First Week in LA!

Hello everyone!

I, Jenny Janke, have now officially been in LA one week, but it feels like much longer already. There is a lot to do here, and a lot to get used to. My first impression of LA was busy, but exciting – and actually quite beautiful. Like James mentioned, we live in a great area, and the more we explore, the more we realize how nice it is. We have tons of stores, banks, churches, restaurants, and the beach all within easy driving (and some within walking) distance.


Just to give you an idea, we have Ralph's, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Von's, Rite Aid, CVS Pharmacy, and Albertson's all within a 3-minute drive...and these are just the ones we have seen! Interestingly, there is only one Wal-Mart within a 45-minute drive of our apartment. I googled it, and it seems that Californians must really not like Wal-Mart; there are far less of them than any other grocery store in LA!

Last Friday, James and I went to the beach, right after I found out that I PASSED MY LICENSING EXAM!

I can officially say I am a certified Physician Assistant now - pretty crazy! The pinnacle of the last 2.5 years of my life! It was a nice day to just relax and enjoy the ocean breeze.

Of course, I had to celebrate :) And so did James! Can you tell who is who below? :)

                         

Saturday, we drove to Calistoga, California for my friend Carolyn's wedding. It was at her uncle's winery just northwest of Napa. Driving into Napa Valley, the sides of the highway were lines with one winery after another, with rolling green hills, and rows and rows of grapevines. It was a one-lane road, so we were moving incredibly slow - stuck between expensive, classic cars with men wearing Abraham Lincoln-style top hats and women with flowy scarves, so we felt the need to blast some classical music. Of course!

 Eating grapes and drinking wine...ah, what a life!

There was a photo booth at the wedding and a table filled with hats, glasses, and scarves. The wedding guests were invited to mix and match, take a photo, and design a sort of scrap-book page to put in a wedding book for the bride and groom. We took full advantage of this, and made THE coolest page. :)

And from Monday until now...well, there is just too much to tell right now. But there will be more to come! Until then, farewell!