Culture Shock & Pelicans in Los Angeles, CA

After 28 hours - mostly in the air - I land at LAX, retrieve my mobile home, and make it through customs. I am greeted by my younger sister, and it is one of the best hugs I've had in a long time. It is utter confusion as we pull out into LA traffic - I keep thinking she's on the wrong side of the road, there is a ton of traffic, and I'm in a time warp delirium and barely able to communicate. Culture shock, jet lag, and 8 months out of the US could explain some of it! Add to that a phone call from a parental unit inquiring about where I'm going to live and I'm ready to turn in! The next day we head back to LAX from Burbank to pick up my older sister - we are reunited and it feels so good! It's off to Santa Monica to meet up with an old friend from high school and we head out to cure one of my largest cravings of the trip - margaritas and guacamole! Great day catching up and enjoying delicious things - the weather is perfect & the company can't be beat. 

The next day we drove up to Santa Barbara for Easter dinner with my LA sister's friends. It is a beautiful house overlooking Santa Barbara Bay and we are given a very warm welcome and a reallllly comfortable bed. We decide to explore SB on bikes, and it is excruciating with all of the hills and my travel-atrophied muscles! It is a great little town, and we came across some natural areas, a craft market, and nice people. We make it back in time for a delicious Easter dinner, however! It's tough to leave, but we head back to LA on our way to San Diego - a sister cottage in Ocean Beach is waiting! I love OB, and we were able to relax on the beach for a few days. The water was freezing, but in I went :) Had to wake up those cells! Great sister time with dinner at our cottage, tapas at The Joint, taco Tuesday at a local... I even went to my first movie of the year - Captain America at one of those fancy theatres where you can sit in a comfy recliner! I had a feeling it would take a while to readjust to being home, but it was a great five days spent with sisters, and a perfect welcome back to the US. We ended with sunset drinks back in LA at the harbor - pelicans included! Next it was off to Plymouth, Massachusetts for a wedding... East coast here I come!

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