Pasadena, L.A.

Have you ever heard of Pasadena? No? Me neither! But I'm sure you've heard of NASA, Albert Einstein, or the series The Big Bang Theory, right? Well, Einstein spent his winters here in Pasadena (which I can totally understand because of the great weather in December), NASA has a large institute in Pasadena, and the show Big Bang Theory is set here.

That's why I'm surprised that I had never heard of this beautiful city northeast of L.A. before my trip. And I probably would never have spent a few days here if I hadn't met Mark at the Halloween party and if he hadn't invited me to his place. I'm so grateful that we met and that I got to spend a few days in this city, accompanied by a local with lots of tips. It was just beautiful and these last few days added a non-typical tourist touch to my trip, for which I am very grateful =) Additionally, Pasadena is known for its proximity to L.A., which allowed me to explore even more places here.

Furthermore, it was a blessing to be able to stay at Mark's apartment. Why? Mark is lucky to live in a super nice apartment complex. I've seen these types of apartments before in the USA and I always wish we had such residential complexes in Germany. The apartments seem more like hotels than residential buildings. Although the apartments themselves are often studio apartments, the complex offers so much that you hardly need to stay in your room. In Mark's place, there was a pool, a hot tub, a sauna, and a gym. Paradise <3

Nevertheless, I actually managed to leave the house :D. Mark was so kind to show me as much of L.A. and Pasadena as possible from a local's perspective, and I couldn't refuse the offer. Even as a tourist, I was incredibly positively surprised by L.A. But discovering the secret spots with a local is even better. So Mark showed me the most beautiful spots of Malibu again, which are just indescribable. Hiking trails and the ocean are a dream there, and the beaches are all unbelievably beautiful.

We also explored Pasadena City, a really cute place with great restaurants, shops, villas, and many of my beloved mountains. Mark recommended the best hiking trails in Pasadena, which were absolutely breathtaking. I have rarely taken such beautiful hikes. Even though you can't see the ocean from hikes in Pasadena, the views were simply amazing. And with the best summer weather, what more could you ask for...

Since Mark accompanied me on a hike and knew the trails well, we didn't hesitate to watch the sunset from a mountain one evening and hike back in the dark. Hiking downhill in the dark was a huge challenge for me, but it was definitely worth it: Seeing the sunset from a mountain, the city lights, as well as the stars and moon, is unbelievably beautiful! Is there such a thing as hiking or mountain addiction? If so, I think I'm starting to develop it ;)

Mark works at NASA in Pasadena, so I had the opportunity to explore their grounds as well. It's incredible how secure everything is there. I have to admit that before I met Mark, I had a few prejudices against NASA: I used to judge that so much money could be spent on space research while people in some countries of the world are starving and could probably use the money more. However, Mark's reports surprised me with how much "good" NASA does. Mark is involved in climate research, climate change, and possible interventions before more serious things happen. I really hope that Mr. Trump will take a look at the research results from Mark's research group. Furthermore, people can be saved through NASA's satellites, which can predict early and accurately when and where and to what extent storms will occur. So really important work is being done there, and I appreciate it a lot.

As a Brit who, in my opinion, drinks as much as Americans do ;), Mark was able to show me the best bars in downtown L.A. And of course, they weren't boring places in the city, but hiiiigh up in skyscrapers, hidden from tourists. I won't say how much a beer costs above the skies of L.A., but what I can say is that it's absolutely worth it. I have never consumed alcohol in a more beautiful setting. As much as I love nature, a brightly lit city with an active nightlife, numerous lights, and skyscrapers also has its charm.

And speaking of charm, getting to know different cultures remains one of the most exciting aspects of my trip =). So it was super interesting to get to know British lifestyles and attitudes a little better through Mark. Learning more about countries like Great Britain and gaining a better understanding of British behavior is super interesting to me. I have a huge respect for people like Mark who dare to leave their own culture and live in another country for a few years. Even though we come from Western cultures, the small cultural differences can be huge. And this is especially true between Brits and Americans, even though the language is "supposedly" the same. Chapeau! But I keep noticing that people who manage to make their way in a foreign country are incredibly mature, courageous individuals who seem very strong, even though they probably go through difficult times. Being strong and courageous sometimes hurts.

As much as I liked Pasadena and L.A., California has many beautiful corners that I still want to explore, and somehow my travel time is passing by so quickly. So today I left the beautiful L.A. area, of course not without experiencing the "tourist highlight" one more time. I hiked up to the Hollywood sign again, this time without a cold, to inspect it from a closer distance and see if the sign is actually as small as it appears from the viewpoint. My conclusion? The view over L.A. from the Hollywood sign is beautiful. But the sign itself is actually not as big and gigantic as it seems on TV. One should always remember how much can be manipulated in the media! On the other hand, it is encouraging to know that even smaller things can become big and well-known.

After one last stroll through L.A., my little car and I headed north to the Santa Barbara area. As I mentioned before, Anne and I met nice people from around Santa Barbara while hiking, and they invited us. I gladly followed this invitation because the guys seemed really warm and hospitable, typical Americans. But somehow I seem to attract natural disasters in the USA. Have you watched the news today? In California, near Santa Barbara (Ventura), a huge wildfire broke out. The fire is currently difficult to control, so many people have been evacuated. 200 houses have already burned down, and people are in emergency shelters. Terrible... and no, not because it disrupts my travel plans. Just imagine living here and suddenly losing everything in a fire. Having to sleep in emergency shelters, leaving everything behind... simply unimaginably terrible! Californians may be used to wildfires, but this scale, so close to the city, is shocking even for them. The guys we met during the hike were so incredibly nice to still welcome me. Since they live south of Santa Barbara (in Oxnard) and this area is not currently at risk, they warmly welcomed me to let me experience firsthand how people here deal with disasters. It may sound macabre, but when we met during the hike, they were excited about how interested I am in American culture. And they said this was the perfect opportunity to experience what life in California can also mean. So they welcomed me incredibly warmly and informed me about the day's events. We went to the beach, and the sight is still unbelievable to me: You can see the fire for miles. From the beach, you can see burning mountains and neighborhoods. The firefighters, who deserve my utmost respect, are trying their best. Roads are closed, my hosts can't go to work (since they would be in Santa Barbara and the fire makes the roads impassable). We watched local news throughout the evening, and the two were in contact with colleagues and acquaintances to check on their evacuation situations. Not only towards me, but also towards the evacuees, the two offered their apartment, but so far without a response. Californians seem to be well prepared for such situations, everyone wants to help by providing housing. My two hosts are already considering how they can volunteer to support after the fires are extinguished. It is really touching to see how people come together here. It's not just superficial friendliness, it persists even in serious situations for many Americans. I sincerely hope that the fires can be extinguished quickly, without further destruction. Let us keep our fingers crossed!!!