Santa Monica

It was a full day here in sunny LA! No one appreciated my jokes about it only being 20-30 degrees all morning. Sorry that I'm a cultured international business woman now... Ellen and I started the day with a trip to Target -- which had its own parking garage! I was able to procure a pair of shorts so it doesn't look like I'll be dying of heat stroke any time soon. I was also able to buy milk so I can get my protein in (I don't know what it is called when you die from lack of protein, but I guess I'll be avoiding that as well).

I've gotten quite used to the open roads of Montana and Canada, where you can drive for hours and see two cars if it's a busy day, but LA is a different story. It took us two hours to get to/find parking in Santa Monica! I could have gone to the grocery store in Brooks and back in that time!!! Now part of that was because the LA Marathon was today but also because that's just how much traffic there is in this city and how spread out everything is! We passed the time where we drove around in circles with friendship and pretzels -- in typical fashion, Rose came prepared with snacks.

When we finally did find parking, it was extra expensive thanks to the marathon (stupid marathon, couldn't they have found somewhere else to run?!). Somehow, the girl who started the day with nothing but Canadian currency in her wallet was the only one who had any cash to pay!

BEFORE!

We climbed out of the car and began our walk down the beach and to the famous Santa Monica Pier. Really pretty, we soaked up the sun and got in a good bit of exercise! We grabbed lunch on the pier (I went with a fish sandwich and got a monstrously large ice cream for dessert) and headed down to the water. None of my compatriots had ever been in the Pacific Ocean before!!! I made sure to get before and after pics (they all seemed to think that the Pacific Ocean wasn't all too different from the Atlantic considering how cold it was). I, of course, had to get in the water too, but I've been in the Pacific Ocean before -- not only that, but on different continents! (I've also been in the Atlantic, Indian and Mediterranean Sea, get on my level!).

I adore these girls

Our return drive thankfully didn't take two hours! When we got back to the apartment, Cara and Phil had to crash (because they work the night shift from 1-9am), we all checked out our tan/burn lines and then Ellen, Rose and I did the BFF Workout from ToneItUp and I'm pretty surprised that they're still my friends at all after that... We made pizza for dinner and are now all snuggly on the couch watching an old, college classic, House of Anubis.

P.S. Dairy Queen is turning 75 tomorrow and giving away free ice cream. I don't think Dairy Queen will be a staple of my LA diet the same way it is in Canada, but I might have to stop in if I see one.

Can't wait for all of the adventures that are coming tomorrow!