Sweet Dreams my LAX...

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After a 2 hour nap, on the night of the 27th, I was off to the airport... arrival time, 4:30am. Let me first tell you that 3:30am should not exist, for anyone... especially me!!!!

My frazzled brain and overstimulated body were no match for international departures, and it was a bit hard for me to figure out what to do... Let's just say that it had been a while since I'd flown internationally, and things have changed quite a bit since then!! After a hard goodbye and me being completely out of it from my lack of sleep, I was off through U.S. customs (oh what a pleasure), and into the waiting room... My flight to L.A. was uneventful - although I kept falling asleep unintentionally. The plan, see, was to completely deprive myself of sleep so that I could sleep on the L.A. to Sydney flight... Most of you know that I'm self-diagnosed ADHD and can't even sit through a movie, so let's just say that I was a bit anxious about sitting on a plane for 14.5 hours... But after a 6:30am start on the Friday, and only 2 hours sleep the Friday night, my body was rebelling against me (with good reason, I may add). So I arrive in L.A., excited at the prospect of going to the beach and chillaxing... but my plans are smeared a bit when the weather is refusing to cooperate. And let's not forget that because my layover was more than 12 hours long, I had to collect my luggage and recheck it for my next flight. Unfortunately, the counter for Qantas doesn't open till 2pm, which leaves me with 5.5 hours of wandering the airport terminals at LAX.

Let me just say, me and LAX are now very close... too close, if you ask me... I went to every terminal at LAX. I read my book outside in the sun when it came out. I went and had a sit-down lunch. At 1:30pm, I was ready. I was very lucky and got through pretty fast, leaving my checked luggage behind me, and entering the fun world of city travel. First stop, Union Station!

After a 30 minute bus ride, I pop into Union Station - a truly remarkable old train station where movies are often filmed. It is absolutely stunning to see! The architecture is beautiful, and the attention to details is amazing. You really have to see it to truly appreciate it! I then head out of the station and find Olvera Street, which was recommended by a few people. Olvera Street is this little alley, a block away from the station... and when you find it, you enter this amazing mexican world in the midle of LA. I literally turned the corner and there are little haciendas, no english and churros as far as the eyes can see. Absolutely worth it. I strolled the little street, peeking into the shops and trying to engulf myself in the culture. At some point, I pass a mariachi singer, in the midle of the street, singing her heart away. At another corner, there is a band of mariachis going to each table at a restaurant. Realizing that I'm truly dehydrated, I pop into this organic coffee shop and step into this old wooden room, full of art deco furniture, colours and scents. Ordering a coffee (that helps with dehydration right?), I wander to the back of the shop where a tarot reader is offering readings by donation... well... why not? So I grab my coffee and ask her to read my tarot on the subject of my Australia trip. My reader told me that I would have an amazing trip, filled with excitement and new experiences. I was going to learn a lot about myself, grow as a person, and that I would have to remain open in order to remain free to opportunities. She also said that this was a turning point for me, leaving behind some aspects of my past and moving on. I can feel that, and it's been a long time coming... it's good to see that it's also in my cards! She was absolutely amazing and it made my day. Leaving Olvera Street was hard, as it was such an amazing experience... but I had to head back in order to have enough time to go to the beach!!

Back at LAX, I grab a cab to Redondo beach, in south L.A. and wander the boardwalk and beach for a while... the views are absolutely amazing, and the ambiance is really refreshing... People can rent fishing rods and fish right off the boardwalk and let me tell you, I have never in my life seen this many fishing rods... it was absolutely crazy! But realizing that the sun is setting, I start heading back to the main street to catch a cab and head back to my favourite airport.

Hopefully, the adventurous day will have made me sleepy enough for the long flight ahead....

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Photos

Olvera Street
Mariachi singing her heart away on Olvera Street

Olvera Street
The Alley full of shops

Union Station
The beautiful architecture of Union Station in Los Angeles

Union Station
Sun raining through the stain glass at Union Station in Los Angeles

Redondo Beach
Sun setting at Redondo Beach in Los Angeles