SoCal

For the next few days I moved among the people of Southern California. The weather was always lovely (75-85 degrees) and the streets were adorned with exotic, flowering trees unlike any I’ve ever seen.

Driving was something I avoided as the traffic is congested and aggressive. The population is diverse in every regard. Rich and famous or homeless, are all on the same block. And, the food is excellent. Whatever you can imagine is available. You want Thai? No problem. You want vegan? No problem. You want Thai vegan? No problem!

It wasn’t uncommon for someone to comment that the person we just passed was a celebrity. Among the people we saw or they’ve seen around—Caitlin (Bruce) Jenner and Kendall Jenner, Ellen Degeneres, Jeff Goldblum, the guy from Mr. Robot, and various comics. I’m happy to say I didn’t embarrass myself when I saw Chris D’Elia at a cafe.

A lot of our time was spent in Santa Monica, in Western Los Angeles County. Somehow, SM feels younger and more upscale than most of L A. There’s absolutely a lot of style and a lot of money but it still has a community feel. 

Daniel starts work with Uber in a week. The Uber corporate office in Santa Monica has an amazing view of the ocean and pier but no sign or logo that might attract drivers or aspiring drivers.

Searching for housing in Santa Monica is a tremendous challenge—even more difficult than Hollywood. It’s so limited that people rent every room, including dining rooms and garages for a lot of money. And, parking is even more scarce. Sadly, I left Cali with Daniel sleeping on the floor of his brother’s one-room apartment in Silver Lake and no solid prospects for a room. No doubt, he’ll figure it out.

I’ll be back at work in Virginia Beach tomorrow. The next adventure belongs to Daniel.