“You are going to Hollywood.” Those are the words I had dreamed of hearing as a kid after a hypothetical American Idol audition that I obviously would never have because I cannot sing. Although, that does not stop me from some intense jam sessions, but that is beside the point here. Since we were in Los Angeles, we had to be typical tourists. We went to the convention by day, and we were adventurers by night. A preface to going to see the Hollywood sign was a vague preview of seeing it on our drive to the hotel and again on the rooftop of our hotel. Anytime there is a rooftop city view opportunity, I am there. We may or may not have hopped the rope closing off access to the roof, but if that was the only rule break, then I think we did okay. The night view overlooking the city of lights was awesome. We also took great advantage of the random flamingo garden decorations for some cheesy photos. And although the Hollywood sign was only a small white splotch on the mountain, it got all of us excited to see it closer in person the next day. The day came to cross one more thing off my travel bucket list. I ordered an Uber, and with that came a 50/50 chance of getting a minivan or a luxury car. Well, that day, we scored a Mercedes Benz. We rode in high style as we traveled to Hollywood. I did not expect anything less (wink!). While the daylight was still burning, we attempted to get as close as we could to the sign as we could. The hike was pleasant, and I could not have been in better company. The time spent together strengthened our bond immensely, and I am so glad I could experience this with my friends. Sunset came, and the already breathtaking view magnified exponentially. The lookout points gave us more than enough chances to take pictures to make those moments live on forever. We called it a night after ordering dinner from Cassell’s Burger and congregating in a hotel room to chow down. The goodies were passed around, and we spent the rest of the night having a good old-fashioned game night that had us laughing until the tears were streaming and our sides hurt. Our last night of the trip brought us to Venice Beach, California. My friends and I walked the boardwalk along the ocean to the pier. It was another peaceful night together, and we enjoyed thoughtful conversations and genuine time spent together. As we walked down the pier, some performers were out, and one stuck out in my mind. The song playing could not have been better, to sum up my feelings at the moment. After another beautiful sunset, we did a little shopping before we scouted out a place for our last dinner for the trip. An outdoor Italian restaurant was the perfect place to celebrate a fun trip and Molly’s twenty-first birthday. It was definitely a night to remember, and a relaxing way to finish off our sightseeing in California. We had to journey back to Los Angeles. The traffic made that a little more challenging than I had hoped for, but we finally made it to the long-awaited California Donuts we had promised ourselves that we would get them before we left. Since we had to leave the hotel before breakfast would be available, this was our solution, and it was way better than paying for overpriced airport food. Back at the hotel for the last time, we had to pack. That was a sight to see. We all left with twice as much stuff than what we came with. Let me just say, I had to sit on my suitcase to get it to zip. It was jam-packed. Our late night packing session gave us only a few hours to sleep before we had to summon our last Uber and head to LAX to go home. Surprisingly, check-in and getting through security did not take that long. We waited at our gate, and because of how tired we were, we almost missed our boarding call, but luckily, someone snapped out of the daze long enough to make the boarding in time. The first flight went well, and when we landed in Chicago, we received a blast of the Midwest chill. Brrr! There was a short layover, but we made time for McDonald’s. The last little leg of our trip would bring us back to the Mitten. It felt so good to call my dad to come pick us up rather than hailing an Uber. I have never been so happy to see that truck in my life. We loaded up and hit the road to come home. We were exhausted, so the ride was literally silent. The realities of having to meet my classes the next day were sinking in, and I was not looking forward to having to get back into the swing of things so fast. I will never forget my first trip to California. My friends and I had a blast. Even though we went for business, we had to appease our fun side. We balanced work and play well. ASHA was an all-around good time, and I am glad we were able to go together. All good things must come to an end, so as for ASHA and our Californian adventure, they are taking their final bow. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2017
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