Who would’ve thought just three years after getting my large intestine removed that I’d be taking a ten-day solo trip to Los Angeles? Not me! My life felt over after surgery. There was no light at the end of the tunnel. Everything seemingly crumbled into pieces right before my eyes. My mom would always tell me, “The worst has already happened, it’s only uphill from here.” yet things ALWAYS got worse. It wasn’t until about two years into my recovery that things started to shift gears, and I gained control of my life back. Time was a major healing factor, but the biggest turnaround came from my mindset and learning how to adjust under unfavorable circumstances.

“A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into in.”

– Marcus Aurelius

I should probably mention that this was my first time flying on an airplane. I was so excited! When I landed in LA, I immediately felt like I was home for the first time. Up until this point, I’ve been isolated in Michigan, so I was blown away by the scenery. Online typically only highlights the ocean and main attractions, not all the exotic plants everywhere. Everything just felt right, like I belong here. I booked a studio apartment on Airbnb in the heart of Marina Del Rey, directly across from The Mother Beach, one block away from the Venice Canals, and two blocks from the Venice Beach pier. Location was everything! Each morning consisted of walking down to the pier while grabbing a Starbucks and occasionally walking down to the boardwalk before it gets busy. It’s so peaceful to watch all the surfers and waves come crashing down from the pier. This blissful getaway was exactly what I needed after these past four chaotic years.

One of the main reasons why I decided to stay in Venice was the basketball courts. I honestly feel that half of my vacation was spent there. From a young age, basketball has always been my getaway from life. Safe to say I was very sunburnt when it was all said and done. I played a lot of basketball, but I also took a ton of periodic breaks. I had to be aware of my physical limitations and respond accordingly. My endurance hasn’t recovered much from surgeries, and I get nauseous very quickly as a result of my body overworking itself. Playing back to back games is usually a challenge. I also had to be careful about what I ate and stick to my safe foods with all the mouthwatering temptations surrounding me. I had one scare on my second basketball day because I didn’t stay hydrated enough. By 6 pm, I felt dehydrated, which was causing my system to slow down and felt like the oncoming of a blockage, my worst nightmare. Luckily, I had some trusty grape juice on hand and was able to fix the problem later that night. After that incident, I made sure to be very cautious with my fluid intake. Besides the courts, the boardwalk is such a vibe. It just doesn’t get old. New people and events every day, and again, the scenery is just out of this world. I live for pink sunsets on the coast!

I happened to visit at the perfect time too! I met a local that gave me tons of cool places to check out and informed me about a national food truck rally that occurs on the first Friday of every month. Every month, food truck vendors from across the nation line up on Abbot Road, just two miles away from where I was staying! He said it’s a must go and wasn’t lying. There were easily 30-40 vendors making it almost impossible to decide! I ended up trying Cousins Maine Lobster and ordered their lobster tots. Probably because I had to pass down a food truck on The Mother Beach that had lobster mac and cheese the night before; my stomach was irritated, and I couldn’t risk sabotaging my trip. I was honestly very disappointed at the time. However, an upset stomach would’ve been much worse. After my flavorful dinner, I went down to the boardwalk to watch the sunset. This was also the same night my website went live! I decided to go live on 6/8/19, which marked the third anniversary of my first surgery.

Once I hit that “make public” button, there was no turning back. At first, it was nerve-racking to share my story and personal struggles with the world, but this is a part of me. These struggles are what have shaped me into who I am today. I had to understand that my message is bigger than myself and to let my ego go while discovering that this platform is how I can serve others and make an impact. Not only do I want to help individuals that are in similar health situations as I am but also teach them how to respond, react, and overcome any overwhelming obstacle in life regardless of one’s situation. As well as inspire others to take the next step in their lives and go after their dreams by creating a blueprint on how to identify, pursue, and accomplish any goal conceivable. This website is something that I’ve had in the back of my mind for a couple of years now, so reflecting on all that I’ve been through to where I’m at now, Venice Beach Boardwalk, and seeing all my hard work finally come together was such a surreal moment. It’s hard to put it into words; everything just felt like a living dream. I remember walking towards the ocean afterward while gazing at the hills of Malibu, thinking to myself, “Is this real life?”

The harmony of good and evil, yin, and yang is persistent throughout nature. Suffering enlightens one to break through the veil. Without suffering, there would be no illumination — no transformation into the person you were always meant to be.

The next day I checked out the Getty Museum and ended my night in Santa Monica. The Getty is up in the hills, so you take a transport train that overlooks downtown Los Angeles to get to the museum exhibits. The art was nice, but the architecture and view from the hills was a must-see for me. It’s just something you can’t get in Michigan or anywhere on the east coast. Next stop, Santa Monica. I honestly thought the carnival pier was overrated. However, the street performers were brutally hilarious. There are a few streets that don’t allow cars and is packed with stores, restaurants, and yes, street performers. The 3rd Street Promade and Santa Monica Place were my favorite locations. Santa Monica Place is like an outdoor mall that has palm trees wrapped in Christmas lights with rooftop restaurants; it’s absolutely beautiful. I ended up eating dinner at a restaurant there called The Curious Palate, watched the sunset fall, and then zipped down the coast on an electric scooter back to the crib. 

All things eventually come to an end, but I made sure to make the most out of every moment. On my last day, I woke up extra early so I could walk around and take everything in one last time. I did my daily Starbucks and pier walk routine along the boardwalk marveling at the architecture. On my way back, I strolled through the Venice Canals, savoring every last second. I checked out at 11 am and hung out at The Mother Beach for a couple of hours until my flight. For a good portion of the flight, I was reflecting on how insane modern-day life is. I live in an era where I wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for modern technology and can travel across the country in four freaking hours! We take so much in life for granted, especially the little things. I mean, we can buy anything online and have it delivered the next day, commute across towns, states, and countries with ease, instant 24/7 global communication, heating and cooling environments everywhere, the list goes on! We get shortsighted when things get tough or don’t go our way and forget how good we have it sometimes, never putting things fully into perspective. Just by comparing our quality of life to previous generations, the many things in life that we take for granted can be realized and appreciated with a new sense of gratitude.

I was gone for ten days, and everything in Michigan felt foreign.

That’s when I truly realized that Cali is my home.