First Stop – GREATer Los Angeles

If the rest of our journey is anything like the first five days, we are definitely in for the trip of a lifetime!

Santa Monica

Upon touching down in LA, our first ‘cozy’ encounter with a rental car shuttle packed a potent reminder that we were indeed back in ‘Merica. Thankfully, our traveling light helped save us from the ensuing chaos. We headed straight for Santa Monica, dropped our bags, donned our togs (swimsuits), and made a beeline for the beach. A buzzing location, dose of Vitamin D and a plunge in the Pacific were just what the doctor ordered! Post-swim, we indulged in a much needed hot shower followed by a delicious dinner near Venice Beach, where the people-watching could captivate even the most jet-lagged traveler for hours. Exhausted, we crashed early, only to wake up the next morning ready for a hike through Topanga Canyon. Our super host, Stephanie, a seasoned traveler who had just returned from her own five-week global tour, had orchestrated the perfect “recovery” day. Although she was disappointed by the fog that obscured our views, we were thrilled with the empty trails and the mysterious, secluded vibe of the hike—surprisingly close to urban sprawl. Could not have dreamed up a better first day!

Burbank

Next, we drove to Burbank to catch up with Vic, one of Bryan’s closest friends, and his family. Amid meals boasting American-sized portions, we squeezed in a short run in the blistering heat—which nearly concluded with an emergency visit for heatstroke. Fortunately, we opted for a grocery run to stock up on coconut water instead. Later, a visit to The Broad Museum left me thrilled with the art and amazed by the small glimpses of the vault collection. An unexpected highlight was our evening at a local theater in Burbank (The Colony Theatre), where we caught a pre-release of Duran Duranthony and Cleopatra. Despite our varying levels of appreciation for Duran Duran (me at the lower end and Bryan excelling as usual), the show was hilarious —very loose takes on classics and improvisations that turned any mishaps into tears of laughter.

La Jolla

After a quintessential American diner breakfast, featuring counter service, country tunes, southern accents, drip coffee, and breakfast potatoes, we were fueled a ready to start our two-hour drive to La Jolla. Navigating was a comedic series of ‘almost’ errors, with frequent reminders of “right is tight,” “left stay loose,” and “driver side inside” as we reacclimatised to left-side driving. Fortunately, we arrived safely and were welcomed by Kiyon with a healthy, delicious home-cooked lunch. A quick dip in the UCSD pool refreshed us before we joined Kiyon and Joe to watch the San Diego Padres spank the Arizona Diamondbacks. Thanks to the game’s new speed format and the great company (not to mention the stadium’s wine cellar) I was fully engrossed in the game by the 6th inning.

The next day, we slept in and did a quick sightseeing run along the La Jolla bike trail. Then dove into what has set the bar as the best meal of the trip —a “simple” soba lunch whipped up by chef Kiyon while we sat like lumps on a log at their kitchen stools recovering from the heat, humidity and general lack of fitness from our morning run. Our afternoon was a surprising treat, taking the scenic route to Coronado Island via San Diego Bay. The highlight came as we passed the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier Bryan had spent a week when he was 17 – watching him nearly leap from the boat as we cruised by was priceless. We wrapped up the day with a game of Catan. The winner? Well, let’s just say I might not hear the end of it for the next 132 days!

As our plane lifts off from San Diego, headed towards Denver, it’s hard to believe we’re only six days into our journey. I’m incredibly grateful for the friendship, hospitality, and laughter we’ve experienced at this first stop, as well as for a closer look at some of Bryan’s longest and closest friendships. He truly has a lot of people who care about him, and I’m so glad to be a part of that. Whatever happens next, I’m more confident than ever that this trip was a great decision, knowing that it’s the journey and the people we share it with that truly matter.