Five years in August since I left LA and being here never felt so good. At first I would spend every long weekend I had flying home; to see the family, friends, boyfriend, spend the long weekends and holiday breaks. What had I ever left for, I often wondered?
Since then a lot has changed; throughout the city, in the lives of friends and family as well as the culture of LA. What I love about my new city San Francisco, I have finally been able to see emerging here in the hot concrete maze. Sleek buses and metros for public transportation, a thriving creative class, the greening of the city is a work in progress. I love finding the old neighborhoods fending off gentrification and sometimes being revitalized at the same tiime- it is complicated.
June has always been a good month for me in LA, this year I feel more at home than ever. I am not sure if I walked into a heat wave or it is just summer. Experienced two days of commuting to work and decided the 405 freway is a human hazard. The cars crawling along as they make their way mainly one person per car. Ariving at any destination outside the Valley despite the traffic was worth the 15 degree change.
It has been a full week, Mariachi with the parents, visiting with friends and maybe falling for LA again...or maybe just finding my new place among the changing landscape. Either way my two good friends have shared with me some of their LA. Kindly helping me navigate and feel connected still to nuestro Los Angeles...
I spent my free day with my Dad yesterday. We went to lunch in Echo Park with my favorite Chicano, then to the g727 Gallery. I contributed some ChaCha artifacts to the exhibit and the gallery owner shared his space and knowledge with us.
We drove along Wilshire Blvd arriving at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, had a drink at the cafe and great conversation with William the bartender about our adventures so far. Observing my Dad and I he said "I am looking forward to having a day like this with my daughter, she is 13."
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