made in LA

a few weeks ago the cheeks took a stroll. we were on a no destination mission. we started going west, then made arbitrary turns, chasing pretty blocks and colorful streets. as we made our way back home, i ran into an old friend from san diego. we had met while working together at a fancy pants restaurant. we were your typical barista + waiter snobs and we had a blast. this dude used to make me giggle so hard. he had moved to san diego from LA, so, of course, i thought he was sooo cool. then he moved back to LA. a few years later i moved to LA. we hung out a few times but it had been a while since i had seen him.

(why does this happen so much? saving that for another post.)

anyway, we spotted each other, hugged and giggled. then got caught up in each other's lives and tried not to be distracted as a very patient josh kept maxwell from running into the street amidst the non stop buzzing of melrose avenue. i commented on how much he'd grown up. he remembered how tan i used to be. we were like babies back then, hustling tables in our early twenties. now, almost a decade later, i have two actual babies (ok toddlers but whatever) and he has a husband and owns his own restaurant. and THEN he tells me he wants to move BACK to san diego. and that was immediately followed by, 'don't you want to move back, too?' what came next kind of shocked me. without even pausing or thinking, i said 'nope. LA is my home. i will probably die here and i am so good with that.' more or less anyway. 

so he and i obviously have a difference of opinion.

we parted ways and i thought more about my quick affirmation. what was it that i loved about LA so much, really? traffic sucks, the summers are too hot and the other seasons are practically non-existent. and everything is soooo expensive. and don't even get me started on my cold pressed juice addiction.

so what was it? well, aside from the endless amount of things there is to do here, what makes me so passionate about calling this city my home is because IT IS MY HOME. i made my home here. i made my family here. josh + i may not be LA natives, but our marriage, our apartments, and our children are.

and that can't be trumped by any other city...

and could there be a better wall to reiterate my point?

LA, you're so good i just might stay forever. because this wall, this city, the people, my people. it all speaks for itself. it's an LA thing i guess. thank you LA for letting us call you home. we could not think of a better place to be US.

xoxo, sony aka proud af angeleno