Etgar 36

Day 18 – Los Angeles

by Kaela Paulin

     This morning we spent a lot of time driving through different parts of LA. We drove through South Central before heading to meet with our speakers, and watched the neighborhood move passed us. The barred windows and gated houses where unfamiliar to me and interesting to compare to Hollywood Boulevard. I love learning about the history of these areas while literally standing on the ground that past history makers stood on.   
      Moving forward, the bus pulled on and let us off at a community park to speak with Rebecca and Antoine “Aziz” Brown about prison reform and their activism. Aziz was able to tell us about his personal experience with prison and his opinions of the system. It was great to hear a someone with first-hand experience talk about the issues we’re discussing. He brought an authentic, personal light to the conversation!


       After this, we got back on the bus and headed to an open air farmers market! I tasted some of the freshest fruits and vegetables I’ve ever had, for an incredibly cheap price. It’s amazing to me that the people selling the fruit also grew and transported it themselves.


     Then it was off to Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier! Being the last activity of the day, we all filed onto the pier excitedly. Some of us chose to ride the roller coasters and some opted out, but everyone got to walk the boardwalk and look out at the sea. It was a great ending to a great day! Now off to San Francisco!