It's things like this that make me really love Los Angeles. I'm trying to sign up for the free banjo lesson at that event. I'm going to really miss the random things like this next year.

So, in loving tribute to the best place I've lived so far, I am making a list of things I'll miss about L.A. because 1) I really love lists and 2) my feelings about leaving rollercoaster from insanely giddy to freakin' terrified, and, so, hopefully, this list will help put things into perspective.

Things I'll Miss About Living in Los Angeles (in stream-of-consciousness order):

1. B --he's the best thing about L.A.


2. ANTM nights with Charlie--we've seen most of the last two cycles together every Wednesday and I won't even be here for the next two cycles.


3. Little Tokyo.


4. Olvera Street.


5. Our board game parties.


6. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA -- they've had two of my favorite exhibits ever there in a single year: WACK! and Murakami.


7. The Acura L.A. Bike Tour--it was approximately 30 miles and 15,000 bikers taking over the streets of Los Angeles. It was pretty magical. I road on the wrong side of the street the whole way just to get the most out of the experience.


8. Strategicon--it's the board game convention B and I attend three times a year. The last one we attended I didn't even attend all four days and I still won more tournaments than B. Heh. But nothing will top actually meeting Reiner Knizia and playing Through The Desert against him. And losing. Big time. And having him sign the game and mock us lovingly.


9. La Taquiza. Best. Mexican. Food. Ever.


10. Having Ralph's and Coldstone across the street, even though I've only gone to Coldstone twice since it opened. Just knowing that I have the option to walk to a Coldstone is nice.


11. Having a card-operated laundry room down the hall--this is a luxury I will lose when I leave.


12. The city sounds--in the middle of the day, when B's not typing at the computer and the a/c hasn't kicked on and the TV is off, it's a really soothing backdrop to nap and write against.


13. The Dash Bus--as inconvenient as it has been to me this semester (the F Dash was extremely erratic more so this spring than any other semester), you can't beat the price. Not many things cost only a quarter anymore.


14. My skyline--the view from my apartment is gorgeous. There's a park and then the skyline. It's hard to compete with that. Although, Ireland does well in that regard...


15. Slippery Shrimp.


16. Biking along the beach.


17. Being within an hour of the beach, the mountains and suburbia.


18. Shopping with Laura.


19. The random events I get to go to because I live here: concerts for ten bucks (the bird and the bee, Nicole Atkins, Video Games Live--okay that one was twenty bucks), street fairs, farmers markets, readings/signings/lectures of my favorite authors.


20. Being able to attend tapings of my favorite shows (like 24 and American Gladiators, baby!), getting paid forty dollars for being in the audience for shows I don't really care about (Last Comic Standing), the possibility of being in the audience for shows I am sickeningly addicted to and getting paid to be there (The Pussycat Dolls Present the Search for the Next Pussycat Doll, or, The Pussycat Dolls Present Girlicious--I just knew that those people were getting forty bucks and were bored. I would have been paid forty bucks and loved every minute of it).


21. The different styles of the people walking around me in Downtown.


22. Having a pool on the roof.


23. Having a gym in the building.


24. Zhoul.

Yep. Definitely going to miss this place.

Labels: los angeles

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