#RSRSeesTheUSA Day 25: Los Angeles, CA
An incomplete list of things that made me very happy today:
spending the first chunk of my day resting in my Airbnb studio and bingeing Season 2 of Bridgerton (one sentence review: way better smolder than season 1, still a supporting cast I mainly want to smack)
scoring a last minute same-day ticket to The Broad
a couple hours of communing with contemporary art and listening to several really engaging conversations between visitors and the gallery guides (I will forever have a soft spot in my heart for gallery guides)
the total joy of strolling through galleries to hear this
which, if you’re not familiar, is the repeated refrain of Ragnar Kjartansson’s fabulous multi-channel, multi-performer durational video piece, The Visitors, which you should always seek out if you’re anywhere near LA or any other place it travels to. When I texted friends to say I’d been to The Broad, this is the exchange that immediately ensued.
spurred by that same text thread with friends and what we like to do while traveling, I sought out the nearest book shop and discovered the amazing The Last Bookstore
the feeling of “Oh, hi, my dear friend. How are you? I’m so glad to run into you here!” everytime I found another one of my favorite books on the shelves for sale. Seriously, I kept wanting to turn instant matchmaker for them. “You? You look cool and up for an adventure and a skewering of academia. Let me introduce you to my friend, Confessions of the Fox.” “You? I hear you like beautiful writing and fascinating characters. I’ve got to connect you with my buddy here, Golden Hill.”
spending almost as much time meandering through the shelves and galleries of a used book store as I did through the galleries of an art museum. Seriously, though. It was full of book art and whimsical displays and active artist studios and gallery space and a local knitting club HQ
An incomplete list of things that made me anxious today:
driving in an unfamiliar city where the traffic, road layouts, and driver behavior are all actually worse than either Boston or New York City (yes, I said it, and I stand by it)
an afternoon bout of semi-paralyzing dread: that I’m spending money on this trip with an uneven income stream that doesn’t keep up; that I’m using this trip as a distraction from shoring up that income stream; that I need to find a way to be working AND traveling and I don’t know quite how to do that… and the ensuing spiral of deeper self-doubt needles that are what my anxiety brings me. *breathes in for 4 and out for 6* Thank you, anxiety, for looking after me.
see above re: unfamiliar city. Despite having lived the majority of my adult life in major cities, today I felt like a little spec in a big universe in a way that felt isolating
feeling like I’m falling down on my routines of self-care (exercise, bedtime candle+journal writing, morning meditation) and wondering if I’ll pay a psychological price for it
missing Lila puppy time
wondering what insights & ideas have/will come to me on this trip and feeling like there should be a recordable list somewhere of “What I did on my cross country trip” inspirations
uncertainty over which fun hotel and nice restaurant should I go to for my birthday on Saturday?
OK, seeing as how the worries are building up again, I’m taking a different page from my own self-care book. I’m going to shower, do a loving-kindness meditation, and go to sleep.
