Hi. Change in pace for this week’s topic, but a few days ago, I returned from a little vacation to LA, and I want to tell you all about it. I did a lot of cool shit. If you care even just a little, feel free to keep reading.
This is more of a casual post where I’ll write about everything I did, recommendations, how it went, things I learned, and so on.
Day 1:
The first day I was there, I went to the Walk of Fame and Hollywood Improv. The Walk of Fame was neat for what it is—just some stars on the sidewalk. However, it was cool to walk and see the city at night; I enjoyed that part. Also, as far as getting around LA goes, I recommend public transportation. The metro and the buses were so fun. The bus driver slings that shit around like nobody’s business. I think we actually caught air on the way to the Hollywood Improv. You also see a lot when taking public transportation. A lot of the city and a lot of people just going about their days. Part of me feels sad about some of the things I see, but then the asshole side of me is extremely entertained and struggles to keep a straight face. That’s so bad, but many comedic things occur on the metro.
Now, one of my favorite parts of the entire trip was Hollywood Improv. We got to see Trevor Wallace, David Spade, and a few other people I didn’t know existed beforehand. The show was hilarious. It had been a while since I laughed that hard. Trevor Wallace was by far the most hilarious comedian there. Oddly enough, I didn’t find David Spade all that funny. Like he was “funny,” but I didn’t find him, “I can do this shit for a living, funny.” If you get what I’m saying. But anyway, we sat right in the front row, and you know what that means. The comedians will use you for a bit. And that indeed happened. They picked on me so much, and maybe it was the $20 specialty cocktails, but my ass was cracking up all night. So much fun.
Day 2:
On the second day, we went to Venice Beach, the Golf Wang store, shopped on Melrose Avenue, then I took a hip hop class at Playground, and after that, we went to Erewhon. So Cally. Venice Beach was beautiful; I recommend going there at least once. I loved the middle-aged buddies surfing together on that Friday morning. It was the cutest little thing; I hope they had a good day.
The Golf Wang store could’ve been a pass. The line was super long, and the store was tiny. It was neat to go once, but I also didn’t need to. Shopping on Melrose was fun, too. There are a lot of lovely thrift stores, but also some stores like Urban Outfitters and Reformation. While we were on Melrose, we also went into the Ugg Pop-Up shop. It was cool and all, but it made me immediately feel poor. The employees had this off-putting judgmental attitude that was not cute. Like, please just let a middle-class Missouri bitch go about her day. Was I going to buy anything? No. Regardless, hop off.
Now, I’m not sure if you all know who Summer McKeen is, but she was in the Ugg pop-up, which I didn’t notice right away. I recognized her because my sister used to watch her videos. I’m not a fan by any means, but it was cool to see her there. I will say, though, she looks like she’s mean. I’m sure she’s incredibly kind, but she looks mean. And I can say that because I’ve been told the same.
Okay. Dance class. I’m sure some of you have heard of Playground LA or watched the Hulu show (which I highly recommend), but that’s where I took my hip-hop class. Now, it was a beginner/intermediate class, but that choreography did not feel beginner-level. Did I have the time of my life? Yes. Was I a beat behind everyone else? Also yes. It was on my bucket list for a while just because I always see the videos on TikTok and Instagram, and then the show came out on Hulu. Evidently, I’m also a dancer, so it had to be done. And you know, I always thought I was a good dancer, but after taking that class, I’m thinking not so much. The talent in there was incredible. Being surrounded by so many talented dancers was humbling, but I’m glad I made myself do something I was terrified to try. Growth happens outside our comfort zones, can’t argue with that.
The last thing we did on Friday was walk to Erewhon. I loved it. I’m a grocery store girl. If you get it, you get it. The food was expensive, obviously, but still really good. And you can’t argue with the ingredients.
Days 3 & 4- Camp Flog Gnaw:
On Saturday and Sunday, I went to Camp Flog Gnaw. I love camp. I went on a ton of rides, which is embarrassing on the surface level, but just know I had the time of my life. I love rides. The best part of the entire festival, though, was Tyler’s set. When he came out on stage, I was so happy I could’ve started floating into the air. He’s the best performer, and his authentic style in what he creates is so inspiring. To see that on stage just makes me so happy. His new album was amazing, and he did songs from that and some old stuff, too. As soon as the beat for She drops, it’s over. It’s one of my favorites to watch him perform. Also, seeing Sticky live for the first time is a feeling that cannot be replicated.
It was crazy to see how many people were there, too. The fact that so many people all care deeply about the same thing is kind of neat to think about. We’re all weirdos. Dressing all funky to stomp around Dodger Stadium to go on rides and appreciate the gift of music. It’s beautiful, though.
One thing I wish I did differently, however, is dress warmer. California is so weird in that it’s like 70° during the day but -12° as soon as the sun sets. I would’ve stayed longer on day two had I packed warmer clothes. I also wish I had eaten more wisely on day one because that carnival food made me nauseous. There’s no better way to upset your stomach than a large slice of oily pizza followed by a massive corn dog, then spinning through the air at 70 mph. Don’t recommend that.
Day 5:
On the last day in LA, we went to the Natural History Museum, Beverly Hills, and I had another dance class. Some days, I think I was put on this earth to dance. This was not one of those days. Again, the class was so fun, and I’m glad I did it, but truthfully, I couldn’t pick up intricate choreography if my life depended on it.
Moving on, I loved the Natural History Museum. Is it weird that I find fossils and taxidermy intriguing? Quite possibly. Anyway, it was super neat, and they also had a beautiful rose garden you could walk through. Now, one of the most memorable parts of this trip was in that rose garden. This is because there was this huge fountain right in the middle of the garden, and when we walked up to it, there was something floating around in the water along the circular path. And sure enough, it was a fucking turd. Somebody took a shit in the fountain of the rose garden at the Natural History Museum. I kid you not. LA is fascinating.
Now, I’ll mention my thoughts on Beverly Hills. Truthfully, it was cool to go to. Of course, I was underdressed for the occasion, but that’s nothing new. And while I thought the Ugg pop-up shop made me feel poor, this was something much more intense. It made me think about what I would do if I had the money these people had. I like to tell myself I’d dress the same, I’d act the same, I’d stay authentic, but you can never really be sure what the hell you’d do until you actually have the money. Odds are, I’ll never know. Anyway, Beverly was ritzy. There was one point when we were on the bus, and this Jaguar SUV crossover passed us, and the driver was a girl about my age wearing Prada sunglasses. I just remember thinking, “this fucking cunt”. Wish her the best, but she’d hate to see me and my 2012 Elantra coming.
Food Recommendations:
Lastly, I’ll mention some restaurants we went to.
As far as the food in LA goes, we went to K Bakery, Alfred’s Coffee, Erewhon, Cha Cha Matcha, and Urth Caffe. Of these, my strongest recommendations would be Alfred’s Coffee, Erewhon, and Cha Cha Matcha. The best bagel I’ve had to date came from Alfred’s, and Cha Cha Matcha has a matcha soft serve that will turn your world upside down. Unreal.
So that was my trip. This pretty much sums it up. Just a little LA moment. A bit of camping. A bit of dancing. Nothing crazy. I recommend going. It’s a gorgeous city about 70% of the time. It’s also massive. There’s a lot happening. But I like it.
Anyway, you guys will hear from me again next week. See you then.