I’m not a highly emotional person, but when I stopped by my friend Alicia’s going-away party tonight, I got to talking about how I came to know Alicia and what our relationship was. In my mind, she and I were kind of sort of social friends who never hung out but when I reflected on how we met and how much my life has changed since meeting her I was completely and emotionally touched. Carrie and Alicia moving out of the Abbot Kinney Apartment pulls at my heartstrings in a way that came as a shock to me. I met Alicia through our mutual friend but I didn’t really connect with her until several months later.
I was looking for a place to live, having just returned from 7 months on the road with a makeup company and Alicia had just decided to pack up her things and backpack through South America.
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| A picture I took of Alicia, in "our apartment" the day she left on her journey in 2010. |
Alicia introduced me to amazing west side people and opened up her home to me. Now, I believe you can meet people and have spiritual connections to them but I also believe you can have spiritual connections to places and this is how I felt about the Abbot Kinney apartment. It was my first time being in the west side culture, with the beach cruisers and the little shops and BBQs on the weekends and sunset rendezvous with everyone stopping what they’re doing to observe the end of the day together. It was my first taste of neighborhood parties and making new friends, having a “raw, vegan” Thanksgiving, Tom Petty, The Doors, The Canals, the crack heads and the bourgeois hippies.
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| The Venice sign, hanging over the street in Winward Circle. |
If I was ever lonely or bored I could just hop on my bicycle, ride down to the beach and watch the skaters at the skate park. I had an amazing roommate whom I called “the mayor of Venice” because she knew everyone or introduced everyone and she brought everyone together. We went to The Other Room on a constant basis and I even met my “one that got away” one fateful night in that dark dark bar.
We had LA Story (starring Steve Martin) on a constant loop playing in the house. I loved that place, it feels like home to me. I know the smells of the house, its stairs, the broken knob on the dryer. I am absolutely happy and at home in that apartment. It was so much of a connection for me that I actually thought Carrie and Alicia would never leave. I thought things would always stay the same. After all, this house was the place I ran to for shelter from the storm after Zach broke up with me in the restaurant the night in November 2011. I cried to the girls and they picked me up and dusted me off and gave me a place to feel safe in total chaos. I heard Alicia’s stories of heartbreak and frustration and bad timing and I heard Carrie Turner’s beautiful music for the first time at this house. I learned from Alicia that you can let it all go and it will all be waiting for you when you get back – which was so helpful when it was time for me to go on my own adventure.
It wasn't even 3 years ago that I was first introduced to this world. Back then Alicia was probably pining over some guy who made her feel like dirt and now she is rightfully and healthily in love. Time flies, and it reminds me to take full advantage of every single day because the next thing you know, you're in love an moving to the opposite side of the world.
Because of Alicia I found Venice and I fell in love with Venice. When I went to her going-away party today I brought my old roommate Missy with me and it was such a full circle ending to the story.
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| With Missy in our kitchen at the Venice Apartment. |
The girl who brought us all together is closing the chapter on her days in Venice. She has found love and she is moving to Australia and I couldn’t be more happy for her. Thank you for all of your gifts Alicia Brown and thank you for making Venice my home. You will be missed.
