Hello from sunny California!

Having touched down on 1 Feb, these first four days have been an absolute blast.  My jetlag-cure of choice - intense Santa Monica yoga - proved a great start to a fun-filled couple of days, based at the HI-Santa Monica hostel.  Santa Monica has been a fabulous introduction to the US, and people have proven overwhelmingly helpful - not the fake 1-second smile you hear of, but rather genuinely interested and eager to help.

Some initial observations from my time so far:

I was told to be prepared for the number of homeless people here.  It hasn't so much been the number of homeless people as the fact that, by and large, these folk look like average, 'normal' people - a couple of people I've thought might be heading to the same hostel as me, as they were carrying backpacks and seemed pretty onto it.  Then they'd dip into a bin.  I don't know enough about the American healthcare (specifically psychiatric care) system, but what kind of a safety net can there be if these folk don't have a roof over their heads?

Another thing I've noticed is the prevailing 'positivity will cure all' attitude mixed with a kind of New Age approach to life.  Everything from a slight nutter on the bus "oh, you're a QUIET one? It's fine if you don't wanna TALK to me, this is a FREE COUNTRY, but you shouldn't BOTTLE THINGS UP man, I can sleep at night, I just say what I want and then I'm free, I sleep like a BABY" at about 1000 decibels (This was followed by a recommendation that we try the cuisine at a place called Fat Burger - !!) to a refrain I've heard from a few people that times are hard in the US but you know, you've just got to WANT work, and be POSITIVE.  Folks that can't get work must just not have the right frame of MIND, man.  

It's a strange mixture that presents as laid-back but has some weird ideology behind it - I find it hard to place where someone will stand on any particular issue, or to work out the framework that some of these folks are operating on...

On another note, overall people are ridiculously helpful, and the food is AMAZING.  Mexican burritos, vegan quinoa salad, farmers' market seed-bread, red-velvet cupcakes and sugary peanut-butter have all been an absolute delight, and a contradiction to the stereotype of rubbish American food.  I'm sure being in health-obsessed California helps with that too.

In terms of What I've Been Doing, I've managed to squeeze a lot into my couple of days in Santa Monica. Highlights included:

An early morning jog on Santa Monica beach

heading to Hollywood for some delicious Mexican with Rebecca and Shirin from the hostel

Hiring a bike and heading along the beach from Santa Monica to Venice (crazy stores, crazy people, and 'Botox on the Beach')

Exploring the canals in Venice

Oversized margheritas at a local dive-bar (karaoke Thursday - turns out everyone here wants to be a pop star = amazing free concert!)

 a night out at a 'British pub' (all things British seems to be very popular here, which is slightly bizarre...).

After two great days in Santa Monica, an Amtrak bus service yesterday brought me safely to the beautiful town San Luis Obispo (approximately half-way between San Francisco and Los Angeles). At the centre of the town is a beautiful old Spanish Mission:

San Luis is a quaint, affluent seaside town where people are chilled out and nothing happens in a hurry.  A fantastic spot to kick back and catch up on postcards and photos. 


So, this afternoon it's off on another bus to Monterey before heading up coast to Santa Cruz and eventually San Francisco.  Here's hoping for more of the beautiful weather and friendly people.


Sarah