A trip to L.A., another step into adulthood

A trip to L.A., another step into adulthood

In mid-July, me and my girlfriend took a road-trip to L.A. where we stayed for a week while dog-sitting my Aunt and Uncle’s two young golden retrievers. We had wanted to visit L.A. together for awhile and this was our chance to hit Star-land for a week without paying for a room! It was more than just a vacation for us. It was a retreat from our busy summer lives which hardly give us a break even though the time was called Summer Break.

We planned it months ahead of time and saved money from both of our jobs so we could vacation comfortably and come back with some cool stuff. By the end of the trip, we both had to have spent almost a month of wages on clothes even though we didn’t plan to. We were able to find the newest styles of clothes which we couldn’t quite find in the Bay Area or Sacramento.

The Santee Alley was our favorite spot which earned us two visits because of its great deals in a flea-market atmosphere. I picked up around 15 blank white t-shirts for $2 each which I usually pay around $5 back at home.

After our trips around the city, we would come home to the sound of heavy, furry paws clawing on the back door. The pups would barge in once we gave in and they kept our engines warm when we were really trying to relax. Even though it didn’t utilize the benefits of being in L.A., relaxing at home while playing Wii games was one of the highlights of the trip. Sometimes the simplest things can make a couple grow closer.

The trip not only allowed me and my girlfriend to grow closer as a couple, but also gave me a higher regard of independence from my parents. Even though my mom helped me with gas money and packed a bunch of food for us, being able to embark on my first long trip without my parents or a lot of friends made me feel more grown-up.

Even after 22 years of growing, I still feel dependent on my parents because they pay for my tuition and rent and this trip brought a sense of independence and readiness to jump into the real world. We chose our own itinerary and met up with my family down there which is usually something my mother always plans out.
The week went by so fast and I felt like I could really get used to living in L.A. I thought traffic was going to be horrible all the time, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I dreaded driving through grid-locked traffic with cars zooming by, but it ended up being nothing I couldn’t handle.

Even though we have been living together for 2 years now, I noticed that my girlfriend and I would get annoyed with each other especially during the long drives to and from L.A. We got lost a few times trying to find restaurants or Starbuck’s and ended up blaming it on each other even though it’s probably normal to get lost in unfamiliar cities.


Besides coming back with a higher sense of independence, we also developed an addiction for Pinkberry frozen yogurt. Pinkberry is a fad down in L.A. and the chain hasn’t spread to Norcal yet so after we got back, my girlfriend and I spent several visits to Pinkberry alternatives to satisfy our craving. We found the best fix at Mochii in downtown Sac, which is even better than the original Pinkberry and ever since, we insist on driving across town every week for our dose of nonfat, fruit-topped deliciousness.