California! We Made It!

The southwest is one of my favorite places in this country. I have family in the Pheonix area, and although I haven't been there in 10 years, I was really looking forward to it.

That was until we hit the coast.

From Pheonix to LA it was about 100 degrees. In a car with no air condition, it definately tested our limits. The drive was so beautiful, I almost didn't notice it. But when I did, holy shit. It was hot.

Really hot.

I had always heard two things about southern California. The weather and the traffic. My co-pilot had never seen LA, I thought it was pretty impaitive he saw a few sights LA had to offer. The Whiskey, The Roxy, and the Capitol Records tower are a must. The Hollywood is a sight to be seen.

We didn't have much time, so we had to just hit the 101 to make sure we saw as much as possible. I knew that we would see the Hollywood sign and the Capitol Records building, I just hoped we didn't hit traffic.

Through Coachella valley we hit some problems, but it was due to a rather nasty accident. After that it was smooth sailing. Although I'm sure a few people got pissed at the speed I was driving. Oh well, fuck em. They saw the license plates.

It was still hot as we drove through LA, but as soon as we hit Ventura it was like a breath of fresh air. Literally. The temprature dropped about 15 degrees, and as soon as we hit the coast we knew it was going to be a slow ride.

We made the decision to take the Pacific Coast Highway all the way up to the Bay Area. We knew it was going to take us a little longer. Fuck it, it was worth it.

We had timed it so we would hit the coast right as the sunset. It was blinding for a few minutes, but fuck it was worth it. This was what I was waiting for. Physically and spiritually. I had often dreamed about this moment. And now it was finally reality.

Unlike a band you love or a girl you had been wooing, the California coast did not disappoint. It was everything I had hoped it would be. I had thought my spiritual journey was over. Little did I know it was just beginning.

Holy fuck was it just beginning.

(From here on out, I will be switching between stories of emotional growth and spiritual enlightenment. I realize now the stories I've told aren't the greatest, although they felt like that at the time. The time I spent in southern California will forever remain one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I have plenty of stories to tell. This is just the beginning.)