The City of Angels

I love and hate Los Angeles for so many reasons. Love the weather, hate the traffic. Love my family and friends, hate the traffic. Love the diversity, hate the smog. Love being able to buy wine at the grocery store, hate the cost of living. The list could go on and on.

LA has so many memories for me as it was where I spent my formidable years. The college years were spent at USC. The career and married years were spent in West Los Angeles and UCLA. Then I decided to make a change and uprooted my life to move to Pittsburgh. It is funny when I talk to people here and tell them that I moved here from LA. I get two instant questions from them...WHY? and Did you meet/know any famous people?

Both questions annoy me and fascinate me at the same time. Yes, famous people were everywhere you looked. I mean sitting in sociology class if I had known that Keyshawn Johnson would get so famous I may have not been so annoyed by his attitude...ok, so, probably not but it gave me pause!

Why would I choose to move from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh? First, it was time. Second, I felt a calling in my soul that I needed to be near my family. I needed to shake up my life for me and see where I would land and how I could re-create things for me. I moved to a city where I knew no one yet again. As a 30-something adult woman it was a little rougher than as an 18 year old girl heading to college. But somehow I have managed to land on my feet, make friends, have a good job and be close enough to jump in my car and visit mom or my sisters in a short period of time. These are good things and I made them happen in my life.

But back to Los Angeles...yes, I met lots of famous people. I went to college with some. I guess for me though there was little mystic left surrounding them once I saw the inner workings on the Hollywood life. Having friends who date stars also shed some light on that life as well. They are just people and they are just as happy or unhappy as the rest of us. They just happen to do it in front of the camera. Now don't get me wrong I would still to this day knock his wife out if Jason Sehorn came knocking at my door. I can still picture him washing his car next door when we lived at USC.

What is the point of all this rambling about Los Angeles? I am going back for a visit next week. I had to cancel an earlier scheduled trip due to life here. Somehow I think the timing was just not right and I was not ready. Now, I feel ready to visit. I have let go of some past demons. I have moved on from some past mistakes. I am stronger, healthier and happier. I am ready to hit the ground, hug Heidi, grab my bags and hit up In 'N' Out on the way to my home for the week. No, there will be no reunion with the ex. There will be fun times with my family and friends. There will be pedicures at the Paint Shop and lunch at the french cafe with my french boyfriend. There will be meals shared at new homes with old friends. There will be cruising in convertibles and lots of flip flop wearing in February!!!! There will be relaxing in the football room with the kid who won't nap trying to get him to say FIGHT ON! ;-) My LA experience is mine and I am going to be there next week to savor it and soak it up!

Stay tuned for updates and pictures!