I started this blog at a point in time when I needed some reframing. I was feeling pretty down about my job, and I needed to focus on all the things that make my life wonderful – and I have to say that it has been very successful in helping me to do that. While I haven’t found my career path just yet – even after all of this time -- plans are finally beginning to take shape and I think and hope that food and travel have to play a big role. At very least they will continue to be a big personal focus, as this blog has helped me to realize just how deep my passion for them runs. Add all of this up with the fact that I now find myself in a new city, and my conclusion is that it’s time to start a new blog. If this has been my “Happiness Project,” I hope the next one will become something of a Purpose Project.
So, this isn’t the end, it’s just time to start the next chapter, and from now on you can find me at NibblingGypsy.com.
Please continue with me on the next part of my journey.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Goodbye Hike
I wrote a piece for an online writing course I'm taking. The assignment was to write about your hometown. I lived in LA for 8 years, which is the longest I've lived anywhere consecutively, so I figured that it qualified as much as anyplace. This is a version of the story -- a goodbye letter of sorts.
The trail is a little steep, but Marc, Ben, and I plow through the Runyon Canyon loop. I insist that we have to walk to the end of the path so that I can kick the fence that serves as a divider to the Valley-side parking lot, a tradition I’ve developed over the years. Marc rolls his eyes at me, but is happy to tease as he does me the favor of snapping a picture as I carry out my hill-conquering
tradition. Afterwards, we walk down towards some vista points to take some pictures.
I’ve been waiting all week to do this hike. It’s been cloudy and rainy all week, which is unusual in LA, but today it finally cleared up. Just in time too, because tomorrow I’m moving away. I hiked up this trail to say goodbye to Los Angeles.
The view from the top of Runyon Canyon is one of my favorites of LA. From this vantage the whole of Los Angeles spreads out before you – the good, the bad, and the ugly. You see the trendy areas of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and the more industrial sections to the east and south. The Hollywood Sign stands up as a symbol of the city’s dreams, and the LA River anemically creeps along, all but shriveled up in its concrete tomb. Downtown pops up in the distance, not really central to anything at all, but still trying to make its big comeback.
It took me a long time to appreciate this city. The first time I came here was as a teenager. My family hit all the requisite tourist spots, but most of the tourist spots here suck. It was kind of fun to compare handprints to those of the stars at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, but otherwise, Hollywood seemed pretty dingy with its string of sex shops and cheesy souvenir stores. Since then they’ve put some real effort into revitalizing the area, but Hollywood is still far from glamorous, I don't care how many stars you put on the sidewalk.
I was not impressed and after that I certainly didn’t intend to make LA my home, but fate had other ideas. My college boyfriend, now husband, is a California boy and after school he was ready to ditch the winters. I wanted to work in the entertainment biz, so it was easy to comply. The first year wasn’t easy, especially since I didn’t know how to drive. In Los Angeles that’s like missing a limb. It’s extremely limiting since public transportation is not this city’s strong suit. I spent a year and half making my way to internships via long, sketchy bus rides.
Eventually, I learned to drive and that turned out to be my key to the city. My husband and I call her a “treasure hunt city,” because you have to dig to find the gold amongst all the crap. I learned to relish finding the gems hidden in the cities patchwork of ethnic enclaves. It’s quite a project to find your favorite dim sum spot (Dim Tai Fung) or taco stand (Yucca’s). My favorite wine bar, Lou, is hidden in dingy strip mall next to a laundromat. Palate, a wonderful restaurant with a particular gift for potted meats (go figure!), is sandwiched between two car dealerships in Glendale. When you tire of exploring the city, a fifteen-minute drive will allow you to escape into nature at the beach or on a hike in the hills.
Also, you really can't argue with the weather. Southern California is famous for its sunny days, but the days after it rains are my favorite – today is one of those days. The skies look like someone cleaned them with a squeegee and suddenly the world is in hyper color. It’s so clear that you can see snowy mountains far off in the east, and all the way to ocean in the west. The faults are still there to see, but the world looks new again. Today, it illuminates just how much I’m going to miss this city that I never meant to love.
