Monday, October 22, 2012

finito


santa monica pier


5 years old

father and son



venice strip




13 year old jumping over 5 people



vegas via helicopter

the strip


and from my last journal entry on the last day: 

"It's been a handful of incredible experiences entwined into this relatively sleepless trip. Due to jet-lag and my body's inability to adapt to a new time zone, I've spent a lot of time awake in these foreign places that I've loved and grown to love. I wondered about why I like being here so much, and have tried to understand whether other people find places they love and whether they wonder why they do. For me, I simply enjoy it here, right down to the sleeplessness at 2am. I love the liveliness of the people, the smog in the LA that clears by lunchtime and the sunsets that consume the entire sky at night."

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Continued

Las Vegas, The Grand Canyon & San Francisco.

I have too much love for these places that I can't even yet share snippets of my journal for it does no justice. Instead, i will let these photos speak.

Much love, 










the SF museum of modern art

san francisco



alcatraz

al capone's cell 



strangers on the shuttle



seaside



candidate by day, bus driver by night




Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The California Diaries

The following words are excerpts taken from a diary kept close while traveling. Images to accompany were shot in Los Angeles, California over the course of a weekend. Forgive me if the writing doesn't make sense, for a large portion of this weekend i was severely sleep deprived. 'No jet-lag' pills, you are merely a myth. 


I am miles away from home now, four thousand to be exact, and we are well above the ground. Bound by metal and bolts in this big jet plane, thousands of meters below me lies the sea with only air and darkness to separate the two of us. It's lonely being up so high and enveloped in so much darkness. There is a lady to my left, sitting by a window. Although the rest of the passengers seated next to a window have closed their shades she has kept hers wide open the entire journey, even after the sun was long gone. Is she doing this to dissipate her anxiety or perhaps allow as much light in as possible. I'd ask her, but she doesn't look too friendly, so I'll take her picture instead.

SANTA MONICA.

As far I can see it is endless ocean water. It is so easy to forget yet hard to imagine that if you traveled along the Pacific Ocean long enough it would land you back in Australia. There are so many miles between the two places I love, so much water separating people and strangers from one another. Ps - Santa Monica may just be one of the most beautiful places ever.









MALIBU.

A man sitting in a small cafe today (Urth cafe by the way, great smoothies) randomly told me he was writing a book. I naturally asked what this book was about, to which he responded 'life, just trying to figure some things out.' I answered, 'i'm glad people like you still exist' and I'm not even sure if he heard what i said but that was all we, two complete strangers, said.

pacific coast highway



VENICE.

Rode a bike to Venice beach today, right along the path paved out for all the beach goers. Upon arrival, the smog, a typical characteristic of mornings in Los Angeles had cleared and it was fiercely hot. Both locals and tourists congregated to watch people of all ages skate (and by all ages i literally mean all ages 80 and 8 inclusive.) Everyone here interacts with everyone, making it easy to take pictures of the strangers you come across. Along the Venice strip, locals and vendors practically begged for their picture to be taken, a feast for my camera.

dreaming of a cheeseburger





support the arts





inspecting his tip



riding home

I folded up my clothes and zipped up my bag, a familiar feeling from the last time i left this place crept back. My phone buzzed and a message from a dear friend lit up my screen; 'Alex Lightbody is sure you'll live in Cali one day.' Whether that may be true or not, I left knowing it won't be the last time and that I'll be back soon.

Until that time, much love to you LA.