Day Alone In Pasadena

Monday I had the day off and decided to go to Pasadena alone.I'm not sure why I wanted to visit Old Pasadena, but the idea popped into my head and off I went. Well, first I had to pick up and return tables from a work event. And I had to drive kind of far in mid-day traffic.But once I found parking, I was off.To lots of walking around.I started near a park and wove my way up past Castle Green and then on to the main drag of shops. I'm always surprised how much of a place is generic - the same stores as anywhere else in the country.It was hot out, the sun beating down on me as I walked with a fabric backpack on. I stopped at The Juice Farm. Sipped on this deliciousness while I walked around The Paper Source store and past a bunch of other places.I love the old buildings - the brick and fired stone.My original plan was to go to Intelligentsia (how cooooool does this place look??) and write and read in the cool darkness of a hipster coffee shop while sipping a fancy latte.But the public restroom gods conspired against me. Or, I guess, the lack of public restroom gods... because it was hot out I drank a lot of water, then I had that smoothie, and then I needed to pee. Really badly, but there didn't seem to be a public restroom anywhere. I even walked all the way down back down to the park to try some port-a-potties I saw and they were locked. LOCKED. Port-a-potties with big locks on them. WTF.I wanted to spend my lunch money somewhere I've never been, but the need for a bathroom became the priority. When I did a loop through the coffee shop I didn't see a restroom at all. I wasn't that hungry yet so I felt frustrated - here I was trekking all over, trying to figure out where to eat lunch just to use a restroom.Did I mention it was very, very hot?With time running out, I stepped into Crepes de Paris, saw they had a restroom, and ordered food immediately. It was pretty much empty, so I had my pick of tables. Ate my egg and cheese crepe with a latte that was unbelievably strong and not worth drinking. I read a book and sat in the quiet.It was magnificent.I don't know why people feel uncomfortable eating alone in restaurants. I find it relaxing and super enjoyable. I read more of The Highly Sensitive Person, stared into space, jotted some notes in my journal and enjoyed the a/c when the main door to the patio wasn't open.It started to get late and I was worried about traffic (was about 25m away from home, but in LA that could mean a 2hr drive). And I had one more stop to make...Vroman's Bookstore.Come on, you didn't think my day alone would include walking, eating alone, coffee, reading and writing and not include a stop in a bookstore??I kind of wish I'd gone here first - I could've just eaten in their bakery and I found a little mall on my walk over that had public restrooms. At least now I know for the next time I visit where everything is.The store was large and pretty noisy. People talking, telephones ringing and kids roaming around. I felt jittery and uncomfortable from the latte and the heat. I was pretty tired by this point and had a mile walk back to my car.But I tried to enjoy wandering the stacks, reading the little tags that employees had written recommendations on, and basically satiating myself with books. I was overwhelmed and inspired - I wanted to go home and read and write forever. There were so many books, how could I even get to a small portion of them in my lifetime? I thought about taking notes on the ones that jumped out at me, creating a To Read Later list. I wanted to buy a few but also wanted to save money. It made me miss tangible, paper books in a really deep way.On the walk back to the car, I enjoyed the late afternoon light, even though it was still hot out. I figured out where my car was and cranked the a/c while I drove home. I didn't hit any traffic and the rest of the evening was relaxing.After the chaos last week, I'm really glad I had a chance to travel alone for a day, even though I didn't leave LA.When I first read Mae Cheverette's blog, and how she travels alone, I was so intrigued, her posts pulled at my heartstrings. Then there's The Noisy Plume's travels and my own day trip around SF 2 years ago now that I remember so fondly, and the deep pull Alaska had on me.There is something about being in a new place, walking a lot, observing and experiencing without really having to talk to anyone, that opens my heart up. It feels so luxurious, so new, so silly that it can have that affect on me, but it does. It also feels selfish, but in a really indulgent, put-myself-first way. It's exactly what Julia Cameron calls an artist date - "assigned play".I needed this break from routine, from my neighborhood and from the emotional turmoil I felt all last week. I'm so glad I went. xo