The Introvert Introspects

On account of my saying that beaches are swarming with Pokemons (and yes, I do play Pokemon GO), my boyfriend took me to the beach so I could catch new ones to add onto my Pokedex. He knows I haven't been to Venice beach before, which is why he took it upon himself to drive for more than hour to take me there. That's also yet one of the reasons why I adore the guy.

We went on a day wherein the Santa Clarita fire was at its ravaging worst so the skies were dark and tinted with yellow. My boyfriend woke up to finding a thin veil of ashes on his car's windshield. 

We made our way to the Venice Canals first, and I was a bit disappointed. It wasn't quite what I expected. The canals were lovely but they were a bit ho-hum and reminded me of canals in the Philippines. From the photos, I kind of thought they'd be a more picturesque sight. 

Afterwards, we walked the entire length of the Venice Boardwalk, which, to someone with social anxiety, was kind of a herculean task. It was packed and I hated every minute of being there. But if there's one thing I learned, it was that growth rarely ever goes hand in hand with comfort. 

We frolicked by the beach for a while, which made me really happy. I like the smell of the sea. I like the sight of the ocean. Just those things are more than enough to remind me that I'm glad to be alive.

In all my excitement and anxiety, I completely forgot to catch pokemons, which is why we went there in the first place. I was too busy running around and getting wet. Afterwards, we got dinner from The Terrace wherein I ordered seafood pasta and my boyfriend got the grilled atlantic salmon. My pasta was good while his dish came with delicious rice and a flavorful, albeit a bit dry, salmon.
I had an amazing time, but I don't think I'll be back. I'd rather go to a less touristy beach than traverse through the intricate crowds of Venice Beach again.