Gone, But Not Forgotten

Sunday night just after midnight we went to a place called Chano's to get some food. Chano's is an outdoor establishment on a corner where you just walk up to a window to get your food and then go sit at a table somewhere outside. The people who were supposed to meet us there didn't and Jon, Kristi, and I ended up dining by ourselves. It was good fun, three white folks sitting outside on a street corner in the middle of the night in the hood. Monday we hung out and had a good time as usual. That evening I said goodbye to the new friends I made in LA and made plans for the trip home.

I spotted another Mexican car at the grocery store. It is a Pontiac G3, which is rumored to be coming to the US soon.



Jon and Kristi's house as I left. No, the pumpkins aren't left over from Halloween. They were actually just placed there a few days ago. Astute observers will notate the lack of facial structure. This classifies said squash as "fall pumpkins" rather than "jack-o-lanterns."



This phone line was ripped down by a passing truck the other day. It was just hanging out in the street for a few days until some industrious individual decided to tape it to the pole. Either the house it was going to doesn't use their phone or the phone company is just too scared to come to the hood.



I left early Tuesday morning and drove straight up I-5 from Los Angeles to Portland. It was a long drive. I stopped for gas three times, lunch once, and pulled off the highway once to get something out of the back of the car. Other than those five stops it was just one nice long drive.

At this point some of you may be wondering what happened to my plan to enjoy a scenic leisurely journey along the coast. While that did sound nice my trip also called for me to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. And once I got to Los Angeles I didn't feel like being anywhere else. Spending the entire time in LA became what I wanted to do. At no point did I ever say to myself that I would spend the whole time there, every day I just woke up and staying in LA for another day sounded like a good idea.

In closing, this trip was one of the best things I have ever done in my entire life. If any of you out there ever have an opportunity to do what I've done you must do it. I understand that most people aren't lucky enough to find themselves in the situation that I found myself in but to the few of you that may please do give it a try.

I absolutely love Los Angeles. The people, the weather, the food, etc. Sure it has its downsides but so does every other city out there. I miss it already. I can't wait to be there again. Thank you to everybody who helped me and encouraged me with my journey. Thanks to all of my new LA friends I made, you people really make your city shine. I hope to see you all again someday. And a very special thanks to Jon and Kristi for giving me a place to stay and showing me everything I wanted to see, even though most of my ideal vacation sights weren't the typical tourist spots.

So while this travelogue is finished, my epic voyage over, the memories of my experiences will never be forgotten. Thank you.

The End