Posted: October 22, 2015, 11:00am
Bogged down by assignments and the imminent task of doing laundry, I thought I’d take a quick look at my inbox – just to put off doing things a bit more. Not really expecting anything new, I was pleasantly surprised by a new message with the subject line – Join OIS (Office of International Services) for a Day at Venice Beach Boardwalk! I had been longing to go to the beach for weeks. Mainly, because almost everyone I knew had been to one since arriving in LA and posted fancy pictures with quotes about finding peace against a background of crashing waves. However, at this point in time I was delighted to find an escape route from schoolwork and thanked OIS for being so thoughtful. It was not only a trip to the beach but a trip where I didn’t have to plan anything – just sign up, show up and off I went!
So off we went on a warm breezy Friday afternoon; 51 people – some with friends in tow and some like me trying to make new ones. Our guide for the evening, Jamal Barakat from OIS gave us a quick overview of the beach including its attractions and history, and a fair warning to stay away from the smoke shops. Venice Beach is known for its eclectic, creative and funky nature with street artists, graffiti, skate parks, and bike trails all promising to offer a rich experience to every visitor. So after a 45 minute bus ride we were greeted by the crisp, salty ocean air and a slow descending sun warming us just enough. The group proceeded straight to the shore where we all wiggled our toes in the sand and spent some time getting to know each other sharing fun facts about each other’s cultures and countries. It was now time to get to know the water. While moving closer to meet the waves I realized that the chilly foam washing over my feet was one of the most relaxing experiences I’ve had in weeks. A walk along the shore and a couple of pictures were followed by a tour of the boardwalk. The stories were true – I have never visited a beach that is home to so much creativity and skill. Some things to be seen there can’t even be described in a word or a phrase. A couple of hours and some cheese quesadillas later, it was time to depart. We all said our goodbyes to the ocean with the promise of returning later with more time in hand.
Published on July 20th, 2017
Last updated on July 20th, 2017