This is my last week in L.A. and because I believe any ending is paramount, I am going out with a bang. Today's excursion included my friends Alondra, Noemi, Jasmin, and Jacky. We go to schools ranging from CSUN to CSUF and Noemi, our high school valedictorian, in Harvard. Because all our school's operate differently, meeting for breaks always needs careful calculations. It's never laborious, it just needs planning. We decided that dinner would be a great way to reconnect. I considered we watch a movie, but you can't really talk in a movie. Well, if you're me then you drop comments throughout the film spoiling the mood and risking get a loud "Shhhh!" thrown at you. I remember absolutely ruining The Fault in Our Stars for my friends because I kept pointing out the cliches. It got so bad that my friends policed themselves if they wanted to cry because I would point it out and laugh not so quietly in my seat. This article isn't about movies, but I wanted to share what I think is a funny story. When we arrived at Alondra's we decided that we would be heading to Northridge, a 20 minute ride from her place, because the mall would offer some walking space. I remember thinking 'Wow I'm stupid' when the Lyft arrived and the driver looked confused at the 5 passengers expecting him. We couldn't all fit I realized and the driver grew impatient when like chickens, we kept talking over each other. I told Jasmin, "Girl you're a computer engineer couldn't you have calculated this before?" Jasmin and I rode together, and we arrived before anyone else did. With some time to spare we strolled to Starbucks. Surprising I know. Alondra's car finally made it and after some window shopping we voted on going to CPK. With a 10-20 minute wait, that annoyed me because the party that came in after was told the wait was 10-15 minute, we caught up even more. Before we placed our orders, I asked the waiter to take a picture of us. The stars of this shot include a chicken Cesar salad, a Hawaiian style pizza, thin crust Sicilian style pizza, and of course classic mac and cheese. I have ranted many times about my relationship with the golden icon of the food world. The food was rich in flavor, without me having to offend my card with a heavy swipe. Between bites, we managed to serve a good size portion of our life the last semester. As we finished dinner I mentioned a new shop that created swarms in San Fernando, an authentic Mexican style ice cream shop named La Michoacana Ice Cream.
I remembered this shop because just yesterday, some other friends and I went to one of the many chain stores. The line wrapped around the block and this belt of people overhwhelmed me. Even though long lines annoy me, I thought why not go. We ordered our Lyfts and headed back down to San Fernando. Not only did we beat the line, but I got see another friend from high school since she worked there. We sat and spoke about our time being away from home and during this time I felt like I had never even left home. The great part about this day is that along with trying authentic style Mexican ice cream for the first time is that I got to do it with friends from my first days of high school. Noemi has been to Israel, I will be leaving to England next semester, and Alondra is hoping to be accepted to her abroad program in New Zealand. My friends and I grow farther and farther as time rolls forward but its the simple moments like this that reel us back in. Since being at HWS, I have learned to value the intimate moments that we often overlook. A small get together is more memorable than a room full of strangers. I feel satisfaction in putting my phone down and talking face to face rather than on FaceTime. So if you ever find yourself in San Fernando and feel like tasting something new, look no further than this store for some tasty paletas, thirst quenching aguas frescas, or bold bionicos. I know next time I'm home I'll be rallying my friends for another ice cream date. |
Author William SamayoaMarketer by profession and storyteller by passion. L.A. raised, proud Latino, and pop culture enthusiast. Categories
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