Reunited & It Feels So Good

One of the perks of traveling for a living is getting to meet new friends. Another perk is getting to meet up with friends we haven’t seen in a while. I have been trying to catch up with my college friend Adam, since we found out we were moving to the west coast. It took some doing, but we finally got together toward the end of our time in Lompoc. As usual, busy schedules got in the way, but we made the most of the time when we finally linked up.

Chrysa and I got on the road heading toward L.A. on a particularly warm morning in February. Although it was a Saturday, we were still a little worried about traffic. We were trying to make it in time for our brunch reservations, and Chrysa is a nervous wreck in city traffic. Happily we didn’t encounter any problems, and it was all smiles when we rolled up to our host’s house.

Adam, and his partner Matthieu, live in an apartment in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles. Chrysa and I were both stunned by how beautiful their place was. The apartment is decorated in the mid-century modern style and it has a wonderful deck with views of the city. As great as the apartment is, it was nowhere near as great as our hosts. Adam and I go way back, but neither of us had met each other’s spouses/partners. It was really nice of them to greet us so warmly and let us stay in their home for the night.

We started the festivities off with a meet and greet and got caught up with each other. Adam and Matthieu showed us around the place and pointed out some of the sights from their deck. After the tour we headed out to brunch. We had a lovely meal and continued to get to know each other over hash and Bloody Mary’s. Adam really picked a nice spot for us. The four of us sat under the trees, in the warm, southern California weather. It was a great way to unwind after the morning drive from Lompoc.

However, there will be no rest for the weary. After our meal and cocktails, we headed to Griffith Park to do a bit of hiking. The weather was warm, and it was a Saturday, so the park was crowded. It looked like parking was going to be an issue but Adam made an incredible move and we found a spot.

The hike turned out to be fairly challenging. We hiked uphill until we got to the top of the trail and were greeted with an incredible view of the city and the surrounding areas. From our vantage point we could see many of the neighborhoods of L.A., the Pacific Ocean, and The Hollywood Sign. We took a little different route back down and stopped at the observatory before going back to the car.

Adam and Matthieu had a work function to go to for a couple hours, so we headed back to apartment to make more plans. We opened the bottle of wine we brought and enjoyed it while we decided what to do while our hosts were gone. Chrysa and I decided that it would be fun to check out Hollywood.

Adam gave us some helpful tips on how to get there, and where to park, so the trip was really easy (even with Chrysa death gripping the Oh Shit Handle). We walked Hollywood Blvd. and got to see the Sony Theatre, The Chinese Theater, the Walk of Stars, and all other the other sites on the strip. I was even felt up by a Dr. Frank-N-Furter impersonator…twice. I guess you could say we got the whole Hollywood experience.

We headed back to the apartment and got there just in time to meet our hosts. The timing couldn’t have been any better. We finished off the day with more wine, and more conversation, before heading out for a fantastic sushi dinner. We ended the evening with more bonding over bourbon.

We made our goodbyes the next morning amidst vows to get together again. It really was a wonderful visit that highlights the benefit of traveling the country. We can’t wait to see these guys again.   Cheers to friends, old and new!

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