Los Angeles, CA

Welcome to Hollywood
^{>>>>Adventures From LA<<<<}

I've been to Los Angeles before.
A little over a decade ago myself and two very close friends emptied our bank accounts, bought supplies, packed our Alice Packs in the trunk of a Dodge Ares, and left Minnesota for the love of travel.

The idea was a romantic one: to search out adventure and see exactly where life would put us. As it was, a week of sleeping in the car, knowing no one in the area, and scrounging for work ended up to be too much for the friend who happened to own the car. Timid guy, even if a good friend. Still, my other friend and I---for as much as we craved adventure---tried to be accommodating.

The day we left LA, we were at a McDonalds, just across from The Whiskey. I remember distinctly that Melissa Ethridge was headlining The Whiskey that night. The air was perfect, warm and whistling through the palm trees. I could feel a very electric vibe in the air while the streets and sidewalks were bustling... and I knew I didn't want to leave.

In speaking of our being "accommodating", I mean to say that we relented to leave with him even for as disappointed as we were. This didn't last long. On the ride home he got us lost three times, we blew out two tires... and the tension between he and us was building. Eventually (and certainly not kindly), the adventurous friend and I gave in to our cravings, grabbed our packs and hitchhiked the rest of the way home.
The rest of the tale does go on in a whole different adventure, but penultimately, this was my first experience with LA.

Now, I'm here again---even if for a wholly other (and perhaps more exciting than I would have found in my youth) reason. I'm very pleased to say it feels the same, right down to the smells and feeling in the air. The really exciting part, however, being here at deviantART HQ... that story is coming soon. I can tell you as of now every part has been awesome, and I've been very honored to meet all of the people who make the community we love so much happen. Everyone has been very kind, extremely accommodating (and not in the way that I was to my friend so long ago---but in the actual way), and overall filled with a wonderful energy.

Stay tuned for the full story in the near future. In the meantime, for those of you addicted to hearing about our beloved HQ, see wynnesome's journal, Here.


And of course: go fave some features!

Be Seeing You,
-Jesse (AHiL)