"C'mon honey, it's time for your pill..."

Days 9 & 10

Wednesday, May 14th & Thursday, May 15th: Los Angeles. Laughter. Tears. Music. Chain smoking. Pacific Coast Highway.

We both awoke surprised that we had actually fallen asleep so early. I blame the melatonin. I brought extra along knowing that Ben has insomnia too, and by the end of the trip it had become a joke, because I felt like a mom giving him his medicine each night. But hey, it worked. We both slept well the whole trip.

We drove along the Highway 1 all the way back to L.A. The ocean was magical. It sounds cheesy, but that's always been the only way I know how to describe the ocean-- magical. But soon the smog re-appeared, and we knew we were back in LA. We drove to Ben's uncle's house, which was an experience in itself. He lives in a large mansion near Malibu with an ocean view. The house was beautiful, full of art and expensive furniture but it felt a little empty at the same time. Wealth intimidates me.

Josh (Ben's uncle) was very accommodating. We each got our own enormous, comfy beds for the night. He took us out to eat at a place called Hal's in Venice Beach. We discussed politics (he's a Hilary Clinton fan while I'm all about the Obama. It ended up being okay though :)

The next morning was rough. We had to wake up at 4am to return Sally to Alamo and get me to the airport on time, and I still barely made my flight. It was difficult to say goodbye to Ben. I despise goodbyes. I hate airports. I didn't want the trip to end.

But in less than 3 weeks, I will be headed back out west to start a new chapter in my life.