We weren’t sure what to expect when we got to Little Tokyo. The district was within downtown LA. Honestly, after a red-eye flight in the morning and the two-hour drive back from the beach, I was exhausted. However, our Airbnb was not ready for check-in, and it was at an awkward hour between meal times. My main gripe was the lack of public restrooms anywhere. We’d later find out why.

There are a ton of random shops, street vendors, and too much anime-themed merchandise. The area felt more commercialized than anything. So many people in cosplay attire. It felt like an anime convention. There was a Demon Slayer pop-up store, probably to promote the recently released movie. All the figures were crazy expensive.

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We ended up watching the “Infinity Castle” back home a couple of weeks later. No regrets. I’ve been hesitant to watch anime films in theaters since usually those come out pretty quick through some subscription service. The villain’s backstory and incredible animations blew our minds. Wow, I can see why it earned so much worldwide.

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I felt like we’d be way more excited about Little Tokyo had we been younger. There was a pretty decent Matcha shop that had served a good Hojicha drink. But the one noodle shop we decided to have a light snack at was disappointing.

Finally, 4:00 PM! Got a message from the host that our Airbnb was ready to check in. We were excited to finally get some rest. The drive through the rest of downtown was interesting to say the least. Rows and rows of boarded-up buildings, with even more rows of homeless. A mind shock, this area was only a few blocks away from Little Tokyo. I’ve only heard on the news about the homeless situation in LA but never seen it until now. I guess it makes sense why all the shops at LT had no public restrooms posted everywhere. It was sad seeing all these people out on the streets. Using make-shift bathrooms, garbage everywhere, and townhomes replaced with tents.

Leaving DTLA, we went onto the freeway and made it to our Airbnb. A nice 4-bed 3-bath apartment/duplex near Koreatown. It was fairly central to all the things we planned to do here in LA. After settling in, I made the unfortunate mistake of opening my work laptop. Blah, tons of work emails and requests.

One of my concerns is getting a car rental with enough trunk space. I know there are luggage requirements on this trip to account for souvenirs/gifts to bring back home. Earlier this year, we rented a van, and the trunk space was infinite. But some SUVs have a small cargo area. The car rental center assigned us a van with plenty of room. This trip is a multi-city trip, so every city would be a gotcha box.

Technically, today is a free day. Nothing in the trip planner since our friends are arriving at midnight. Glancing at my phone, it is only breakfast. We have two choices: Santa Barbara or Disneyland. Amazing beaches, Spanish architecture, or everyone’s favorite mouse. We also wanted to save Disneyland for another day in case our friends wanted to visit. I didn’t want to start the trip with a suitcase full of Disney merchandise, so we started driving north.

Apparently, Santa Barbara is a great idea. Traffic out of LA was a breeze, and we enjoyed the scenic Route 1. Palm trees and ocean waves lined our path. Who said LA had terrible traffic?

Once we got to the beach town, everyone was on vacation. Hawaiian shirts, khakis, sunglasses, tans. Beach vibes everywhere and lots of white hair. We rested at a brunch cafe which had outdoor seating. The patio area was filled with parasols and mimosas. Typically, where we’re from, the weather is either too hot or too cold. So this was a pleasant way to start the trip. brunch outside next to a water fountain. The waiter brought out avocado toast, a fruit smoothie, and my second coffee for the day.

On trips, I try to stay caffeinated as much as possible. I want to make the most of my time and avoid sleep. Don’t really want to add coffee to my regular daily schedule. I’ve noticed that if I have coffee in the afternoon, I stay awake until 2 AM.

Around this time, our friends had messaged that they were on the plane. Boarded with Snoopy-themed entertainment. Super jealous! I just hope they secured some good pineapple cakes. We will see them in 12 hours. Looking towards the Pacific, I oriented myself towards our friends. They were over there somewhere past the horizon. Safe travels.

After lunch, we walked to the wharf. The beach life is too chill, especially for me, still in “work-mode”. Haven’t adjusted to vacation mode yet. It felt weird changing my routine, from back-to-back 9-5+, weeks with aggressive project schedules, to drinking coffee on a beach. I left emails unanswered, ignored my team’s group chats, and my laptop closed. Having all this free time and a lack of responsibilities was unfamiliar to me. I did feel this way in Europe, where time seemed to flow differently. Part of me wanted a refresh on work-life balance.

Enough of this town, let’s head back to LA.

Woke up before the sun to get to the airport. The hardest part was saying good bye to our two feline companions. They probably already knew their beloved servants were leaving once they saw packed suitcases the night before. But who cares, it was breakfast time! Canned tuna!

As the we drove to the airport, I kept checking the cameras making sure they were both satisfied with breakfast. Turns out they taking their post breakfast nap on the sofa. The trip to the airport was smooth since there was no traffic and security lines were empty. Our friends traveling from across the Pacific weren’t even at the airport yet. Their flight was direct and only took twelve hours! Here we are already at the boarding gate about to take off. I couldn’t believe it, every time I went to Asia, it would take me at least 20+ hours. Granted I’ve never started off the west coast. This was rather convenient.

I always seem to have anxiety about everything. I was worried the car we rented wouldn’t have enough trunk space to fit five large suitcases. Or the Airbnb was in a bad location. Or we forgot to lock the house door. Something at work wasn’t quite finished, or another project was being delayed.

What was the game plan for vacation day one? I’ve read its best to understand to let go of things outside of my control and to trust the process. I needed this vacation and change of pace.

So I put on my headphones and pulled up Spotify. Away we went. I hope our friends remember to buy pineapple cake for they leave.

Apologies if this is all in English, there is no way I’d write this in Chinese.

I’ve always thought blogging was a waste of time. But with the stress from life and work, writing down my thoughts and feelings is healthy. Everyone enjoys taking pictures during vacations to show off or remember moments. I think the best photos aren’t just of a beautiful scenery; the best show interactions between friends and family. We’d pose in front of the Half Dome or make silly boomerang short. I loved the crazy videos of the many things we were up to. It makes the picture more personal, unique. The shared album feature is amazing. Many photos stand out and still make me laugh because they capture those shared moments.

I want to share my thoughts about my recent trip and what I felt over those two weeks. We did a lot and hoped the group enjoyed. First time in USA. Like snoring in the car, or eating a little spicy food. I had a lot of fun but also experienced some sad moments. I already have a feeling I know how this blog will end. It’s that feeling when you don’t want something to end. Perhaps this blog will give closure. Life goes on no matter what we want or think. But I don’t know if I’m ready to move on.

We’ve just ended daylight saving and moved the clock back one hour. Now it gets dark super early. One of the reasons I hate this time of year. Good bye sunshine. I guess there is an upside. Looking up, I see the bright almost-full moon and remember the last full moon festival during Chuseok. Although it was just a few weeks ago, things feel very different now. Was the trip successful? I hope so. We worked hard on budgeting, planning, connecting, reconnecting and finally returning to our normal lives. In the end, I’m not sure if I feel more relaxed after that adventure.

Even though we’re born the same year, we are different zodiac signs, apparently I’m several months older.