LA

Carlotta in LA? Not quite the thing you would expect, hn?
Okay, so: No. Im not staying here for longer. It was only that I arrived here at the airport to be picked up and go to my next host. Actually when I first knew I have to fly into LAX I wasn’t interested in staying here to see the city. Everyone I told this to said I’m crazy that I don’t want to see LA!? It’s one of the biggest and most famous cities there are! And it’s so cool and all that. I think most people would love to go there one day. But I didn’t quite know why I should go there? What should I do there? I’m not interested in houses and streets and buildings and (most) celebrities. Fashion and the latest trends.
City for me means traffic, lots and lots of people, no nature. And I am a lot more interested in seeing the landscape and nature of a country. Meeting people, getting to know them, seeing their life, learning from them, ... instead of anonymously walking past them and just being one of thousands in the crowd.
It was only because I arrived a day before Sara (www.silverhorse.org) came back from teaching a clinic in Bulgaria that I had to spend a night in Los Angeles before we both could drive out to where she lives.
I could stay at the house of a friend of hers wich was great. And she lives in Venice. Just a couple of hundred meters away from Venice beach and the Venice board walk.
Perfect location. And even though it was so close to everything it was a cute little house with garden and lots of green and flowers and lots of privacy.
I realized how big my prejudices are. There can be nice places in a city. City is not a synonym to horrible.
I had time to go to the beach and walk along the boardwalk. So much great art and little shows or street musicians. Cute little shops and just a nice happy open atmosphere.
I didn’t go to the Hollywood hills or the walk of fame and all that. But I’ve seen a little bit of this place called Los Angeles and so far I liked it.
I still prefer the country side but that doesn’t mean I have to hate cities. City is not city, every city is different. And I think yes, it was good to have seen it once.