Diego and I stopped at Ventura Beach our first night to sleep between two palm trees in our hammocks. We woke up to see about 20 surfers taking advantage of the early sunlight. Before exploring Hollywood, we stopped at Rodeo Road to see an incredible expo of old, rare cars. Hollywood Blvd was an interesting, crowded spot of town! Next, we sneaked our way up to the famous “Hollywood” sign. That night we attended a service at Hillsong’s LA church. Diego’s uncle lives in Beverly Hills, so we stayed the night there.
Diego started his drive back to Florida on Monday, leaving me in Santa Monica until Thursday when I headed out by bus to Las Vegas. By God’s grace, I got connected with my grandma’s best friend’s grandson’s roommate who happened to live in Santa Monica. He allowed me to sleep on his couch for three nights. The beach was great but gave me a gnarly burn. I got a frozen lemonade as I enjoyed street performers on the Santa Monica Pier. My time in Santa Monica was a nice change in pace compared to my last three weeks. Before arriving to the bus station, I enjoyed a nice meal at the Grand Central Market downtown.
Duration
5 days
Accommodation
Hammock on the Beach (1 night), Beverly Hills house (1 night), Santa Monica apartment (3 nights)
Favorite Food
Cinnamon Bread
Favorite Site
Santa Monica Pier
Cool Person I Met
Lee. Lee is from China. We met at the greyhound bus station. He was on his way to San Francisco for the first time. Our conversation started after I complemented his backpack, which was designed for the expert campers and travelers. He thanked me and replied, “It only 20 dollar. China much cheaper than America hahaha”. I found out Lee spent two years traveling from Thailand (Asia) to Morocco (Africa) with only a backpack and a bike, no plane or bus rides… Each night he pitched a tent and would cook his own food. I definitely learned a lesson in budget travel!
Highlight
An 85-year-old woman approached me on the sidewalk as I walked towards the beach to see the sunset. My first thought was she only wanted my money and second thought was she wanted to introduce me to a new spiritual practice… I didn’t know what to think. She was approaching people for almost an hour until I agreed to help. I went inside her apartment and she repeatedly assured me, “I’m not an axe murderer!”. Barbara needed help fixing her plant device (it’s supposed to grow plants/herbs indoors) because her neighbors weren’t around and her husband had passed away. I think she wanted company more than fixing her device. About two hours went by in her home, as she shared life experiences pertaining to famous people, traveling, reading, religion, and her childhood. I’m happy I stopped to help… Respect and listen to old people y’all!
Big Takeaway
“Naked I come from my mother’s womb and naked I shall return”. This quote reminds me how material possessions have only temporary value. Clothing, shelter, jewelry, video games, and even food provide us with comfort and happiness today, but will disappear “tomorrow”. It’s impossible to bring physical items from earth into the spiritual realm on that day when we stand before our Creator. This thought came to mind as I walked through downtown LA. I saw a car literally worth one million dollars, people wearing clothing more expensive than a roundtrip flight to Europe, and lots of plastic surgery. I thought about the vanity of how so much blood, sweat, and tears went into acquiring these things, which will ultimately disappear. It’s an awful long-term investment, though not a bad short-term one.
This topic concerning the value of material possessions is complicated and deserves more than one paragraph to fairly explicate. I don’t necessarily think material possessions are evil (Luke 16:9 is an example advising us on the eternal benefits of money), but it depends. All I want to express for now is the truth that everything we possess will disappear at death, which is less than 100 years away. What will hold value 1,000 years from now? How should we expend resources today in order to make good long-term investments?
Your Turn
How do you think Christians should approach money and material possessions? Is there a trade-off between enjoyment and sacrifice?
Did anyone else have trouble finding the Hollywood sign if you visited LA??
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