L.A. is really growing on me…really quickly at that. Two days ago I went for a quick run and soccer game with Sam and Niles expecting only that. See to my knowledge it was going to be just an ordinary run to the park and probably an exhausting run considering the hills. I was in for an exciting shocker. One moment we were running through the streets of echo park (really cool hipster and latino neighborhood) and we hit a street that leads up!! We were in for a tough run… once we got to the top of this street we hit another street, i took a second to gasp, from my view it looked like there was no end to this next hill but they were already 20 feet ahead of me and now i had some catching up to do. Dang! 

My surrounding were beginning to change, the houses went from regular flat land to all these really cool buildings and houses on slants. The view was only getting better and better the higher we went; I looked ahead to see where sam and niles had gone and i couldn’t see them anymore. A ran a little faster hoping they would come into view but then to my left i saw them standing waiting for me. They were standing in front of what looked like a trail. Its hard to explain the difference in terrain but it went from houses on a hill to being in the tropics!! I know you are probably thinking that I am fully exaggerating but i’m telling you it was that dramatic. The trail was surrounded by palm trees, cactuses and dirt hills..the further we went in the more beautiful it became..There were people having picnics and soccer games.. It would be somewhat equivalent to a forest preserve but instead of regular trees only, you add in these massive palm trees everywhere. It felt like i had entered into a latin american country. As if i had crossed some threshold that warped me into the jungles of Colombia. It only got better.

We found a flat area where other people were playing soccer and began to dribble around for a while. We just had a little game going, enjoying the fresh air and views. We made our way closer to the other soccer games when we came into yet another culturally comforting experience. There was a live band in the middle of this park just hanging out and jamming out. They were playing columbian music and grilling. They weren’t playing a show or for the entertainment of others but for the sheer entertainment of themselves. These people gave off the vibe of a group that simply was enjoying life.  At this moment it couldn’t have felt anymore like a dream! I couldn’t help but wonder where else in the world do you get this kind of diversity in the land itself. Sure many states and countries can have their share of melting pots; Neighborhoods or streets with all kinds of people from every background but this place was not only holding that but it is so much more. I could be in an urban city one moment, then in the hills overlooking the city in another, then i could be in a tropical forest while listening to live colombian music. The real kicker was on the way back we ran into people horseback riding on the same trail. It blew my mind that this was all happening at just running distance from my apartment. I don’t live in some kind of suburb of l.a. or a ranch in l.a. i live in the middle of L.A. It was quite an experience for me and one that is making its mark.  Los angeles is catching up in the race for where i want to settle. Now lets just see who has better school program for me..L.A…or..NYC… Anyway we all have crap we deal with but its these moments that give you that sense of comfort and confidence to say to yourself..”every-things going to be alright” 

“I wish you best of luck,
And now im finna throw them deuces up” …thats my jam.