A Journey Home 1

Here I sit in a closing airport, ready to wait through the night for a plane that will take me away from my home and onto an adventure. But the encroaching silence uncharacteristic of a major world transportation hub leaves me alone with my thoughts. It gives me the time to reflect on the past six weeks that I’ve spent here in America. It brings me to the realization that in this time I have taken a magnificent journey Home, but that Home is not so easily defined simply as a place.

When I left Shanghai at the end of July I was filled with a cornucopia of emotions I’d rather not bore you with by describing them in a list. The point of returning to America was a few things:

• Visit Friends and Family
• Experience new things in old places
• Think about whether I could move back, and where

The first person on that list was one Mr. Bryan Liberty. Some of you know him, and if you know both us you know there was once a time when we were inseparable as friends. I’ve known the man since before Middle School, and he was the main reason I tried in vain to relocate out to California back in 2015. He and his cool girlfriend Gabby picked me up from LAX, after an imprompt but necessary game of phone tag that played out in real life as they tried to find me. As they grabbed me I explained that I was tired – I hadn’t slept on the 17h plane ride from SH at all. They were sympathetic, but Bryan assured me it didn’t matter. A Speakeasy awaited us where I’d get a glimpse into his weekend scene and a gander at the cast of characters who fill out the personal interactions he deals with on a daily basis. It wasn’t the last Speakeasy we went to, and despite the bags under my eyes at the time I was given a look at an everyday slice of life for a man I would deep down be hard-pressed to not consider a brother, but who I no longer have the luxury of seeing on a daily basis. It was a great first experience to make me feel welcome to the LA scene in a way I never did when I lived there.

Bryan is big into surprises. Virtually every activity he had planned was a closely guarded secret until the moment of dramatic reveal. This made planning slightly difficult on my part but it really enhanced the experience. He worked a lot of the time I was there, but he made it a priority to ensure I was going to leave LA with a positive view for the life he’s been living. This included food, Shakespeare in the Park (literally), Scooter Rides, even grocery stores. The man really went out of his way. But there are three things I really want to highlight about the trip that I enjoyed the most.

First on that list (in order of occurrence), was a trip to Amoeba Music. We had a road trip planned, and Bryan has made it a personal tradition to buy CD’s to listen to during his time on the road. Who the hell listens to CDs anymore? We have Spotify! But Bryan had always had a soft spot for technology gone by and, once inside I’ll admit I got a bit caught up in his mindset. I looked for bands I hadn’t heard from in years, and I agonized over which CD to buy. In the end I only got the one: Even if it Kills Me by Motion City Soundtrack. A personal favorite stretching back years that I’d never had the chance to buy. The experience was special as it brought a piece of my past, and a big part of myself seeing as how Motion City is in my top bands, to the forefront of my current and far removed life.

Second was The Broad. Now, I didn’t really expect an art Museum on the list, but I suppose that was why it stuck out. I had an exceptional experience there. Artists with all sorts of styles, in all kinds of methods, were on display. I’ve developed an almost subconscious appreciation of art in the last couple of years, and it would seem Bryan had as well. We spent a lot of time looking at the art there, and we had a great time bouncing interpretations off one another for different pieces. And I got a nice exposure to a new painting that I’m still thinking about: Wake, by Mark Tansey. If this blog had been active when I had gone there, I very well might have made an entire post about that painting.

Third was Sushi. Bryan loves sushi. The moment we moved out to LA, he was sniffing out deals for good sushi. Unfortunately it wasn’t until we left that he found a place in NoHo that gives you all you can eat sushi for only $25. It was on the list, the sushi was amazing. I really don’t have much to say, but damn was that sushi good.

There are tons of other things I could say about LA and my time there, but to sum it all up: thanks Bryan Liberty, you made me feel like I really hadn’t ever left, like I was in some way a part of the life you had built.

Sushi———————Wake———————-Amoeba

In Cali I did make another stop. Mark and Sean got a nice little visit from me up in San Fran. Meeting with these guys always feels like I step back into my apartment after having gone out to grab milk for our fridge. They’ve both been my roommates before on and off. To my dissatisfaction though, we don’t frequently keep in touch. Which, to me, makes the sort of interactions we have all that more special. Before I’d told them I was coming I don’t think I’d spoken to either of them in maybe a year or two. But walking into their workplace the Thursday morning that I did, we locked back into place as though only yesterday we had been gaming with each other. They made me pizza, we chatted about our recent progress in our respective hobbies, and just sat on their couch watching Netflix (in a good way)! All on the first day. We went to a Japanese festival because someone’s practice is coming along quite nicely. We went to the very best Privately Owned Public Places SanFran had to offer. We ate some Melts and Burritos. We hiked to some monument overlooking the bay.

But most importantly we just talked. Shot the shit. Mindlessly discussed each other, society, phycology, video games, politics, whatever. And we did it in a synched sort of understanding of one another, rambling over each other’s ideas but never being offended by anyone’s interjection. It really was an experience, the kind you look forward to having with an old friend you know you could never feel awkward around no matter how long you haven’t talked.

The best physical part of that leg of the journey was the Daisaku Ikeda Canyon. At the very tail end of my time in SanFran (rushing to meet Bryan and Gabby as they drove to pick me up for that previously mentioned road trip), Mark brought me to this beautiful little spot near his house in Daly City. Mark is an adventurer at heart, and when the chance to descend into a foggy canyon presents itself, he’ll take it. Who am I to say no? I’ve included pictures of it here but really, they don’t do it justice. We spent a little over an hour down there, but I was so amazed by the scenery that I could have spent a day in there. It’s even inspired a writing project of mine, as maybe the most beautiful natural place I’d found myself in the entire journey home. I really connected with that place, and am beyond thankful I got to see this out of the way little crevice.

As I exited California I was struck at how at home I felt. LA was a city I had only “lived in” for three months before. And San Fran was just a place I had visited and had an interview in once upon a time. But here I was enjoying new experiences with old friends in places I knew but had never felt a part of before. During my time there with Bryan L, Mark and Sean Wilson, Gabby, BK, Andrew, Kyle, Nina, Kenny and loads of other folks I really got a sense of familiarity despite living in a vastly different country for three years. It was something I hadn’t expected to sit with me as I boarded the plane to New York…

Or rather, as I tried to board the plane. Turns out I missed the damn luggage check in time by 3 minutes. That caused some stress but it got sorted and the next morning at 5am I found myself on a plane – thanks again Gabby for getting me to the airport so early! But as I did finally board that plane, I was left wondering if similar feelings would affect me in the next leg of The Journey…

But those are stories for Part 2! This entry is just too long, and I’m sleepy. I guess that’s what happens when you try to cram in 6 weeks of fun into only one post. Don’t worry, entries beyond these first two shouldn’t be quite so long.

Thanks for reading so far, the next part will be up soon!

-C.R. Cook