here, there, everywhere

We've made it to Los Angeles, which I'm somewhat unreasonably proud of - despite living here for six years, I never drove in this city until this April, and never on any of its fantastically hostile freeways until about three days ago, which means my geography of the city I used to call home is limited to two or three bus routes and the odd mall directory. When I'm not scandalizing my family with my total ignorance ("You mean there's a second Santa Monica Boulevard?!"), we're having a nice time exploring Little Ethiopia, teaching my precocious cousins to play Risk, and getting the living daylights beaten out of us by my four year old stepbrother, who is so cute that I might actually eat him. 

Anyway, things to follow: plans (no, really, plans!) and photos of all that other amazing stuff we saw along the way, including the Grand Canyon and not one but TWO Chimney Rocks. No wonder so many people got lost on the Oregon Trail.