Venice Beach

Today I decided I was going to go to Venice Beach. I don’t have a job right now so I guess I decided to live like it. I packed up a few things and drove 30 mins to Venice.

This is probably my favorite place in California right now. The ocean, the boardwalk, the street performers, the shops, the bikes, everything.

The day was beautiful, the beach wasn’t too crowded (work day) and the view was fantastic. I spent most of the first two hours in the water, body surfing on the waves that crashed toward the beach. I think this is my favorite thing in the world right now, riding the waves on my stomach.

The sheer size and power of the ocean is amazing. When a big wave comes it starts to suck you in towards it and if you position yourself just right you end up on top of it and can ride it for a good ways depending on how big it is. I used to do this in Florida when I was 18 and I forgot how great it feels.

I plan on buying a boogie board soon and then a surf board.

Afterwards I rented a beach cruiser and biked up and down the strip looking at everything, the sky and all the people. The guy that jumps into broken glass was performing, the pianist was playing and the frozen statue man that spray paints himself silver was working as well. They’re always there, earning a living day after day out there on the walk.

I heard a black man singing “Jingle Bells” and as I approached I was able to hear his words:

“Jingle Bells Jingle Bells help me buy a beer”

His sign said ‘World’s Greatest Wino’ and all his songs were about getting drunk. A few yards down was a white guy in a wheel chair with a brace on his foot holding a sign that said “Will Work For Marijuana”.

Both of them made me laugh… and made me grateful that I was not them.