CITY OF ANGELS

Photo by Ashleigh Bateman 

The first time I visited Los Angeles, I considered it divine intervention. I was 10 years old, and, like any 10-year-old in 1994, my life revolved around watching Jurassic Park on VHS at least once a day. I dreamed about Isla Nublar. I wrote Jurassic Park fan fiction. And then, one day, I won a trip to Universal Studios for the opening of the Jurassic Park ride (divine intervention, I think, but also the result of taping “Xena: Warrior Princess,” waiting for a code word to flash on screen, and depositing said code word in a ballot box at a local fried chicken joint).

The magic hasn’t worn off. Whenever I go to Los Angeles, I’m still just as enchanted as the weekend when I faced down a T-Rex eight times in a row. Whether it’s the moongazing at Griffith Observatory, the hike to the Hollywood sign, or surfing at Huntington Beach Pier, the city always feels like a new adventure to me.