IT'S NATIONAL CALIFORNIA DAY!
My adopted home state usually gets tons of haters, but that's fine, more California for me! When I moved here nearly a decade ago I had no idea I would love this state so much, but the sunny weather, amazing food, and stunning natural beauty have won me over. Now I can't see myself living anywhere else.
Los Angeles in particular seems to get a lot of hate, but it's honestly a difficult city to fully appreciate if you're just visiting. It's geographically vast and the touristy stuff here is very overrated. To fully appreciate the city the way locals do you'd have to spend more time here and know where to go. If you do try to visit, ask locals for suggestions on things to do. If you just do the touristy stuff you'll miss the best parts of the metro area.
A few things about California and Los Angeles that I think are underrated:
• Food, especially our street food. We have tons of street food festivals here and the produce you can get at farmer's markets here is unlike anything else I've ever experienced. We have great fine dining and mid-priced options for meals too.
• Live entertainment, especially comedy. LA being an entertainment hub means a lot of performers live here, which means they practice to go on tour here. As a result, you can see top tier comedy and other forms of live entertainment any night you choose for little to no money. We get all sorts of quirky live shows here and other kinds of unique art installations that are fun to check out, too.
• The natural scenery here is unbeatable. From the beaches to the forests to the deserts, you can see pretty much any kind of terrain here with in a 2-hour drive, and the weather is usually nice enough for getting outside and enjoying it. I hadn't really spent time in the desert until I moved out here, but deserts can be really beautiful serene places and they've totally grown on me.
• The culture! I think Californians, and people in LA especially, are believed to be stuck up or vapid. While people like that exist everywhere, my experience with LA and California in general is that most people here are generally nice, friendly, and tolerant.
Sure, I can find reasons to nitpick flaws about the Golden State, but scenery like this is hard to argue with.
GIF via HighOnLife
*****
Alright, I've either amplified your California hate or piqued your interest, but either way, here's some February 22nd historical facts and famous birthdays:
• Born on this day: actress Drew Barrymore (1975), zookeeper/Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin (1962), comedian Iliza Shlesinger (1983), actress Rachel Dratch (1966), and writer/artist Edward Gorey (1925)
• The first cabs with meters began operating in London on this day in 1907
• On this day in 2017 Jay-Z became the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (alongside Max Martin, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis)
Now on to the amusing links!
1. 😂 Pets vs Kids
Josh and Grace from the Boredwalk creator team consider the merits of animals vs children.
This funny Twitter account imagines exchanges between the icons of Greek mythology.
If dealing with your taxes makes you feel insane this funny video will at least make you feel less alone.
So glad I'm not the only one who imagines all the things I probably did to make my friends hate me last time we hung out.
This is probably exactly what would happen.
Bonus link! In case you missed it, Matt and Josh were amusing as always on the most recent Boredwalk podcast. Check it out!
OK! We'll be back here in your inbox on Friday with new art, more nonsense holidays to dissect, more notable birthdays (and maybe even some notable deathdays!) to celebrate, and more witty content in general. Don't miss it! Until next time...
Peace, love, and sunshine,
Meredith
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