After nearly eight months in Los Angeles, it finally rained. I still find this amazing and cannot help but expecting the skies to open up every time the smog gets a bit thicker than normal. For someone who enjoys relaxing rainy days, the adjustment to the constant sunshine has been a challenge. I would like to blame the weather for my inconsistent website postings – when it is always sunny, it feels criminal to spend time inside writing – but the truth is that my life stateside is just not quite as interesting on a week-to-week basis as my past three years traveling throughout the Caribbean and South Pacific. While I have settled into a comfortable routine and am happy with my current situation, I do miss the constant change and stimulation that comes with traveling extensively. Despite the relatively mundane existence that I lead, I will try to provide more consistent updates in the future.
As August gives way to September in Southern California, the eternal summer that I have been experiencing for the past three years continues. Taking advantage of my attractive location, I have spent the past two months embracing the L.A. lifestyle.
Like any good Angelino, I have adopted a healthy way of life. Though not an avowed vegetarian, the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables has altered my diet to the point that I rarely eat meat. Instead, I feast on succulent peaches, ripe strawberries, and creamy avocados. Each Sunday, I load up on groceries at the Farmers Market and then spend the evening concocting a meal utilizing the bounty.
Along with an improved diet, I have begun the slow, frustrating journey of returning to running form. At sunrise, I can be found racing along the beachfront strand. Though far from the blistering pace that I took for granted in my mid-20’s, I have competed in a few short races. One such race took place on the USC campus and finished in the LA Coliseum. Sponsored by Nike, the 5-miler, known as Run Hit Remix, featured a different one-hit wonder band playing at each mile. This year, the groups included MC Hammer, Sir-Mix-a-Lot, En Vogue, Sugar Hill Gang, and Naughty by Nature. Despite the heat and a mediocre time, it was fun finishing in the stadium and relaxing on the football field to watch/mock the post-race MC Hammer concert.
Aside from participating in sports, I have also attended several local sporting events in the past couple of months. In July, I went to a game at Dodger Stadium. Perched on a hill overlooking Los Angeles with numerous movie stars in attendance, it is easy to see why attending a game is a fashionable way to spend an evening. (Celebrity spotting in L.A. is a sport of its own and my sightings thus far have included Brian Bosworth, Alan Thicke, Corbin Burnson, and Vince Vaughn – who lives in my neighborhood. If I had a TV or watched more movies, I would likely recognize a lot more people.) In August, I journeyed to Anaheim to watch the Red Sox play the Angels. I was accompanied by a lovely girl from Nebraska who managed to divert my attention from the Red Sox falling in ignominious defeat. Most recently, I was invited to attend an LA Galaxy soccer game. Although David Beckham did not play, while sipping on wine in the Stadium Club (a VIP perk extended with the tickets), the man known as “Golden Balls” walked right by our table accompanied by a crew of handlers. The game itself was mediocre, but it was a nice stadium and an enthusiastic, if sparse, crowd.
Sadly, my activities have not included sailing, though I occasionally find myself pausing at the beach and gazing wistfully at the boats gliding along the coast. While not creating any new magic, I did have the opportunity to discuss past glory when my friend Peter Sutherland drove up from San Diego for the day. I met Peter in Panama, where we transited the Panama Canal together and then reconnected several times as we voyaged across the Pacific. Pete is now studying for his PhD in Physics in San Diego, but was able to get away for a few hours to take in the premier of the movie “Deep Water.” The documentary about the tragic voyage of Donald Crowhurst, probably my favorite sailor of all time, it was an entertaining movie that provided plenty of fodder for conversation. Having read extensively about the sailor who lost his mind at sea, we both enjoyed the movie and it was fun spending the afternoon with someone who could relate to so many of my experiences over the past several years.
The remainder of my free time has been spent entertaining visiting friends and family. Among family, my cousin Chris and my Uncle Mike each flew west from Ohio for short visits. My college friend TK also blew through town, providing me the opportunity to meet his cute 7-month-old daughter. Last week, I traveled about an hour north of Santa Monica to visit the parents of my brother’s girlfriend, Angie. Kindly welcoming me into their home and spoiling me with delicious meals, I enjoyed a pleasant weekend strolling through an art show, attending a Georgian Folk dance recital, and participating in stimulating conversation.
POM Wonderful continues to be interesting and, with the approach of the pomegranate harvest from October through December, work promises to get even more hectic. Recently, my role has been shifting from traditional finance to a focus on process improvement. Utilizing my background at GE and sailing, it is satisfying to feel that my years sailing were not entirely irrelevant to my professional pursuits. Instead, many of the lessons about organization, efficiency, and interpersonal relationships that I developed while sailing are proving useful.
Still, occasionally as I sit in my cubicle, my mind drifts to thinking about where I was a year ago. I find myself browsing through my pictures and fondly recalling the places that I visited and the people that I met. Before my wonderlust gets the better of me, I try to dwell on the frustrations and challenges that come with cruising on a leaky, old boat. However, in hindsight, even the worst experiences appear fulfilling and humorous – except for the engine problems; even from a distance of a year and thousands of miles, those remain painful. Though happy, I miss the cruising life.