The storm, downgraded from an imminent hurricane, is coming they say. The sky is blue with clouds gathering. Tomorrow it comes they say. There is already a warning on the weather app and I keep peeking at it to see if we’re still okay to drive to LA.
When your closest friend, whom you shared your America adventure from the beginning, for 25 years, moves to UK for a period of time and her birthday is coming, you try to get creative. You see, this friend moved to US for a period of time also, and that was 25 years ago. So you also see I’m thinking she may need some incentive to return, and perhaps rekindling memories of places and fun times would do that. We used to meet in LA for various activities, the city would be in the background as we walked and talked. I vividly remember our meeting in LA art district; it was a fun day with fun discoveries. Ant decides to join me in my attempt to relive that alluring day. I mean how can London, with its bridges, museums, long history, proximity to Europe, humor, and that charismatic accent keep up with the allure of hipsters, artists, actor wannabes, the Hollywood sign, the Pacific. Yet there’s that appeal, maybe it is the sun, but the weather is funky today… but I hope…
It starts to rain as we park the car. We rush to the brewery near by, this was not present years ago when we met here. But we are hungry and a beer would be a great way to start our expedition. The crowd in the brewery is different from what we are used to in the suburbs; it is younger, diverse, expressive, and there is laughter and ease in the air. I feel an optimistic, colorful energy filling me in. The wind picks up and I wonder if the storm will make an unexpected early entrance.
By the time we are done eating the rain stops. Art district, when she and I met here a few years ago was newly forming, and there were rundown parts where I didn’t feel safe. Now it has a different feeling to it. More crowded, people are on the streets walking with their dogs, some jogging, others just touring like us.
I show Ant where we parked when I visited this place with my friend, where we ate, where we didn’t eat (Cafe Urth, it was too crowded). I try to find the murals my friend and I took pictures with but I can’t seem to locate, are they gone, painted over? We find other newer murals. We take pictures. I find some of the stores we hit that last time.
We get coffee and dessert at cafe Urth.
Too full to add on ice cream, but I have to remind her of course…
Then we visit this exhibit. There was a different exhibit then, I believe there were underwear hanging about everywhere, or was it sculptures of underwear… I wonder if she remembers…
We don’t linger after the exhibit, after all storm is coming.
So while you were in your bed on the other side of the world oceans away, we took you with us to this trip, and enjoyed every bit of it!
Happy birthday!
