Day Nineteen – California Cost

by Bradley Pasekoff

Today we continued on our journey by traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Before doing so, we stopped in Santa Barbara and reflected on our time in L.A.

On Tuesday, we visited the Homeboy Industries offices in downtown L.A. and learned about their program and its goals. It was inspiring to hear members’ stories and understand how vital Homeboy was to helping them turn their lives around. On Wednesday, we visited the infamous South-Central neighborhood, followed by a discussion with an LAPD officer on the state of law enforcement and the procedures LAPD has put into place to try to rid themselves of the stigma of having racial biases.

Following this discussion, we headed to a beach in the town of San Luis Obispo along the California coast. We took this time to relax and enjoy the scenery before getting back on the bus for the remaining two hours of our drive.

When we pulled up to our hotel, we waved goodbye to Earl and the bus, which we will be without for four days while he drives to Chicago. We ate dinner in Chinatown and further explored the city by visiting a local bookstore known for its extensive history in poetry. We are looking forward to our next adventures in San Francisco and the surrounding areas.