You might be able to tell by the title but I'm visiting home. Home for those that don't know for me is Christchurch, England. The title of my blog 'new name new life' is a tribute to the time that my life did 360 change when I got married and as the title describes with my new name came my new life. New country, new culture, new people, new permanent surroundings, new everything all far away and distant from where and what I was familiar with.
I'm grateful for my new life as with it came an abundance of opportunity that I know would not have had, had I have remained in my old life; stagnant. But there is so much to miss.
I am having my first Brit Christmas since I lived here four years ago and it feels both an extremely long time ago but also like yesterday since I lived here. My parents still live in the same house I spent the bulk of my teenage years and early twenties in and it's sometimes very mentally confusing to come back to. I love it of course but I feel myself constantly repeating the phrase in my mind 'everything is the same but nothing is the same', such a weird feeling and such a confusing and weird concept. There are still things in the cupboards of my old room that haven't been touched since I lived in it. On a lot of levels this is very comforting, on some levels it is sad and on other levels it is just plain confusing. I don't know how to feel, 
Or more,
I don't know what it is I am feeling.
I find myself asking who am I? Am I still the girl that used to live in this room?
When I come back home I feel myself morphing back into my old self but with the responsibilities of my new self and my current self (the self that is in that very moment attempting to attack those feelings) very much wanting to shrug off the responsibilities of that new self, as with this return to the familiar, it is so easy to do so.
I find myself slipping all the time, with my new self questioning if I should be allowing the slip or embracing it?
It's all very confusing but kind of wonderful at the same time.
How blessed am I to travel back to a past loved. How many of us have this opportunity?
My dad has allowed me to borrow his van while we are here and to be able to cruise down the streets I grew up in and know so well is a Christmas gift in itself.
I haven't posted for a while but have written a hecka lot of drafts. I think the last six months or so I have been in a bit of an odd headspace. This trip is definitely solidifying that odd headspace, but instead of trying to analyze or deny that headspace I think I'm just starting to come round to the idea of embracing it.

So wish me luck.

Talia X

Something no one ever really talks about are the motions of change. They quite often talk about the change to come and change that has been but you rarely get insights during the process of change itself.
I think this is because during the motions of change things don't usually go smoothly and the logistics of making change can contain a ton of obstacles. These obstacles usually require elements of mental, physical and positive strength in order to be overcome. And sometimes no matter how hard you try they simply just can't be overcome at all, you have to change your plans or at least your approach in order to get on the track to where you want to go. When something doesn't go according to our own plans or ideas this can make us feel like we've failed which is ABSOLUTELY the wrong attitude, but alas, often we succumb to these feelings of failure and self doubt anyway.

I have started and restarted this blog post over and over again within the last month and a half. I have had a burning desire to talk, inform and update about our current situation but something always stops me from finishing it or from pressing the 'post' button. I think it might have something to do with the fear of reporting events before events occur and the knowledge that during change, obstacles occur and sometimes change the course of your plans. But last night I was thinking about this concept the above title popped into my head and I knew it was time.

So here goes..
Basically we are within the motions of some big life changes. Over the last two months the opportunity to transfer my degree from commercial music to a more appropriate degree of vocal performance (with emphasis in classical music) has arisen. I have auditioned and we are set to move to Orem, UT. We are in the midst of moving, have found a place but are unsure as to whether we will be able to move there or not as there has been some complications. Up until two days ago in fact there were also some more complications but with the university and fafsa and my legitimacy as permanent residency here in the States. Additionally, as of recent Juan has started up a freight business.

So we're moving towns, uni's  and have become babies in the business world.
It is all very exciting, there is no doubt about this. But logistically there is so much to do, and there are lots of obstacles to overcome and right now we are in the thick of it all with college starting in under 12 hours and as we have not moved into a new place yet I will be traveling from my in-laws place, 30 minutes away (potentially double that in morning traffic along the highway) as we have been staying with them for the summer. It is all very stressful and and a little frightening.
A lot of new things at once.