At our vista point, Marc and I take turns jumping up and down as we try to frame ourselves floating over the skyline. It takes us a while to get the optical illusion. It’s Ben’s turn to roll his eyes, and I’m sure the other hikers think we’re crazy, but eventually we get our shots. It was just a matter of getting the framing right.
The trail is a little steep, but Marc, Ben, and I plow through the Runyon Canyon loop. I insist that we have to walk to the end of the path so that I can kick the fence that serves as a divider to the Valley-side parking lot, a tradition I’ve developed over the years. Marc rolls his eyes at me, but is happy to tease as he does me the favor of snapping a picture as I carry out my hill-conquering
tradition. Afterwards, we walk down towards some vista points to take some pictures.
I’ve been waiting all week to do this hike. It’s been cloudy and rainy all week, which is unusual in LA, but today it finally cleared up. Just in time too, because tomorrow I’m moving away. I hiked up this trail to say goodbye to Los Angeles.
The view from the top of Runyon Canyon is one of my favorites of LA. From this vantage the whole of Los Angeles spreads out before you – the good, the bad, and the ugly. You see the trendy areas of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and the more industrial sections to the east and south. The Hollywood Sign stands up as a symbol of the city’s dreams, and the LA River anemically creeps along, all but shriveled up in its concrete tomb. Downtown pops up in the distance, not really central to anything at all, but still trying to make its big comeback.
It took me a long time to appreciate this city. The first time I came here was as a teenager. My family hit all the requisite tourist spots, but most of the tourist spots here suck. It was kind of fun to compare handprints to those of the stars at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, but otherwise, Hollywood seemed pretty dingy with its string of sex shops and cheesy souvenir stores. Since then they’ve put some real effort into revitalizing the area, but Hollywood is still far from glamorous, I don't care how many stars you put on the sidewalk.
I was not impressed and after that I certainly didn’t intend to make LA my home, but fate had other ideas. My college boyfriend, now husband, is a California boy and after school he was ready to ditch the winters. I wanted to work in the entertainment biz, so it was easy to comply. The first year wasn’t easy, especially since I didn’t know how to drive. In Los Angeles that’s like missing a limb. It’s extremely limiting since public transportation is not this city’s strong suit. I spent a year and half making my way to internships via long, sketchy bus rides.
Eventually, I learned to drive and that turned out to be my key to the city. My husband and I call her a “treasure hunt city,” because you have to dig to find the gold amongst all the crap. I learned to relish finding the gems hidden in the cities patchwork of ethnic enclaves. It’s quite a project to find your favorite dim sum spot (Dim Tai Fung) or taco stand (Yucca’s). My favorite wine bar, Lou, is hidden in dingy strip mall next to a laundromat. Palate, a wonderful restaurant with a particular gift for potted meats (go figure!), is sandwiched between two car dealerships in Glendale. When you tire of exploring the city, a fifteen-minute drive will allow you to escape into nature at the beach or on a hike in the hills.
Also, you really can't argue with the weather. Southern California is famous for its sunny days, but the days after it rains are my favorite – today is one of those days. The skies look like someone cleaned them with a squeegee and suddenly the world is in hyper color. It’s so clear that you can see snowy mountains far off in the east, and all the way to ocean in the west. The faults are still there to see, but the world looks new again. Today, it illuminates just how much I’m going to miss this city that I never meant to love.
At our vista point, Marc and I take turns jumping up and down as we try to frame ourselves floating over the skyline. It takes us a while to get the optical illusion. It’s Ben’s turn to roll his eyes, and I’m sure the other hikers think we’re crazy, but eventually we get our shots. It was just a matter of getting the framing right.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Diary of a Move
It might have appeared that I went MIA over the past couple of weeks, but the truth is that I've been trying to teach myself to use my video camera and the some basic video editing tools. While we were in the process of moving from LA to NYC I took some video to put together a little diary of the process. I also am including a video of Greg and I reminiscing about our first home in Los Feliz, where we lived for six years. I admit that if I were a better editor these video would be a lot shorter, but well, it's a start.
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