This past weekend I was able to get a great deal on airfare (thanks to my friend Renee for giving me a heads-up!) and fly out to Los Angeles to spend pre-Valentine's Day weekend with Alex. This was our 7th Valentine's Day to celebrate together, and it was wonderful! The weekend went by too fast, as they always do, but we were blessed with beautiful weather, lots of things to do, and, of course, each other.
I arrived in LA Thursday evening at about 10 p.m. (midnight in Dallas.) The flight there was nice because there was no one in the middle seat, and I talked to a really interesting guy at the end of my row who was from Bombay and knows six languages! So cool. Alex picked me up at the airport, and we always laugh about my arrivals because the LAX airport is crazy! It has made me appreciate DFW so much! Instead of a cliche, romantic greeting after not seeing each other for a month, Alex has to pull up to the curb, and then we throw my suitcase in and jump in the car, with people honking, buses everywhere, and parking guys yelling. Very romantic, haha! This time was no exception...it keeps things interesting! : )
Once we got back to Alex's apartment, we spent the rest of the evening catching up, cuddling, and relaxing. We also opened our presents! Alex got me pink sparkly TOMS! I love them!! I have always wanted TOMS but never knew which pair to get. I didn't even know they made pink sparkly ones, so he did an amazing job! We stayed up late (2 a.m., also known as 4 a.m. Dallas time!) and then slept in a little bit on Friday morning.
Friday afternoon we went to The Grove, a huge shopping and restaurant area in LA that celebrities frequent. We didn't see any celebrities, but it was really fun to walk around and browse the stores. Alex was a good sport and went in the American Girl store and let me reflect on all the dolls I wanted as a child. We also went through the farmers' market there, which was really cool and reminded me of this huge marketplace we visited when my family was in Hawaii last summer.
That evening, Alex cooked us a delicious stir fry dinner, and then we went out with his neighbors, Alana and Erik. We decided to go to James Beach Bar & Grill, as it is a major place in our favorite movie, "I Love You, Man." If you haven't seen it, you should, but the main characters Peter and Sidney go there and eat what are supposedly the best fish tacos in the world. Because of the fame the movie has brought the restaurant, the fish tacos are pretty pricey now, so we just went for drinks and to enjoy the atmosphere. It was definitely a happening place, and we had a great time with Alana and Erik! While there, we also ran into a girl from Coppell that I went to middle school with...how crazy is that?! Fun night, and we watch that movie all the time, so it was really cool to visit!
The amazing weekend and gorgeous weather continued on Saturday, so we went to the Getty Center, a museum that you have to ride a tram uphill to visit. In addition to a ton of paintings, sculptures, and other art inside, the outside overlooks LA and offers beautiful views and gardens. We could see everything! We picked an ideal day, because we overheard so many people say that it was normally not that clear. We walked around for quite a while, and ended the afternoon laying on the grass and relaxing. After we left there, it was time for our Valentine's date : ) Alex cooked another delicious dinner, and we had wine and watched The Notebook...my idea, of course, but luckily he is a wonderful boyfriend and watched it with me. We also had Samoa ice crea for dessert...try it if you haven't, trust us on this one!
Sunday came all too soon, but we made the most of our last day. To continue the movie-themed weekend, we went to Angels Knoll, this pretty park in the middle of downtown. It's up on a hill, and there's a trolley that takes people up the steep incline. In the old days, people paid a penny to ride it, while the poor people took the staircase. Alex and I decided to be poor people and get a little exercise! The park was so pretty in the middle of all those buildings, and what we know it as is the park from the movie (500) Days of Summer, another one that we really enjoy. In the movie, the couple comes to that park often and sits on this bench. The bench is now famous and has a plaque on it, so we of course had to sit on it and take pictures! It was really cool and another absolutely gorgeous day!
After Angels Knoll, we walked around downtown a little more, saw where the Staples Center was already set for the Grammy's that night, and then went back to Alex's apartment to get ready for his concert and my departure. : (
Saying good-bye is so hard, and it definitely was this weekend. The best news is that Alex will be home in just a few weeks for spring break! We had such a great time that I wasn't ready to leave, and I miss him already. It's hard to be away from people you love, but it really is true that being apart makes you appreciate your time together so much more. Thank you, Alex, for an amazing Valentine's weekend. I love you so much!
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