Finding housing can be difficult near LA, but I got lucky and found a room in an apartment to share with Sara, another DMP participant matched with a professor at ISI. I felt a lot better moving in with strangers who I found on facebook instead of strangers found on Craigslist because at least I could be sure they were college students. Facebook can do anything these days. :)
Move in day
I looked out the window as my plane began its descent and saw LA, my new home for the summer. The closer I got to the ground, the more I realized how unlike Indiana it was. Not only were there hills, but mountains stretched across the horizon and palm trees and lots of clusters of some sort of purple trees dotted the landscape. My new roommate, Alicia, picked me up right on schedule and took me to the two-bed two-bath apartment in Culver City that was to be home for the next three months.
Lazy Sunday
I love it here so far. With beautiful landscaping, pools and a gym, there is plenty to keep me busy in the evenings after work. This past Saturday, Sara and I went on a hike in Topanga State Park. Climbing over the mountains, we could barely see the ocean in the distance as it blended right into the sky. We met some very friendly people, and on the way back down I ran into my first rattlesnake. Luckily, someone was moving it off the trail with a hooked stick. Check it out!
WALL-E
Last night Amer, the Ph-D student who shares an office with me, took Sara and me to see the Hollywood premier of WALL-E. We walked around to see the stars' names on the sidewalk before the show and accidentally got in the VIP line for the movie. We later found the not-so-important-people line and had a great time at the show!
Best weekend ever...
My mom came to visit this past weekend, and we had an awesome time. I took her to see the Getty Villa, Hollywood, and the beautiful beaches around here. We spent Saturday at Disneyland where we rode rides, got our pictures taken with Mickey and Minnie, and watched the best firework show I've ever seen.
My last days