This feels like a post of moaning. It's actually a post of nervousness. Excitement and fear mixed together to create mass nervousness. Nervousness for all to go well and all to go smoothly, for things to work out, for them to work out soon and for us to end up in a place where we can be content.  Something that has proved somewhat of a struggle in recent years.
Something to mention alongside this is that this year I have found access to my voice. I mean this literally. My singing voice. Things are starting to get exciting in the vocal department which is great but this fact adds a lot of internal and external pressures. Pressures to succeed and progress and to gain momentum. Internally I feel confident and faithful about it all but it's still very nerve wracking. Below is a picture of a really significant moment for me. I had a singing lesson with my uncle in preparation for my audition and he told me that he believed I could do it as a career. I knew he meant this and this meant a lot. As you look around his room there's all these photographs and little mementos of opera's he, his students and friends have been involved in from all over the place. Years of hard work and achievements. It was incredibly inspiring. I don't want to forget that day, it felt like a turning point.

Well tomorrow is the first day of college. So sleep for me and before that a little look at how I plan to navigate my way around the new buildings in the morning.

Peace and good luck to you all in all your changes and obstacles.

That day we went shooting and watched the sun go down.
Transient. The whole event sat somewhere between something incredibly naturalistic and something completely the opposite, something entirely man-induced. A respect for nature and life mixed with a praise to something man made (and something even intended to take life) worked, to our amazement, quite symbiotically. That wonderful, can you believe, peaceful, and ironically, life giving day.

So in the past month and a half; I've packed up a three bedroomed house during finals week, transported tons of stuff from that three bedroomed house to a new, but temporary, destination, conducted my first ever yard sale (and surprised myself at actually making a little bit of money), discovered dark Reeses butter cups 'thins', found a sorry butterfly with broken wings, consoled myself over the disappoint of the events that transpired in the last season of Game of Thrones, attempted two pretty long lasting conversations in what I can't fairly describe as Spanish but what I can consider to be more like a sort of Spanglish, found a new delicious lunch time Korean place that's currently only 3 minutes away from us (win!!), read the The Handmaid's Tale, started watching The Handmaid's Tale, started teaching private voice lessons again to a few of my old students, gained a couple of new students, started online college classes just for the summer, started failing those online college classes just for the summer, and well I think that just about covers where I'm at and what I've been up to. 

You know what else though?
I miss home and the beach. I really miss the beach. Utah is nice to look at and well, if you're into hiking there's probably no better place to live, but I'm not into hiking. I'm a beach baby. As soon as the summer months come around here in Utah instead of what probably happens to most people; a wave of excitement about the long awaited sun and heat, I get fully depressed. Without a beach, the sand to sink my bare feet into and the sea to throw myself about in and to make my hair all knotty and salty, I'm just not complete.  Luckily, Juan is from Venezuela and also grew up near the beach so at least he is with me in this depressive state. 
Also the river, I miss the river. 
​Juan and I did use to live pretty near to a lake though, that was nice for a while. But currently, no living near a lake. Humph.

I think I'm in a bit of a funk at the moment really. Not just because of the beach, haha. I miss home and I know the fact I'm behind on school work has got me down, mainly because it of my frustration with my pure lack of motivation, but as much as it makes me frustrated with myself, I know it's just myself showing myself that I am truly warn out and a bit warn down.
I'll get back to normal soon, I'm sure. In fact having just made that above list has made me feel a lot better. I was looking at my photos app to remind myself at what I've been up to recently and what I can talk about and through making that list based on my photos, although I was feeling kind of crappy about myself and focused on the things I haven't achieved, I've noticed that actually I've achieved quite a lot. (maybe discovering the new Reeses butter cups thins can't be classed as an achievement, but a few of those babies above up there definitely can). I packed up a whole house during college finals week and it was only May 7th, 3 days after my last final that we made the 2 hour house move, which was also the same day that I started online college classes. I should probably give myself a bit of a break on the guilt front. 

Well what is my main message in this post? You know, I don't know, I don't think I really have one. Maybe I'm just procrastinating from doing the school work that I so desperately need to get on with? Maybe I needed to talk/vent to someone that just won't talk back? Maybe I just acted upon the urge to post (which is good because I don't currently have a lot of urges to do much as the moment!) Maybe I subconsciously needed to list my achievements to not feel so bad about myself? Who knows? Maybe it's a combination of all four?

I do know though, that after this post I'm going to actually face the dreaded reality of all the work I do have to do and finally make a physical list and as slow as it'll take me to tick it off just work my way through it. This will be good. 

Anyway, how are you my friends? (This is rhetorical, of course) As, as soon as I press that post button this mumble jumble goes into the ethers of the internet for no one, except maybe my dad, to read. And you know what I kind of like the idea of that... posting to the whole world in secret. And if you have happened to stumble upon this venting session, firstly I apologize heartily, but also I am happy to see you, old friend or new.

