I may be a native of Pennsylvania but I have had a lifetime love of Los Angeles. I have always been interested in the entertainment field, movie, and TV stars, and I used to picture myself there.

I'll admit that I wanted to leave home when I turned 18 and go straight to California. But of course, at 18, I didn't have any money or job skills.

The first time that I ever visited Los Angeles was in 1978 to celebrate my 21st birthday. My father, brother, and I stayed at the Holiday Inn in Santa Monica; which was right across the street from the world-famous Santa Monica Pier and beach.

On my second vist there in 1981, I just fell in love with the area and I didn't want to come back to Philadelphia; I wanted to stay there for good. Unfortunately, I had no extra money and additional job skills.

For the next two years, I was still here in Philadelphia, but my heart just wasn't here anymore. I was unhappy with my job as a dietary aide and I wanted to start a whole life and career; and of course, I longed to live in the City of Los Angeles for good.

In 1983, I went back out to L.A. to try and live there permanently, but unfortunately, it didn't work out. I ended up coming back to Philadelphia, and I've been here ever since. For about two years, I did miss L.A., but I'm just better off staying right here in Philly.

Los Angeles is a great vacation spot. I just love the warm and dry sunny climate, lying on the beach at Santa Monica, going on sightseeing tours of the movie stars' homes; Universal Studios, and going to see a TV show taped. What really makes me feel good, and I still long to do it again, is listen to tapes of 60's music that I taped off of the Philadelphia radio stations. Just imagine: being in another city and listening to tapes of radio broadcasts from your home city. I remember that when I was last there in "83, I took early Saturday evening walks through Beverly Hills listening to one particular song that was made popular by a local Philadelphia group; "At the Top of the Stairs" by the Formations; a one-hit wonder from early 1968. And of course, no visit to Los Angeles or any other city is complete without tapes of Jerry Blavat's old radio show from WPEN back in 1978.

I can't wait to take another vacation to Los Angeles. The highlight of this visit will be to visit the graves of Eva Gabor, Eddie Albert, and Merv Griffin at Westwood Memorial Cemetery. I haven't been to L.A. since 1983 and I long to come here again; just for a vacation; not to live here.

Learn more about this author, Lisa Fagan.
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