Chapter Six: Until We Meet Again

So we finally made it to LA - the last leg of the trip. The final conclusion.

Unfortunately, I had to work during the week (boo for not having unlimited vacation days), so that meant Paige was left to her own devices. Thankfully, being the social butterfly that she is, many friends reside in LA and were able to keep her busy until I got home from the office.

Don't worry, I won't talk too much about my day(s) at work, checking email, answering phones, counting the minutes until I got to go home - I won't bore you with any of that.

Monday:
This was probably the second hardest day for me to wake up. I had just had the most incredible week and a half of my life and work was getting in the way of it. It wasn't that I was tired, I just didn't want to go, especially with my friend being home all day. Regardless, she still made the best out of it. From what I know, she was able to do her laundry and even some of mine (talk about a good friend - holy moly), catch up with her family and friends on the phone (we had pretty much fallen off the grid), sleep in (by now you all should know how important that is), and watch the new American version of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

When I got home - it was one of the best feelings ever. She was there waiting for me as I came bursting in through the door. So nice to have someone to come home to.

I immediately scooped her up and brought her around the town, up and down Rodeo Drive, through the mansions of Beverly Hills, through West Hollywood (like San Fran's Castro district), down Hollywood Blvd and back to Westwood, UCLA's downtown. Why Westwood of all places? I'll let the next picture do the talking for me.

Everyone's got to have it once in their lifetime right? Maybe it isn't the greatest thing on Earth, I'll admit that, I will, but it is still a damn good burger for how fast they serve it to you.

Next came desert. Still in Westwood - we crossed the street to Diddy Riese. Not familiar with it? Well - it is a bakery, that has the most ooey, gooey, perfect for dunking in milk cookies I've ever had in my life. Best part? Not only can you get a cookie for 65 cents, you can get two cookies, with your choice of ice cream slathered between them for $1.50. H-e-a-v-e-n.

You better believe we ate likes kings.

Food coma in full effect, we just passed out in bed.

Tuesday:
I had work. Wahoo. What else is new.

Paige had the pleasure of meeting up with a friend she had met in Spain two years ago (small world) and go down to Venice Beach. They spent most of the day there, soaking up the sun, sippin' on some beers, and catching up with one another.

When I was done with work, we met up with another friend (who we had met the prior week in Sonoma) for a drink, who had just happened to be passing through LA. Again - small world!

Not much else happened. We came home, hung out, passed out. Boom. Done.

Wednesday:
Work.

Paige on the other hand, had quite the day. She met up with Marie (who we met with drinks the night before, from Sonoma) and spent the day in Malibu. Not just in Malibu, but on the beach. Not only on the beach, but in the company of dolphins. Not only with a couple dolphins, but apparently with a pod of close to 40, that were in the water when they were, all around them, riding the waves like a surfer would. So unbelievably cool.

Apparently the waves were a bit rough that day too. Glad she made it out alive though!

For dinner, we made it out to Benihana's to meet Paige's cousin, who is a current student at USC. Absolutely great guy - fun loving, friendly, caring. It's clear these are traits that are passed along in the family. Everyone I've met has been wonderful.

On the way home, we made one quick late night pit stop at CVS for some aloe - the sun was not too friendly that day, and came home to sleep.

Thursday:
You guessed it - work.

Much like Monday, this was a day for Paige to relax, let her skin heal a bit, and catch up with one of our good friends from home, Jenn, who is getting married soon! So, they talked women stuff, about dresses and such.

When I got home, we drove down to Santa Monica to check out downtown and the pier. She had briefly seen it during the day, but the Promenade, is really lovely. It is this giant outdoor shopping area that is lit really beautifully, has street performers, and dinosaur hedge fountains. Yup. You read that correctly.

The pier itself, while nithing too special, is always nice for an evening stroll. The rides are going, the air is filled with the aroma hotdogs and churros, the sea pushes in a nice evening breeze. It's really just nice to be with someone and experience it all, while letting everything else go. Very special moment.

After the pier, we made sure we stopped and got some Boba Tea - a staple of our Ithaca College years. While the tea and tapioca balls were not as good, the nostalgia was overflowing.

Friday:
Could you guess it? Small world! Paige hung out with yet another friend from Spain! I was absolutely amazed. I couldn't believe how many people she knew from around the world, here, in LA!

Not only was I amazed, but I was glad that she was able to get out and do stuff with such a good friend. It really worked out well for her.

They spent most of the morning at the Getty Center, which is this huge museum on top of the Hollywood Hills, overlooking the entire city. One of the best features is its garden - this massive, sprawling section that has fountains and moats running throughout. I wish I could have joined them!

Next they saw the Grove, in Hollywood, which is a very swanky outdoor mall, with a wonderful daily famers' market that has some of the most amazing food in LA.

When I was done with work, we grabbed a quick drink together at a local bar, then headed out to see The Dark Knight Rises (in IMAX of course).

Saturday:
We woke up kind of late and made our way up to the Hollywood sign. We briefly drove through downtown, but didn't stop until we reached the trail for the sign. It was hot. The trail was busy. We were hungry and thirsty. Needless to say, we didn't hike much, but enough to get close to the sign for a photo op!

On the way home, I made sure we stopped in Laurel Canyon to find Joni Mitchell's house (one of the few destinations Paige really wanted to see while in LA - apparently she was a big influence on her when she was younger).

That night we went out in Santa Monica with a bunch of mutual friends, all from Ithaca a really tore up the town.

Sunday:
We tore up the town enough that we were slow to rise Sunday morning. A little too much beer and maybe a couple too many shots. It was alright though - the good kind of pain. The kind that reminds you that you may have had too much fun for your body to handle.

When we were up and ready to go, we drove down to Manhattan beach - my favorite beach in LA and had some crepes while sitting outside. Celebrity sighting of the day? Wee Man from Jackass. Ok, I know, not DiCaprio, or Julia Roberts caliber, but come on, he's a celebrity in his own right!

After stuffing ourselves with Nutella and caramel, we made it down to the beach and just stood with our feet in the water. We didn't say much. We didn't need to. We just enjoyed each other's company.

Making it back home, we stopped and picked up food from my favorite restaurant (which can be seen on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives), Gloria's and gorged ourselves on El Salvadorian food.

That night we did nothing special aside from hang out and talk about the trip.

Monday:
I can't get into details about Monday. It honestly was probably one the worst days for me in recent memory. I had so much fun over the last three weeks that I couldn't bare to have it end. Not only that, but I had to say goodbye to a friend again. Not the simple, "oh, see you next week," but the "maybe I'll see you in a year" kind of goodbye. The kind that doesn't promise anything.
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But, as time set in and I reflected on the trip, everything fit into place. It was perfect. The memories formed will never be forgotten and the bond I share with Paige had only gotten stronger. I realized that, yes, while it was a goodbye, and as much as it hurt at that moment, it wasn't the end. We have so much more to do and experience together.

So on that note, I'll leave this story with three simple words.

To Be Continued....