I didn't get much sleep the morning of June 30, 2010. I had decided before going to bed that I was going through with a crazy decision to drive down to Los Angeles on a whim, but as I went to bed doubtful thoughts invaded and wracked my mind all night. Should I just save my money and chill at home? Should I fulfill my still fresh desire to see the City of Angels once again? It didn't help that my previous journey to SoCal turned out to be one borne out of desperation and miscommunication, journeying for a chance to see Ai Kago only for her to no-show and incite wonder if she was ever supposed to be there at all.
A phrase that would become the bane of Reddit basement dwellers in 2012 served as the nudge that finally pushed me towards making the trip:
You only live once. That's the motto that motivated me to finalize that hotel reservation at the downtown Clarion on Olympic Boulevard. I hastily packed by bags, stocked up on some energy shots and Vitamin Water, and hit the road in my still-smells-like-new Civic Si.
There was a lot of traffic on Interstate 580, but as soon as I hit I-5 it was a straight shot down a path I've made dozens of times before with family but taking alone for the first time in my life. Yeah, I had drove to LA alone twice before that year, but that was taking the scenic US-101 route--Interstate 5 had been associated with memories of Disneyland and family friends in Irvine. My destination this time, as it had been throughout 2010, was Downtown Los Angeles. And due to my lack of sleep, the straight, flat, and boring I-5 route became even a bigger challenge than simply hitting it alone for the first time.
8 hours and a weird police blockade in Valencia later, I reached my destination shortly before midnight. Despite doing my best to rest well that night, the lack of sleep the day before affected me throughout the time there. A chance for an autograph, or at least a closer look during an interview, passed on because I was simply glad to just be there. And let's face it: I drove 400 miles on a whim just to watch an hour long movie.
Whatever. I established some new friendships during that trip, fulfilled my desire to once again visit Los Angeles, and--most relevant to this thread--slowly became a fan of a cute Japanese performer by the name of
Erina Mano.
I don't know yet if I'll travel to Japan to see her last days as a Hello Project member next year...but seeing her in person once again is something that I definitely want to make happen.
Topic: The Mano Erina Thread (真野恵里菜) (Read 315176 times)