Girl’s Life

Chris and I hit the town for our anniversary this weekend. Sophia stayed with her grandparents while we headed to Hollywood for an amazing dinner and an awesome show at the Pantages Theater. It was great . . . and long overdue.

As we lingered over a delicious dinner, we sat sipping our wine and admiring the great art on the restaurant walls. And who were all these beautiful people (without kids) eating leisurely meals? Where were the laminated menus and high chairs? We were in an adult world, and we were loving it!

And then, as we walked hand-in-hand to the theater taking in all the city smells and noises, we passed by several of the “Hollywood Stars” on the sidewalk. And, like dorky tourists, we excitedly yelled them out to each other.

“Hey babe, check it out! Buster Keaton!”
“Awesome! Dude, I just stepped on Marlon Brando. Sweeeet!”

After the show was over and the lights of the city were twinkling, we commented on all the people who were out and about and on all the random things that had changed on Sunset Boulevard since we had been there last.

“Why don’t I remember this street at all?”
“Um, because life keeps moving even though we’ve been hibernating in our own little world enjoying our new family.”
“Oh . . . yeah.”

So Chris and I decided right then and there that it was time we got out and saw this awesome city of ours with new eyes. And not just the parks and zoos and kid-friendly museums, but all the other places that make the greater Los Angeles area a pretty cool place to live. We want to show Sophia the Latino culture of Olvera Street and the beaches of Catalina Island. Chinatown, Watts Towers, the flower mart, Joshua Tree. Oh, and Disneyland, of course.

We’ve just barely started our list, and I’m already excited to get out there. I think I’ve come to terms with being tourists in our own town. It’s totally OK. Or maybe we’re just old friends trying to reconnect. Either way, it’s definitely time we dusted off the ol’ fanny pack (I kid!) and got ourselves back out there.