I took a 10-hour flight from Tokyo to LAX with a middle seat—classic. Didn't sleep much, but I got to watch Star Wars and The Godfather, which helped pass the time. All in all, the flight was pretty straightforward, just a bit uncomfortable from the lack of sleep. I landed around noon and had an 8-hour layover ahead of me.
Originally, I planned to just hang at the airport. But randomly, my buddy Griffin Laser—who I worked with at TI in Dallas—was in LA house-sitting his cousin's place. Not only that, he was off work and offered to pick me up. Total coincidence, perfect timing.
Griffin was my closest friend at TI. We used to sit outside during lunch talking about ditching the corporate life, figuring out next moves, chasing freedom. A lot of those convos—usually over Thai food—inspired me to leave Dallas and actually go for it. So seeing him again, after nearly a year of traveling, felt natural. Like nothing had changed.
We drove out to Manhattan Beach, and I was blown away. It was sunny, 68 degrees, crystal clear skies. Probably one of the nicest neighborhoods I've ever seen—beautiful homes tucked into hills with views of both the beach and the mountains. Unreal.
We hopped on electric bikes and cruised down the boardwalk. Everything was calm, clean, and just had this laid-back energy. We caught part of a beach volleyball tournament, which made me want to get back into playing. Surf wasn't great, but you could tell the potential was there. It just felt good being in a clean, relaxed American city again.
It also made me rethink the U.S. a bit. For a while, I didn't think I could ever live here again. But there are places like this—super nice pockets where the lifestyle is solid. Yeah, you've gotta be doing well financially to live in a spot like Manhattan Beach, but still—it's something to think about.
We grabbed lunch and talked about a bunch of stuff: travel, his work, global politics, random ideas. Just classic back-and-forth like we used to have.
Eventually, he dropped me back at LAX. That was the first moment I really felt like I was back in the U.S.—especially walking into a convenience store full of snacks I hadn't seen in a year. I bought a coconut water that costs $3 in Thailand for $7 here, plus a protein shake. Same old.
I thought I might feel out of place being back, but I didn't. Honestly, after moving through Nepal, Indonesia, Africa, and Vietnam, I've gotten used to landing anywhere and feeling fine. So why not here? At the end of the day, I'm still American.
Now I'm sitting at the gate, waiting for my last flight. I haven't really slept, so the day feels endless—woke up in Tokyo, spent the afternoon in LA, and now I'm flying home. I think once I see my family, that's when it'll really hit.
