A Year In LA

LA

Finally after hours of nonsense talk and getting to know each other, the plane lands in LA. I look out the window at the big city of which I will call home. Tall buildings, palm trees, wide open spaces. As everyone exits the plane I take a deep breath and place my feet on the gravelly ground outside. I'm trying to stay near Ollie.

I look to my right and he is there. I feel much better knowing someone is by my side, even if I've only known them for 5 hours. He gives me a calm, but excited look and we walk down the long road to the airport.

Ollie and I are both waiting for a taxi to take us into the city where our apartment blocks are.

"Which apartment building are you staying at?" I ask. He says he is staying at PalmView Motel. Unfortunately I didn't get lucky this time, but the building is only about 5 minutes away from mine which is a plus.

10 minutes pass and we are still waiting on our taxi. We are entertained enough, though, because we are talking about our lives and other things new friends talk about. I explain how nervous I am to be living without my parents or family, or anyone I know for that matter.

"Im excited to be here, but like you Im also nervous. Hey... Why don't we catch a cab together? Our apartment blocks are only five minutes away from each other and I don't mind walking." He says.

This is a dream! Of course I want to go with him. I say yes and we catch our cab as it turns up. The smooth car ride with the cool aircon makes me relaxed. The scenery out the big taxi windows fills me with cheer. This is the life.

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The taxi comes to a slow stop at the front of a tall, clean building filled with windows everywhere. A sign buried beneath Palm trees reads "Beachfront Plaza". This is my stop. I turn to Ollie and give him a smile. I thank him for earlier, and everything really, and he reminds me that we can still catch up. Giving him another reassuring smile, I open the boot of the taxi... Here we go again with my bags.

Ollie jumps out and gives me a hand a waves to me until I'm in the building. He jumps back into the cab and travels down a road to his apartment nearby.

As I walk into the lobby, the lady working there greets me with a smile. I tell her my room number and personal information and claim my card, or keys to my room. I walk up a short flight of stairs, surrounded by windows facing out to a big, clear pool. It. looks. amazing.

At the too of the stairs are a set of lifts, I take the one with numbers 24-36 on it. My room number is 27. The lift travels upwards and connects to a short corridor, with rooms in either side. A huge window is at the end of the corridor, overlooking the entrance where the taxi dropped me off. My room is right at the end next to the window! I love it.

I insert the card into the door and open it wide.