I really loved the seeing how all the ways you found yourself being transported around the city led to deeper connection and belonging. Makes me think about how I have opportunities to connect a little bit more with people around me while I'm on the go, instead of being engrossed in my phones or checked out w/my headphones in.
I remember the looks on my dorm mates faces at UCLA when I told them I was taking the bus to LAX or to see my mom in Redondo Beach! I grew up in NYC and was very accustomed to taking public transit; I’m still proud of this so many years later. I was too shy to strike up conversations with other folks (maybe that was the NYer in me) but I relate to the feeling of familiarity riding among them.
Similarly I remember the feeling of LA opening up to me once I started taking rides with friends and boyfriends: ramen and Giant Robot on Sawtelle Blvd, NRB in Ktown, pho in San Fernando Valley, LACMA, visiting UCSD and driving through Pepperdine.
Thank you for writing this and stirring up this memory 🧡
I'm so glad you got to experience LA through public transportation! It's really a badge of honor to be able to take the bus. We have such street cred! I always wished I could live on UCLA's campus b/c you guys had access to WeHo -- such a better neighborhood than South Central.
I love NY because taking the subway every day gives me a cross section of humanity. The subway inevitably pops your bubble and forces you into random collisions with strangers. It makes me sad that so many Americans are locked and isolated in their own steel boxes, stuck in traffic, and going from one bubble to another.
Thanks for reading! It’s been fun seeing how small ripple effects in life like running into a Belgium stranger in a West Village jazz bad can give me more perspective on life :) Love how stochastic life is!
I really loved the seeing how all the ways you found yourself being transported around the city led to deeper connection and belonging. Makes me think about how I have opportunities to connect a little bit more with people around me while I'm on the go, instead of being engrossed in my phones or checked out w/my headphones in.
I remember the looks on my dorm mates faces at UCLA when I told them I was taking the bus to LAX or to see my mom in Redondo Beach! I grew up in NYC and was very accustomed to taking public transit; I’m still proud of this so many years later. I was too shy to strike up conversations with other folks (maybe that was the NYer in me) but I relate to the feeling of familiarity riding among them.
Similarly I remember the feeling of LA opening up to me once I started taking rides with friends and boyfriends: ramen and Giant Robot on Sawtelle Blvd, NRB in Ktown, pho in San Fernando Valley, LACMA, visiting UCSD and driving through Pepperdine.
Thank you for writing this and stirring up this memory 🧡
I'm so glad you got to experience LA through public transportation! It's really a badge of honor to be able to take the bus. We have such street cred! I always wished I could live on UCLA's campus b/c you guys had access to WeHo -- such a better neighborhood than South Central.
I love NY because taking the subway every day gives me a cross section of humanity. The subway inevitably pops your bubble and forces you into random collisions with strangers. It makes me sad that so many Americans are locked and isolated in their own steel boxes, stuck in traffic, and going from one bubble to another.
Thanks for sharing how small choices can also lead to unattended beautiful and enriching experiences. Great read!
Thanks for reading! It’s been fun seeing how small ripple effects in life like running into a Belgium stranger in a West Village jazz bad can give me more perspective on life :) Love how stochastic life is!