Visiting Brittany in L.A.!

Jon, Kaitee, and I left for Los Angeles on Saturday, April 8th and returned Saturday, April 15th. This was the first trip of this length I've ever taken without Brian and I don't know that I'll ever do it again! Especially driving! I ended up with a speeding ticket on the way down and a fender bender while sitting in L.A. traffic as we left. (My fault, of course!)
And...as we entered the area where Brittany and Carly found their new apartment, I was ready to pack them up and bring them home! They are right in the heart of Hollywood in an apartment building built in 1920. (Very little renovations since that time, I might add!) But they love the area and feel safe. After spending some time with them, I had to admit, at 18 or 21 I would have loved living there too. They take public transportation every where they go, but they don't have to travel as far where they live now and the subway is just two blocks away...which is much more convenient to use than the Metro. They moved from a beautiful apartment in downtown, but the streets pretty much close down after 7:30 there and the streets are empty and not safe at all. In Hollywood the streets are busy until 2 AM... a lot of strange people, but mostly tourists and people out for entertainment.
They have made some really good friends. It was very comforting to meet the people they spend time with and I was happy to realize they were people I would love to have as students now or would have had as friends myself at that age. Jon and Kaitee had a great time and can't wait to go back...but hope to FLY next time!
Here are a few trip highlights:
~Jon had a fun collecting license plate pictures on the way up and back. He got 16 states and 3 countries.
~Sun came out the day after we arrived and didn't leave until the day we left! YAY!!
~Spent a day sunning and swimming on Venice Beach!
~Kaiten's Sushi Bar in Santa Monica...delicious and a fun new experience!
~Break Dancers, drummers, etc. on Hollywood Boulevard.
~Shopped IKEA and Costco to get the girls' apartment a little farther along.
~Saw a movie at Mann's Chinese Theater.
~Walk of Fame and the handprints at Mann's.
But seeing my sweet daughter and niece was the best part of the trip. They are having a good time together and get along extremely well for two girls living together for the last four months! They have decided they are shamelessly weird and I like that they can be as crazy and silly as they want and not care who they are impressing or NOT impressing! Thye are being responsible young women and I am very proud of them...and so glad they have each other!!