Love, Peace and Positive vibes to you, whoever you may be. You too, have achieved more than you think you have and you too can make that dreaded list and start ticking a few things off of it.


 "Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things." "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

~ Alice in Wonderland

All I need do is listen to Kygo's remix of Seinabo Sen - Younger and I'm back there. I'm back in England in my little lime Renault Clio, driving to the gym of which I got to use all of two months membership before unexpectedly catching glandular fever, then uprooting to the States and having to cancel it. 
The drop in that song brings me right back to staying at my sisters house, burning meals for my niece and nephew with my [once] notoriously awful cooking skills.
For a moment that song brings me back to picking up phone calls from friends to conversations that need take no longer than 6 minutes because they were about making plans for the evening ahead. Phone calls of obnoxious noises, catch phrases and personal jokes. Phone calls that really could have been covered in a text or two but that were fueled by the excitement of seeing the person so much so that you felt the overwhelming need to speak with them audibly first. 
That song will forever remind me of summer days; the pretty ones and the gloomy ones, both the memories of which I cherish dearly in my heart to this day.
And that's the point really, they are memories and what are memories, but snippets of a life lived? It did all happen, I was really there, I did really live that life and I'm so grateful to have done so and to have those memories travel with me in all walks of a future life. 

JUST QUICKLY, BEFORE WE START; It's taken me a long time to write on my blog again. Sorry. Hello, how ARE you?

If you were to ask me the same question I'd say good. Really good, and really busy at the same time. Separately to life (in which I will get into in just a minute), I have been reading a lot more blog posts by other people recently and watching a select few of my favourite vloggers which is both a good thing and a bad thing. A good thing because it helps to inspire me and a bad thing because I question everything I do and it's worth as content. I have decided something though. I have decided that although my blog may be amateur looking beyond belief, and despite the fact I have looked into other layouts and things etc, that I like it here at New Name New Life. It's comfortable to me and it means something to me because this is where I started nearly three years ago on my journey on a completely different life. Maybe in the not so distant future I will change things up but as for right now I have decided that I will post whenever and whatever I feel like and post it right here; with no real pressure on content  because the reason I started blogging in the first place was because I love it. I have decided to pay attention to those creative urges and needs to get out a post and to just do. Still one of my absolute favourite mottos, but really it applies to nearly everything. Just do. Call it an epiphany or a new found bounce of confidence, whatever you like but I'm back.

AND SO; To my main point. 

Recently I have had to say two goodbyes. Just two. Random, I know. But both have felt particularly  significant. Goodbye #1 was last Thursday when I dropped my parent's off at Salt Lake airport and Goodbye #2 was on March 9th where I had to say goodbye to a character that I feel very in love with. Let me explain. In October of last year I auditioned for my college's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom Of The Opera, and much to my surprise I got cast as one of the lead roles; Carlotta Guidicelli. I couldn't believe it. I will be doing a separate write up of my time in Phantom and the craziness of me landing the role in the first place and the amazing experience that it was but needless to say that it has been learnt, rehearsed, performed and is now over. And boy do I miss her so much. I had never acted before and especially never been in a show like this before and it was incredible. Which leads me nicely into Goodbye #1.. as my parents decided that although they had not long visited me in the states (as you can see from the last time I posted) that they wanted to see me in the show and so they have been staying with my husband and I for the past three weeks and it was amazing. Don't get me wrong since I married and moved from the U.K. to the U.S. three years ago I have had to say some hard goodbyes and many of those have been to my parents but this time it felt different. Their whole visit this time felt different, it's hard to explain. They came over to see something I had achieved and I was proud to be able to show them and they were proud to be able to be a part of it all. The whole experience mixed with my sad feelings of saying bye to Carlotta and to mum and dad although sad, with both of their departures I can not help but feel incredibly excited about the future. 
Have you ever had feelings for the future? Feelings of like a backwards nostalgia? Familiarities resonant of the future instead of the past? 
Well that's what I feel. What's next? What doors have been opened up because of this experience? I feel like I'm on a journey and I can feel life picking up a bit. What's next. We don't know but I am very excited and so although I am grieving for a character I may never get the chance to be familiar with again and have said goodbye to two very special people that I may not see for years I can not help but be excited for what wonderful things might happen in the future that I will too then miss. Odd way to think I'm sure you're thinking but sometimes the saddest goodbyes can make for some of the sweetest hellos. 

