Thursday, March 25, 2010

LA LIGHTS

There are a lot of things I had forgotten about LA.

The other night I was invited to an awards ceremony at the home of the French Consulate by a very old friend. She's pretty much a Los Angeleno the way that I am an Angeleno. But, she is helping me get reacquainted with this city, reminding me what it has to offer.

An evening filled with French natives and francophiles reminded me of my youth at Le Lycee de Francais de Los Angeles and the french language brought me back to my elementary school days. Can't say that I'm a fluent speaker, but a little practice couldn't hurt.

After the event, we walked down the quiet tree-lined street. I looked up...and I really was kind of shocked to see stars. I know that sounds weird. But, NYC did not have this. Sure, it had a skyline full of artificial lights...but this LA sky was lit up by the moon and the stars. I clearly saw Orion for the first time in a really long time. It reminded me when I was in 8th grade, taking some astronomy class. And, it reminded me of going outside every week with my dad who helped me decipher and draw the constellations for the class.

We ended up at the Polo Lounge for a drink. I digress for one moment. I LOVE the Polo Lounge. It is such an LA classic. I cannot get enough of this place. It's the only place I wanted to go to during my LA weekend jaunts from the East Coast. Honestly, I love the pink and green. So cheesy, but so LA! Beyond being a beautiful place with lush gardens, it holds a lot of Hollywood history. But, more than anything, it reminds me of those late night dinners in high school after Cotillion classes. For those who do not know, parents forced their kids to go to cotillion to learn how to ballroom dance. Personally, I loved it and thanks to cotillion, ended up teaching ballroom dancing and salsa for a little while in college.

The drive home that night...uneventful...heading north on the 405, late night when no other cars are on the freeway and then--I saw the LA lights. It's that downhill section on the freeway, right before you hit the boulevard and the valley. I forgot how much I missed seeing those lights. And, I must say they are pretty spectacular. In a way, it reminds me of those lights you see when you get to that final stretch driving from LA to Vegas. But better.

I've missed so much. I missed Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's iced blended vanillas. I missed the incredible sushi that doesn't cost of a fortune. I missed the yummy tex mex real Mexican food. I missed these sunny days and temperate weather. I missed the way that everyone is always so friendly and open. I missed the year-round outdoor activities, including BBQ's. And most of all, I missed my family and all of my friends (who incidentally, are just starting to figure out that I'm back in town).

So much missed. And, I'm definitely not taking it for granted this time around.

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