What I have learned or not thus far about life in my new home, gritty and gorgeous LOS ANGELES:

1. In LA you can wear an-y-thing you want, as long as you fuggin’ ROCK IT. 
2. There is a disproportionate amount of screaming going on in this city, from the clubs to the streets to the grocery store. The people of LA love to get their scream on, along with their honk.
3. You really do run into celebrities and stumble into movies and music videos.
4. It’s 4AM. You leave the party to drive home, which is just a short jump on the interstate. TOO BAD THE INTERSTATE IS FUCKING CLOSED! WTF is up with this? All I can say is, I love my iPhone and THANK GOD for GPS.
5. People think LA is terribly spread out and that it takes two hours of driving in heavy traffic to get anywhere. This is not true. I live closer than I did in Seattle to a grocery store, pharmacy, mall, bank and STARBUCKS for cryin’ out loud. Starbucks!
6. Whenever something horrible happens in the world like a cop shooting or school massacre or killing spree, the idiot they interview on the news always says, “Well, you would expect this type of thing to happen somewhere like LA, but never here in our little podunk town where we don’t even recycle or read books [sic].” What, is LA like hell on earth or something? I am glad to live in a place where some illusion of innocence doesn’t give me a false sense of security. I like my freaks with the flags flying high; give me the city weirdos over the nuts in BFE ANY day.
7. SUSHI. Holy fish face. I have always liked sushi, but would usually opt for Mexican or Indian or Thai food on a night out. Ever since moving to California however, sushi is all I want to eat! Anytime I go out to dinner I suggest it! I demand it! Hello my name is Shilo and I am a sushi addict.
8. The people of Los Angeles LOVE their city. NO really- they LOVE it. I grew up in Texas where they use state pride to sell pickup trucks (Texas! Texas! Texas! Buy a Ford Pickup!), but I have never experienced the passionate love of a locality like I have here in LA. The city has a gang sign and everything!
9. What is up with all the hovering helicopters? In line for a club or walking to a party, I’ll occasionally notice a helicopter hovering overhead, just making tight circles in the sky. I immediately think: FUGITIVE! Should I run? Should I even be concerned? Should I keep an eye out for a pantyless starlet coming my direction? What the hell are they doing up there?
10. The talented minds in LA get together and are greater than the sum of their parts. Just by population alone, LA has an immense number of forward-thinkers and creators and movers and shakers- but then these artists get together and MAGIC happens. LA is on the cutting edge, not just of the continent but of the arts as well and there is an indescribable element of popping energy that steams off the city streets. This is my home, I love it, and I just may never leave.

And I have never said that about any of my homes before.

View from the Observatory in Griffith Park, close to my house.

Photo by Lucas Janin.