Peace ✌️

​

(On the left; So Many Quarters My father and I playing Pool at the local bowling ally for his birthday. and On the right; Devilish Diva  Me as Carlotta in her Masquerade outfit) 

Okay so first stop on the way out from Los Angeles to San Francisco was Pismo Beach. My parents and I went there once when I was about 8 years old and I remember that I fell in love with seafood; most specifically crab, at this very same restaurant that's on the clifftop there. It's one of those places that you eat at the once and then consciously try and eat cheaper for the rest of the holiday to make up for the guilt you feel spending that much money on any one meal. But it was SO worth it and incredibly delicious and the view was to die for. It really made up for being in the car all day. 

From Pismo to Carmel. My parents did this same journey on their own two years ago when they came over to the states for my wedding. They told Juan and I that Carmel is the most beautiful beach they've been too and I have to say I totally agreed with them..

The only sad thing was that it was getting dark by the time we got there so were only there for 30 - 45 minutes or so but we did manage to catch a phenominal sunset. Juan Carlos, my dad and myself tried to get into the sea and it was ABSOLUTELY FREEZING. I'm not one to run out of the water just because it's a little cold, or even really cold, but this was really ridiculously cold and waves whacking you in the face at every turn. Something that made up for that though was that there were dolphins swimming and jumping real close in to the shore. The whole setting was like a movie.  

Then on to the final destination of the day... San Fransisco. We found another Airbnb spot that was two bedrooms and a bathroom in a ladies house. At first the idea of actually staying in a strangers house seemed a little strange - but the reviews were really good and when we got that we felt comfortable right away. The second night we stayed we got to learn a lot more about her - she lived in this lovely house with her husband who was a retired lawyer, he had fallen ill and she cared for him in the house - she was an artist and the whole house was full of amazing artwork - a lot of which she had created herself. We stayed up talking with her late that night and watched the Paul McCartney Carpool with her and her husband. I'll always remember this moment as a really special moment of sharing something beautiful, a fleeting moment in time with complete strangers.  
I took pictures of where we stayed but I didn't feel comfortable sharing them because it's her own house and it felt liked I'd be sharing something personal that's not mine to share. But; for example; the bedroom that Juan and I stayed in was painted purple and had an orange and blue canvas painting behind the bed and the bedside tables had matching lamps; one that eminated blue light and one that eminated orange. The rest of the room was full of artwork she'd collected and made over the years. It was such a wonderful environment to stay in and the house also came with an incredibly fluffy cat - not that I'm that into cats but it was fun to play with. 

Our time in San Fran was spent between the city itself and the Apple Store. My father is an avid apple fan and he wanted to visit - to use his own words - 'the mother ship' - Apple Park. It was pretty cool but the main part isn't available to the general public - so that kinda sucked. We then went to the city and Fisherman's Wharf - where we ate the most delicious fresh crab and watched a picture of the golden gate bridge get created with spray paint and like the tourist suckers we are bought one to take home. (It's now above our bed and I really love it!!! - it also reminds me of the kind of artwork hanging in the place we were staying at - all-in-all a good souvenir to take home with us) One of the highlights of the whole trip for me happened that night as we travelled on the way home via the second bridge - with all the lights on it - I stuck my head out of the window the whole way (like a dog) and loved every second of it!!! City lights at night excite the crap out of me! I love San-Francisco it's such an individual city and it holds that exciting city feeling that you get in places like New York and London. It's one of my absolute Faveeeeeeees. 

The last evening that we were staying in San Fran we went to visit my Auntie. Well she's my dad's Auntie. Her and her husband have lived in the same house since they were married in the 70's! They had no idea at the time that they had moved to what would be an absolute Californian hotspot for apple employees... The house hasn't changed since I visited twenty years ago and my cousin informs me it hasn't changed much since twenty years before that! It's like a gorgeous little Californian time capsule and the whole outside of this little cove of a  house is swarming with humming birds. It's such a beautiful place to be. We loved catching up and how my Auntie has managed to keep her British accent and sense of humour all these years is beyond me!! (Please look below for the most old fashioned photo set-up OF YOUR LIFE. LOVE IT!!!!!!)

So Sunday, we set on our journey home. My dad drives to Reno... we originally had the plan to stop on our way home as the whole journey back was about 14 hours... but we got so close that we decided to just continue on.... and so happened one of my life most greatest achievements....

