Quick Escapes: Los Angeles by Eleanor Harris and Claudia Harris Lichtig

E and I moved to Los Angeles in September. It was one of the most stressful experiences of my life. I was a wreck for two months preceding the move, and I was a different sort of wreck for two months after. But that is not the point of this story.

E is getting his Master's degree at UCLA, so this move should be temporary (let's not even begin thinking about the move back). And while there are many, many reasons why L.A. was the right choice for us, and why living here is comfortable and fun, I still have no love for the city itself and am looking forward to returning to the Bay Area.

One of the best things about L.A., though, is that my friend M lives here. We were roommates in college and, until last year, she had lived on the east coast. We used to see each other twice a year, if that. Now we sometimes see each other twice a week!

Before I moved, M gave me the book, Quick Escapes: Los Angeles by Eleanor Harris and Claudia Harris Lichtig, for my birthday. It features twenty itineraries for weekend getaways originating in L.A.. Most of the trips sound great, from Catalina Island and La Jolla to Cambria and Lake Arrowhead.

Alas, E and I haven't been able to use the book at all yet. E's schedule and copious amounts of schoolwork make going away for two days difficult, and when we have been able to get away, we have gone back up to the Bay Area. I'm sure, though, that in the next two years, there will be opportunities to take advantage of the book. Spring break, perhaps?

Quick Escapes: Los Angeles by Eleanor Harris and Claudia Harris Lichtig