Out of the Bubble - LA week 3

Being in Downtown LA is a bit like being in a bubble. While I do have a car, I hate driving anywhere. Even if it’s a mile (hence why I walk everywhere). People honk every five minutes and the streets are constantly stacked with cars, making it impossible to have a smooth drive to your destination. And need I mention how difficult it can be to walk these streets?

Basically, what I’m trying to say, is since I’ve been here, I’ve barely gone outside my one-mile radius.

But that all changed this week finally. Only took a few weeks to get there.

My roommates and I decided in one of the first days we knew each other we would go to a beach for Memorial Day Weekend. The problem is, we didn’t know which beach to go to that wouldn’t be a zoo. After some advice from people I met at church, it was settled. We would be headed to Redondo Beach on our day off from school.

Only a 30-minute drive and we arrived at the beach that was actually empty. Yes, you heard that right. A beach. In California. On Memorial Day. Only us and five other people in the parking lot. I was shocked.

But nevertheless, we got all our stuff out of the car and found our spot for the morning.

And so we sat. We read. We played in the sand. Even kicked a soccer ball around. All the typical things one does at the beach even though it was freezing outside.

After a while, it was time to get lunch and explore the pier. It was crowded later in the day, but nice to see all the sights at Redondo Beach, a place that I had never been to. And to be honest, I just wanted to go to the beach since the moment I got to California (so I was happy).

Then the week carried on again, in the same routine. School, food, gym, sleep and repeat, until that routine finally changed again.

Our professor had scheduled Paramount Studio Tours for us and I was one of the first ones to experience the tour.

While the drive was only six miles, it took me an hour, AN HOUR, to go that six miles (this is why I don't drive anywhere around here). I had to go around the block a few times and it was not easy due to another event going on and hundreds of protesters in front of the studio. Once inside the lot, I met with my professor, her husband, and another classmate to begin our tour.

It was cool to see where some blockbuster movies are made and how. Although everything was a lot smaller than I thought it would be as TV makes it look larger than life, in reality, it’s really not. At least now I can say that I have visited.

And later in the day, all the girls (a total of six) from our school program were invited to an event at the Academy Museum called Summer Jam. We were able to explore all the galleries and exhibits (for free, I might add) and see the view from the top of the museum. Honestly, the balcony on top was the best part. Being away from the hustle and bustle of Downtown Los Angeles to sit and relax, enjoying the evening sun, was blissful beyond imagination. I never wanted to leave that spot.

After this week and our outings, being outside our little bubble in LA makes me grateful for coming here. It allows me time to explore the new place I’m in all while gaining life moments I’ll look back on for the rest of my life. While my time in California hasn’t been easy, I’m happy to say that there has at least been a few good times outside the bubble.