I'd totally forgotten...

 

...how amazing Southern California is. I can't believe I used to live here! And then I moved away (for a very good reason, however)!! So I arrived yesterday afternoon, picked up my rental (Prius, of course), and cruised down the palm tree-lined streets with my windows down and the tunes cranked. I was grinning ear-to-ear with excitement for being back in L.A. The sun was shining, the skies were blue, it was 65 degrees!! Perfect!!

And then I got on the 405 freeway and I remembered why I moved. Good god. Why the eff is there traffic IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY?? Yep. Just because. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the traffic patterns here. If one person touches their breaks it sets off a chain reaction and all of a sudden it's bumper-to-bumper. Totally lame.

Anyway... it is gorgeous here. Just like I remembered. We did a beautiful hike to an overlook where you can see the ocean and all down the coast. We ate chips, salsa, and guac (haven't found that in Boston yet), we met up with old friends, we've soaked in some sun. This morning we did a run down the Strand, the waves crashing just a few hundred feet away. I definitely took this place for granted when I lived here. Oh well.

KPT and I are having a fab time catching up, eating delicious food, and walking around the familiar streets of Santa Monica. Right now we're at the NEW Santa Monica Place...a completely refurbished outdoor mall with ocean views. It's pretty eff-ing sweet.

I kinda sorta maybe miss living here just a little bit. Damn you, California for being so cool!

Do you love California? Yes, BUT there are things I don't like... 10% sales tax, the state government is broke, the TRAFFIC and the ridic amounts of bad plastic surgery and puffed up Restylane lips of the women living here. They look like a bunch of cat-eyed blowfish.

What food item could you eat for hours and hours and hours and not get tired of it? Today I'd say fro-yo (sorry, Cadbury!) I just ate the best combo of self-serve fro-yo EVER. Fresh Peach and French Vanilla. Yum-didily-umpcious.

Garmin stats: Yesterday - 5.6 mile steeeeeeeeep hiiiiiiike (my butt is sore). Today - 6 miles/48 minutes. I forgot how awesome running with ocean breezes can be.