I will never get tired of the ocean view. If I could be anywhere at anytime, I would choose to be on a beach with a book. Now, I’m just a ten minute walk away from that scenario, and I don’t think that will ever stop thrilling me. Because I have been working on Central time, my work hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., which gives me some bonus time in the afternoon to walk the beach or ride my bike along the Strand, a bike/running path that extends up the LA coast.
Other than the beach itself, I have a few other things I’ve fallen in love with in California. *Cue Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg* Let’s take a journey…
For my first real meal in LA (after In N Out), Adam took me to Manhattan Beach Post thanks to a suggestion from his coworker. Feast your eyes on the bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuit with maple butter. Oh my god. It is one of the greatest things I have ever tasted. During brunch, they make their eggs Benedict with these biscuits, and it is heavenly.
We experience a thing called “June Gloom” where the sun hides for a month.
SUP
I mentioned my newfound love for stand-up paddle-boarding in an earlier post. I’m not really a fan of the gym, and I’m even less of a fan of arm workouts. SUP allows me to be outside on the water and get an awesome workout that’s actually fun. Way better than self-consciously lifting 25 lbs in the gym next to the bros lifting my entire bodyweight. Our next goal is to try SUP yoga. We played around a little with downward dog last time we were on the water, but I foresee an entire class to be quite a challenge. I suspect I will be swimming at some point during the class.
Also, sea lions! Have you seen Finding Dory where the sea lions bark at the other sea lion trying to get on their rock? They totally do that! I watched a sea lion bark and push another until it fell off and then go to sleep until the fallen sea lion returned and the process started again.
Lifeguard Stands
There isn’t a ton to say about these other than I’ve taken at least 100 photos of them. They are so quintessentially Southern Californian. I feel like I have stepped onto the set for a surfer movie, which I guess I have. I’m working up the courage to start surfing, so these stands will be quite valuable should I be eaten by a shark. (It’s a legit concern.)
Ska
Ska music was pretty much the theme to my high school years. I took great pride in seeking out third-wave ska bands that hardly anyone had ever heard of: The Aquabats, Reel Big Fish, Suburban Legends, anyone? Throw a screaming trumpet into the mix, and it was absolute love. While ska was primarily a 90s coastal thing (sorry, no-coast Chicago bands), it is still alive and well out here in the LA beach cities. On the 4th of July Adam and I were walking the beach and found a ska-punk band playing on the sand complete with a mosh pit. I almost died of happiness.
Fashion
I feel like I have found my people out here. My first Saturday here, I walked into a bagel shop wearing a cute sundress and sandals and discovered I was the only female in the place not wearing yoga pants. Workout wear and flip-flops are the norm. Katy Perry’s declaration that California girls wear “daisy-dukes, bikinis on top” is actually pretty accurate. I’ve always been a jeans, tee and sandals kind of girl, so I feel very much at home. If you want to dress up for dinner, you wear dark jeans. During cooler months, add a leather jacket. If you wander up to Beverly Hills it’s a different style, but here, Lululemon and swimwear reign supreme.
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