19/365 - Beach Beauty

Hurray! This post is proof that I survived my flight to LA!!! You would be proud to know I didn't even need my meds (good thing, since I forgot to pack them), and I only ordered a gin & tonic because a friend gave me a complimentary coupon for one free cocktail. All told, it was a blessedly uneventful and peaceful flight.

My one priority upon arrival was to head straight for the beach, which also happens to be where my hotel is located. On the way, I struck up a conversation with my cabbie, Ahmed. I came to find that Ahmed has only been in LA for a few weeks. Originally from Somalia, he's lived in various places around the U.S., and other members of his family are scattered throughout the world, thanks to the many countries that provided asylum to Somalian refugees during the 1990's.

It didn't take long for me to discover that Ahmed is one of those rare souls who somehow still experiences true joy in the midst of the most dire circumstances. He had a sparkle in his eye and a genuine smile that lit up his whole face.

Since Ahmed was fairly new to the area, he didn't know the street my hotel was on. "We'll just have to find it together, then," I said. And sure enough we did, with a little help from the GPS. The best part is when we pulled up to the hotel, Ahmed saw the beach and burst out with, "That's the Pacific Ocean, isn't it!?!" The look of wonder on his face was priceless. Ahmed graciously helped me get my bags out of the car and then just as quickly found a parking space so he could go dip his toes in the ocean. I'm still regretting that I didn't offer to join him!

Oh, I did get back out to the beach after getting settled in to my room, and I couldn't help but think of Ahmed when I dug my toes in the sand and lost my thoughts in the sound of the waves. I also wish - as inappropriate as it would have been to ask - that I had taken a picture and captured that amazing smile on Ahmed's face. Probably wouldn't have done his joy justice.

Here are some more shots of the beauty I captured around the beach tonight instead: