Trailer and movie

by Diana Kobakova (Russia)

I didn't expect to find Russia

Hello, dear reader. Let me tell you a quick story. It is not an exotic tale (you will see), but maybe you will find something special about it. Two years ago, I arrived in southern California, this magical place everyone goes to when they fall asleep. And to be honest with you I did not arrive there as a traveler. To me, a traveler is someone who comes to a new place to forget a routine, to get lost in something unreal, dreamy, adventurous. This is someone who wants to cross the destination out of a bucket list and tell friends that a taste of passion fruit juice was divine, mountains looked like lords of the world, the views of the ocean made everything fall into its place, and the lips of a stranger felt hotter than the dessert. Eventually, all the traveler is left with after a trip to nowhere is colorful pieces of a mosaic that are useless because there are not enough parts to see the complete picture. It is like watching a trailer. It seems like you caught the essence of a movie but did you really, did you!? Imagine, you tell a friend that you watched all the 195 trailers, and he asks you: - So, what was your favorite one? You take a moment to think before replying, and after a minute you realize in a mild terror that you don’t remember the trailers clearly and, likely, they are all jumbled together like drinks in a vivid and pretty strong cocktail. Back to me. I have lived in sunny California for two years now. In my first year, I still was a curious tourist who simply wanted to experience a new life. I tried a lot of things I haven’t tried before: hot pot, Korean Barbeque, s’mores by the fire, American fast food, and exquisite restaurants. I went to hikes, kayaking, whales watching, adventure parks, concerts, gay pride, house parties, and parties in neighboring cities. It was a firework of new feelings and people. By the beginning of my second year, I had a good understanding of what life in California can be like. I observed enough to make my personal conclusions. Young international people view California in the same ways. First of all, they are amazed by the heavenly beaches and the godlike nature (no wonder people in the past idolized it). Second of all, they are excited about barely everything. They breathe in excitement; they breathe out negativity. They are united by the high vibes, similar experiences, new findings of unexplored places, and unpolished English with an accent, of course. In a word, non-Americans practice anti-routine daily. I know you would expect me to say that Americans who live in California live a boring life that lacks a spirit of happiness. No, I will not say that. To my surprise, it is not the truth. I found out something I did not expect to find, something greatly inspirational. I hate to generalize, but locals here are charged with the energy of the sun. Clearly, they are not as excited as foreigners, but they try to live an adventurous life full of fun rituals and socializing. They try to have a traveler’s mindset within the frames of a routine. This is a life-saver combination because they have a goal to be happy in a completely familiar environment where nothing ever changes (not even the weather). To me, making a day-to-day life thrilling is a work of art. This is why it is so easy to fall in love with people from southern California. They are radiant, they celebrate life every day. I guess these people are blessed by the sun and the ever-changing and yet eternal ocean. My point is that I believe this is a brilliant idea to try feeling like a traveler in your home city where you lived the majority of your life. Seek the unexpected, risk when the opportunity presents itself, accelerate the speed of your life. In a foreign country, do the opposite and try to feel local. Slow down. Landmarks will not run away. Fall in love. Forget about a one-night stand. Fall in love truly…