I drove the whole journey form Reno, Nevada to Ephraim, Utah in one sitting - through the night time. We arrived in Ephraim at 7am the next day. I was very, very proud of this!!!!!! 

In hindsight I think the week held a little bit too much driving. We were always on the move and the feeling of always being in a small car with lots of luggage around your face and feet is not fun for long periods of time. Especially in the heat; when it's too hot to have the windows open as the fresh air is no longer fresh and just steamy hot air. All this aside we did have a great time and made some pretty fantastic memories and have logged A LOT of places that we'd like to revisit for longer in the future.. it was like an investment trip;) 


Well peace and happy road tripping to you all. ✌️

I still have yet to write the third entry of my Road Trip diary; but first something that cannot wait. I am currently sat in JFK airport waiting for a connecting flight and I can't help but take everything in around me. Maybe it's because I'm over tired and my mind is attempting at a rate of overload to focus and concentrate and so is picking things up, maybe, that usually it might not in so much detail, but as I'm sat here I can't help but notice people. people. Actual people. Like myself, but not at all like myself. But also EXACTLY like myself. Every one of us an outcome of our life's experiences. Every one of us with family, with friendships, relationships; some good relationships and some bad. Everyone varying in colour, race, nationality, culture, language. Crap it's crazy. Different personalities; people that are outgoing, people that are shy, people that are in a rush, people that seem a bit crazed and people that seem very practical; The guy I was sat next to on the plane from SLC was wearing trouser that zip-turned into shorts and had a very sensible felt sweater on and his own bottle of water with a slice of lemon. I never normally look at what people are wearing; like.ever. But it was the water bottle that started it - it got me thinking (which is always dangerous) - you're not allowed to bring you're own water in past security right? So that guy - even if he had himself just got a connecting flight - had Brought his bottle with the intention of filling it at some point and where had he got the lemon from? From home? From an airport restaurant? Maybe I'm entirely  wrong. Maybe it wasn't water at all? Vodka Maybe?? Who Knows?!! From this bottle I started to guess what kind of person he might be - this is when I noticed the trousers and felt sweater. He also had a pair of glasses hanging off his zip collar and put the free eye covers and his own headphones on to sleep. I made the conclusions from all of these things that he was a very practical person.. the greatest thing about this is that I really have no idea it was all 100% assumption on my part. 

We all have a story. We all have a reason that got us here to this exact moment in the exact same place as another but each and every one of us has different reasons and journeys that brought us here. Thousands and thousands and millions and millions of us all over the world and we're so wonderfully different. It makes me feel a lot of love for people, watching everyone for a tiny instant in their lives - it makes me want to celebrate who we are, our souls - Who are they? What are their likes, their dislikes? Their religious beliefs, if any? Why they have those beliefs? Their happy stories? Their tragic stories? Things they've done in their past because of bravery? Things they've done because of cowardice? Achievements, the things they value? I'm just so curious and we all walk past each other forgetting that we're unified simply because we're the same in the fact that we're so individual and all just trying to make the best out of what we have?

I really love people and I guess that that is all I really wanted to get to saying. I love people. People I know, people I don't know. We've all had experiences that shape us and we're all journeying somewhere from somewhere. When we cross each others paths in our daily lives do we ever stop to wonder, who are you, how have you got to be in this place in your life and how are you doing? Also, sir, m'am. In case you feel like you're not and even if you feel like you are; maybe you need reminding.. please know that you are loved. Really, really loved. 

Okay, so one of the highlights of the entire trip actually;
ZION'S NATIONAL PARK...

​We left Ponderosa around 8am to get an early start on our six and half hour journey to Los Angeles, California. Something interesting; we were told by locals that the quickest, most direct way to Las Vegas (our scheduled stop on the way to L.A.) was through Zion's National Park, but that to go this way they would charge us $35 just for going through it. None of us really had a big issue with this as they weren't charging per person but per car, none of us except my Mum that is. However, my Mum now informs us that this was her favourite part of the whole holiday so if something should tell you how worth visiting this Zion's National Park is - that little ironic fact should! (On second thought, that fact could also tell you that the rest of the week was crap?!?! BUT please, take it from me, the rest of the week was not crap and Zion's was absolutely it incredible.) The scenery is just so unbelievably vast. There is no other word for it. All the clichés; vast, astounding, breathtaking.. etc. they ALL apply HERE.
​

