My days are like Rihanna's style- sometimes too much,
sometimes too little, other days on point, always on freestyle.
The thing they say about training the brain the way you exercise
any other muscle in your body is for real. I've been trying to draft some sort
of routine in this otherwise Bad Girl Riri schedule. So far I've succeeded
tricking this squishy part in my skull to start reading every day, do Pilates, drink
diluted apple cider vinegar, and wake up each morning grateful for the dreams
that night, for the day that was, and the day ahead.
Now 'writing' on the other hand is my prodigal son. And I've
decided to go fetch him rather than wait around the whole day and rejoice for his
monumental comeback.
After a hissy fit and a lot of searching, here we are finally
with another blog post. Hopefully the next one won't be as much of a riot to bring
home.
The Broad Museum
Sta. Monica
(L) Venice Beach Canals, (R) Ayie navigating around Disneyland
Joseph Beuys, The Broad Museum
There are 3 things I normally seek when I travel- art,
coffee, and randomly talking to locals (which luckily people haven't found
creepy yet).
The Treachery of Images by Rene' Magritte (one of my favorite paintings of all time), LACMA (I literally just stood there for almost half an hour.)
Ayie, (my lovely travel partner) on the other hand is into finding
the best spots to drink, chill, and listen to good music.
Bring us both to the beach and we'll both be fine.
Newport Beach, Orange County (OC)
It's my first time to ever set foot in America yet LA felt
so familiar.
It's like meeting
someone for the first time but seemed like we've known each other since
forever.
Not much adjustments had to be made, except for the cold.
I actually had to wear thermals and a sweater to the beach.
Venice Beach Canals
In my mind was La La Land- the glitz, the ambition, the tap dancing, the
falling head over heels in love with someone who plays the piano...
Disneyland
...but as we couchsurfed our way to different Filipino
households in the US, I realized that
it's never dreamy (even if it was the dream), especially being uprooted from one's
country. But we also bloom where we are re-planted and we learn to grow in
unfamiliar soil.
Oh, and if you're ever wondering, yes their houses really smell like Balikbayan Boxes too. (It had to be said)
(L) catching up with Jaime, (R) with cousins in Ate Chi's baby shower
Las Vegas also felt oddly comforting, especially with its strangeness and its kitsch.
My uncle drove me to Vegas from LA for a good 4 hours to meet the rest of the
family whom I haven't seen since I was 7.
I am now 26. There we were, compressing 19 years of suppressed
hugs and questions in between stories.
"You remind me of your mother. You look a lot like her." My aunt would say.
"You remind me of your mother. You look a lot like her." My aunt would say.
I would proudly agree and add "Yes, I do. And I also
don't know how to cook."
(L) With my nephew who's all grown up now! (R) with cousins at the Freemont Experience
It's strange to realize that we can feel at home in this
side of the world, 11,793 Km away from where I come from.
I've made it a habit to whisper under my breath a short
"thank you" for everything the Universe allows me to witness. It doesn't
owe me anything and yet it continues to give.
Thank you for my awesome travel and beer-drinking buddy (who
endured our many drunken nights and long museum trips), for the chance to see my
family after so long, and for the
genuine and infinitely interesting people I've met- all whom I'm keeping in a warm
and cozy memory box in my head.
I'll think about you on stormy days.
Hoping to see and hug you all. Until we meet again.
Dreamy view of LA from the Griffith Observatory
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