L.A. as an Ex-boyfriend

This was my fourth time returning to Los Angeles since moving to New Orleans in 2009. The first 3 times, I’ll admit I carried a bit of a chip on my shoulder, an armor against the things I left behind – like when you run into an ex. It was a little warmer than the last 3 visits but I still found myself in scarves, a hat, a coat and a blanket sitting out by the fire pit every night. The city hash’t changed that much, but I needed a GPS for the first time since moving. More extraordinary when I remember how much more time I spent in a car in L.A.

L.A. – A Nice Place to Visit…

I think that when most people think of New Orleans, they think of food, music and lots of drinking. It may be true that Bourbon Street is the Disneyland of drinking, but it’s just one street. When people think of Los Angeles, I suppose they think of movie stars and premieres and there are plenty of both, though I doubt the average tourist would have access to either. Having lived in Los Angeles for nearly 18 years, going to L.A. is more than a vacation for me, it’s a return to my former home and the friends I left when I moved to the Big Easy.

Walking the Garden District

I used to love walking Laurel Canyon in L.A. The hills provided a challenging hike and I could look into at all of the gardens and homes along the way. The architecture was a mix of hippy friendly rambling homes, modern glass and concrete homes or stucco Mediterranean homes. The history of the canyon included residents like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Joni Mitchell.