Day 2 Post 3

Once we had just about as much time in Santa Monica as we could take, we headed back to our little bus to ensure that we didn’t receive a parking ticket. They are pretty strict in Santa Monica and Venice about such affairs. We changed clothes and made our way into Venice, which is where we had previously planned to have dinner. After much persuading, I convinced Morgan and Jacob to agree to dine at my all time favorite restaurant; Cafe Gratitude. It’s a 100% organic, plant-based restaurant featuring only vegan meals, meaning I can actually eat everything on the menu! Even just walking into the place makes me happy. The light that streams in through the large, open windows, the little candles and succulents perfectly arranged on the tables, and the pillows that line the booths. Everyone in the room gives off a similar vibe; compassionate, grateful, health-conscious lovers of the Earth. Okay, maybe borderlining hippie.

We sat in a cute little booth and reviewed the menu. I, however, already knew what I wanted. I had an asparagus risotto called “I Am Inspired” and steamed vegetables, and let me tell you, you have not lived until you’ve tried these things

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While waiting for our food to arrive, I glanced over to see a little old man sitting at the table next to us. His skin was tan and leathery from years in the sun, and his clothes were ragged, his feet still holding on to sand from the nearby ocean. He caught my eye and smiled, then politely asked if this was our first time dinning here. We had a friendly chat, and he explained that he has lived in Venice for 20 years. He embodied the Cafe Gratitude vibe, and left us with some parting words.

“Don’t settle. If you aren’t happy, change it. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t practical, it doesn’t matter if it’s scary, change your life. Quit the boring job, move out of your home, change cities, step out of your comfort zone. And above all, always remain grateful, even while changing things up.”

I let these words sink into my skin and find their way to my sub-conscious. They resonated with me, and are the most important things I took with me from this trip. By the time our food got there, I had been running a list of things I have to be grateful for over and over again in my head. This somehow made the food taste even better. After we were done, we were all itching for dessert because not only is it absolutely divine, but it’s also almost completely guilt free. Jacob and Morgan split a gluten free brownie with cashew-milk ice cream called “I Am Surrendering” which is a dish I had there on my 17th birthday. After, we all ordered a milkshake to take on the road with us, which is a tradition of mine. I had “I Am Cool” which is a mint-chip shake. We hopped in our bus, blasted 80’s rock music, and headed out on the road.