opinions. This is even more impressive when you consider she comes from a traditional Mexican family, who have issues with her lifestyle. Still, she stays true to herself, which I respect a lot. The following morning, she cooked me a Mexican breakfast consisting of chorizo and eggs. Then, I invited her to join me on a hike up Runyon Canyon. After our hike, I took her home, and we promised to take a trip together in the near future.

Later, I made plans to have dinner with another Twitter follower I’d never met named Jill. Jill and her husband, Thomas, wanted to meet me, so they invited me to have dinner with them. We ate at a place called Nelson’s at Terranea Resort. The grounds were full of lush plants and overlooked the ocean. I admired the view as we walked, and Jill and Thomas told me fascinating stories about their lives. It was much colder out there than I expected, but thankfully, there were fire pits. As we ate outdoors and enjoyed each others' company, the sun descended, creating an orange hue in the sky. As I watched the sky change over the ocean, a group of dolphins swam by jumping through the waters. This is beautiful to see on its own, but even more so when you aren’t expecting it. Soon afterward, the temperature dropped precipitously. We and a few others gathered around the fire pit to keep warm. I was so blessed to keep meeting so many cool people.

Fast forward a couple of days, and it’s my 34th birthday. It was a laid back but enjoyable day. It starts as a solo walk through the botanical gardens, followed by laying in bed eating cupcakes my friends in Chicago sent me. Later that night, Liz takes me to dinner at Javier's, an upscale Mexican spot in Newport Beach. I thought I would be spending my birthday alone, but she made me feel special when she barely knew me. When we made it back, I headed to the rooftop, where I laid in a hammock looking up at the night sky, trying to identify the constellations. I was up there alone, so the only audible sound was the slow movement of the hammock as I felt a slight breeze sweep across my face. At that moment, I was relaxed and living in the present. The past and future didn’t matter.

I spent my last full day in California in the city of San Luis Obispo(SLO). I started by stopping at a winery I had to drive through a dirt path to get to. This part of SLO definitely had a more country vibe. I exited my car and noticed a group of older, white people staring at me. I felt like I was an alien invading their planet. I still enjoyed my wine. After sampling a few, I went for a hike afterward. I know I did this backward, but the winery was closing soon, so I had to make a decision. The hike would prove way more challenging than I anticipated. As much as I struggled to the top, people were running up the same mountain wearing weighted vests with ease. It made me wonder why these superhumans existed and what exactly they were training for. As I was close to giving up and turning around, I decided to give it one last effort. Five minutes later, I was at the top. I had no idea I was that close, but I was proud of myself. I dropped myself on a bench perched at the peak and took in the views as sweat poured down my face, forming a small puddle between my legs. I spent a couple of hours up there alone. When people started showing up, it was time to leave. I went for lunch at Splash Cafe, followed by donuts at SLO Donut Company. After stuffing the gaping hole in my face, I sat on the pier at Avila Beach. The moon looked larger than usual as its light reflected over the ocean. I sat gazing at this enormous object in the sky while listening to the waves aggressively crash against the pier under me and the shore.

Los Angeles and its surrounding areas exceeded my expectations. Being able to connect with people, nature, and culture simultaneously made this trip unforgettable. Poverty, traffic, and lack of public transit are real issues, but despite all of this, Los Angeles is one of the best places in the USA, in my opinion. There’s so much I didn’t see, but that only means I have an excuse to return. This is now one of my favorite places in the world.