living in the southland

While my days have been somewhat slow, I have had the opportunity to do a couple of “California” things. The first was last Thursday night when Aaron, Lindsay, and I were invited to watch the season premier of The OC at the apartment of one of Lindsay’s co-workers. It all seems pretty normal until you learn that her co-worker’s husband is the assistant editor of the show, with his name in the credits and everything. It turned out to be a really fun, low-key night, but we still thought we were something special. I mean, think about it, I now know someone who works with famous people everyday. Apparently that’s not really a big deal in the Los Angeles area though, considering one of the other girls who came over is married to a writer on One Tree Hill. Honestly, I really just enjoyed meeting some neat people that I felt like I could hang out with. It made me feel a little better about my new surroundings.

Then on Saturday, the three of us decided to have some more fun, this time in Malibu. Our plan was to spend a few hours on the beach and watch the sun set. Now the only other California beaches I’ve been to are Venice and Manhattan, but I have to say that Malibu is my favorite. It just felt really cozy and inviting with beautiful landscapes all around. For those who are like me and are only familiar with the Gulf Coast, there are a couple of things to note about the West Coast. Most notably, the Pacific Ocean is cold. I do not understand how people can swim in it without catching their death. This leads to the second observation, which is that the sea breeze coming off the Pacific is also quite chilly. I thought I was prepared for this with my extra long-sleeved shirt and light hooded jacket; however, my shorts and flip-flops were my downfall. As the sun began to set, the temperature quickly dropped into the lower 60s. We tried to tough it out, but ultimately decided we would be more comfortable watching from the car. While the early exit was slightly disappointing, it did afford us a little more light with which to view the amazing scenery as we headed back home through the mountains.

* Note: Aaron and Lindsay Weldon are great friends of mine from College Station. They too recently moved to Pasadena because Aaron is also attending Fuller, and through God’s amazing provision, we live in the same apartment complex.