​Next on the agenda was Bahama Breeze, Las Vegas. Juan Carlos picked the restaurant. In-fact it was a bargaining tool that my Dad had used to bribe Juan to get up early. If we got up, packed the car and left before 8am we/Juan would get to pick the place we ate for lunch. So in his true foodie form, my husband spent **I won't actually put the real amount of time due to respect of privacy** a fair amount of time researching what was worth eating in Las Vegas. And boy am I glad he did. Bahama Flippin' Breeze. It's a restaurant that Juan and his fam used to go to a lot when they lived in Florida and thought was only situated there but Alas, there's one on the flipping' Vegas strip lads. The restaurant is beach themed and the food is really, really delicious. Order a salmon tostada salad, with a strawberry lemonade and a chocolate island to follow and you will not be disappointed!! (I considered uploading a picture of the salmon tostada, but nothing I can show you portrays anything close to how good it is so please I urge you to torture and salavate yourself to death by google imaging the crap out of it.) 

We stopped for lunch for about an hour and a half and one thing I learnt during our really, really short time in Las Vegas; it's disgustingly hot. Disgustingly. It's essentially a city situated in an actual desert and it really feels like that too. Being outside was pretty much unbarable and I didn't like that feeling whatsoever!!

After filling up petrol.. (AGAIN).. on to our next destination.. L.A. baby!! The drive from Las Vegas was around four hours, distance wise but add the L.A. traffic on that and it became about a five hour journey. From here on out we were using Airbnb. None of us have ever used Airbnb before and our experiences over the last week have converted each of us to it. Airbnb is an online American company that allows people to rent and lease their spaces; houses, bedrooms, cottages, empty hotel rooms, WHATEVER. The idea is that nothing goes to waste so the landlord of whatever available space charges less money for the space they want occupied because if no one was to stay then they gain no money at all. It works on the idea that making some money is better than no money and for this it also means that landlord and lodger win because last minute accommodation can be found for those looking for it (and can be found at a cheaper than usual rate!) and that those looking to occupy their empty spaces can still make their cash. There's a really handy app that goes along with it that allows you to keep in contact with your landlord - about how to get in to your temporary residence, or to notify them if your plans change. 

The place we stayed in was so kitsch. We loved it. There were so many pockets of it that I felt I'd decorated myself. Two bedrooms, a shared bathroom, kitchen and living space. And so many adorable, cute, tacky but really endearing little touches; tons of various fabric patterns thrown together, block yellow shelving, cacti, an old school -on stove- kettle, a selection of teas, a variety of books and magazines that were there to remind and inspire the fact that you were visiting the Silicon Valley. Gosh, I loved this place. We felt at home right away.

We arrived at the Airbnb around 6pm. My dad had some people to meet so my parents went out and explored whilst Juan and I stayed at the house and enjoyed it's quirks. ​

Exploring Los Angeles
The next day was the only full day we had to spend in the city and here's the spiel; and it comes with a massive piece of advice; Don't drive in Los Angeles yourself! USE AN UBER. It's so cheap, especially if you use the UBERX option. This option means that you're happy to share your car with anyone else en route to your final destination, it may also require you to walk to a location that's more on route for the driver to pick you up, but it's never more than a minute or so away and for the sake of nearly half the cost it's so worth it. Juan and I took two that day, one 25 minute ride and another 45 minute ride and the cost of both total was $15 and this was to get directly to where we wanted to go. Ridiculously well priced. Anyway, Juan Carlos - as I've already mentioned is a massive foodie, so obviously this was top of the agenda today. Him and I went to Korea town and had a sashimi dinner. It had a gazillion courses and was spectacular. You don't get a lot of fish in Utah so it was nice to have seafood, and amazing seafood at that. We then went to meet mum and dad at Santa Monica beach. Ugh, just thinking of it pains me - it was so beautiful and the waves, the temperature, the sun setting, everything. Everything was perfect! Both Juan and I grew up near the coast line so living in Utah has been genuinely really difficult to us in that sense and we have decided that when we eventually settle down somewhere more permanently it has to be near the ocean. The time of day that we went in the sea was around 6-ish and barely anyone was in the sea and only a few people were on the beach, the Santa Monica breeze was blowing and we were LAVING IT!

And that really concluded our time in L.A. it was short be very, very sweet..