Raghav Sharma Week #15 - LA



This is the beautiful LA skyline. https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=los+angeles+night+skyline

Now, I'm sure you all have heard enough of nostalgia, especially from me :), but I felt Los Angeles, yes the city, deserves to be the closing, the last time I speak of this. LA holds a super special place in my heart, and I like to call it "second home". Practically, one weekend in a month, I would take a day off from school on Friday, and fly out to Irvine. Now, seriously, people have a problem with me saying Irvine is in LA, when a 10 minute drive away. But anyways, my family lives there, and since our Grandma lives with us, we end up making the trip down there so my Grandma can see her daughter. And obviously, the amazing time we spend with family. I think, the main reason for going there so often is, I've never been to India! And yes, as shocking as that might be, I just don't have any family there. One of my dad's sister lives in Hong Kong, and since that's nearly across the world, we end up to going to LA. I know LA like the back of my hand, but more than that, it's the excellent memories I've made with my cousins. Sneaking out late at night to go to the park, and play basketball, or even just our old brother driving us to Ice cream at 1am, are all memories which I cherish forever. I'm going to be going to college soon, and actually, around this time, will be deciding where. SoCal is definitely a hope, and only time can tell, where we will be going. There was this epic memory, where my cousins from Hong Kong came down, and we surprised our family in LA. Definitely top one favorite memory, as having a family reunion was so much fun. One day, I do hope to go to India, to see extended family, which I have never met. Going to the motherland is something which is actually "a dream" for me, but I believe there is a wedding this December, and if everything ends up going right, I'll be in India. Now, when there was no phones, and just my cousins and I playing outside, was a time which I felt was going by too soon, and it was, and I would do anything, to get that time back. 

Comments

  1. Darshan DhadukApril 28, 2025 at 8:37 PM

    Hi Raghav! Just like you, I also love going to LA with my family. LA is the one place I always visit every year, not only because my cousins live there, but also because it is the one place were my family and I can never get tired of. My family has this thing were we always take a picture together at the same place we took it in previous years. Then we compare these photos and see how much we have changed over time, and we make more memories together. Having older cousins living there is the best. Every time we decide to stay at our cousins place, we always go to a ice cream place late at night and sit by the beach and eat the ice cream. It was times like these were I realized LA is not just a city to me, but it is also considered a second home for me.

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  2. Hiba KathawalaApril 30, 2025 at 5:10 PM

    Hi Raghav! Like you, I love spending time in SoCal. The warm weather, fun activities like hanging out at the beach, or visiting Disneyland, are things I miss from my trips there. I think it’s really cool that you visit Irving once a month. I wish I could also do that, because the beaches in NorCal are too cold for me. I also think it's so cool that you have family all across the globe. My situation is also similar—two of my cousins live in Dubai, and my other two live in Australia. When you mentioned how your cousins from Hong Kong came to surprise you guys in Irvine, it reminded me of a similar instance in my life, where me and my family visited our family in Australia. Overall, I really enjoyed your blog, and cannot wait to see what you write next!

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  3. Hakim RadApril 30, 2025 at 8:50 PM

    Hey Raghav how you been! Knew this blog was gonna be a banger read just from the title. Man..the memories LA has. I swear it feels like yesterday I was in universal studios having the time of my life, going on different rides, having great food, and taking flics with my favorite movie characters. I know some people may not correlate LA to theme parks but I most definitely do. Going to places like disneyland, knotts berry farm, and universal really immerse me in a surreal environment; it allows me to get away from life for a quick minute, take a deep breath, smile, and enjoy being a kid once more.

    LA has all the memories in the world, and honestly, this summer I say you, me, and the gang, all hit up socal for a week! It'll be dope as heck!!!!

    -Cheers!
    Hakim

    ReplyDelete
  4. EmilyApril 30, 2025 at 9:59 PM

    Hi Raghav,
    Your reflection on Los Angeles as your “second home” is truly heartfelt and beautifully written, the way you tie together family, tradition and memory gives this blog a lot of warmth to it. It’s not just a place, but about the people, the moments, and the sense of belonging that makes LA meaningful to you. Your honesty about not having been to India yet, and the excitement about a possible trip this December also adds a personal and hopeful tone to your blog. It is especially relatable how you talk about moments that felt like they were slipping by too fast, I feel like that a lot too. Great blog!

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  5. Kevin QuangMay 23, 2025 at 10:38 AM

    Hey Raghav! LA is an awesome place; you're so lucky to have family there that has helped you make such banger memories. Being able to go out and explore the world with your cousins is something everyone should be able to experience. I also go on vacations with pretty much my entire extended family, and I'm so so so grateful to be able to hang out with all of my cousins and get to know them better. I'm honestly a little surprised you've never been to India, but hey, there's a first time for everything! I hope you enjoy India as much as you have with LA and all the other destinations you've been to. It is such a privilege to be able to travel around the world and learn from every trip, and I'm glad you're living life to the fullest with each trip.

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