Thursday, June 07, 2012

Thoughts on Appreciating Los Angeles

For the last couple of weeks, this Angeleno has been wandering West Texas.  While I had a great time with friends and colleagues outside of Los Angeles and really enjoyed what that area had to offer, it was nice to arrive back home.  Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.  I thought I'd compile a list of the things I was happy to come home to -  


  1. Food:  We have amazing food from just about anywhere around the world.  On my first night home, I tried Shojin, a Japanese vegan restaurant in Little Tokyo.  The next day I had Thai food for lunch.  As I write this, I'm enjoying a bag of freshly cut fruit, chili, lime juice, and salt from a local street vendor.  What's not to love?
  2. Weather:  I know it's cliche, but we really do have amazing weather.  You really appreciate it when you've spent a couple of weeks in 100+ heat and dusty wind. 
  3. Walking Around and Public Transit: I'm used to getting up for a stroll or hopping on the bus or subway.  I think part of my ability to be carless in Los Angeles is that it fits my "always ready to get up and go somewhere" attitude.  In LA, there's always something to do and somewhere to go.  Public transit - for the most part - really does get me to those places.
  4. Diverse Cultures and Historic Neighborhoods: Related to our amazing options for food, one of the best things about being home is the diversity that is everywhere.  One of my favorite things to do in LA is to wander through our cultural neighborhoods that don't have clearly defined lines, that intermingles with our historic spaces.  All of this creates a blend of influences that makes Los Angeles so beautiful and unique.
 It's good to be home.

 -Charity Tran


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