A Threefold 'Thank You' to Los Angeles

Much thanks goes to our awesome photographers at our LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr! | Photo by jvoves via the pool

Much thanks goes to our awesome photographers at our LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr! | Photo by jvoves via the pool
There's a lot to be thankful for, whether here in Los Angeles or not. Here a just a few reasons themed, of course, to Los Angeles.

First of all, I'm ever so grateful for the LAist staff. The dirty little secret that's really not a secret is that, save for Co-Editor Lindsay William-Ross (who deserves a big thank you herself!) and myself, everyone volunteers at LAist. They write and share with all of you because they have a passion for it. They love exploring and getting to know this city and coming back home, sitting down at the computer and sharing it with you. LAist is what it is because of them--they are the heart and soul.

A big thanks goes out to Jimmy Bramlett (sports), Tom Lewis (TV), Josh Pressman (music) and Christine Ziemba (arts & events)--each who post just about every single day of the year. That's an amazing feat! But that's not all, we have a large staff (see them all, Editors and Contributors, in their glory here on our staff page!) and the next time you read something by one of them and enjoyed it or found it useful, please hit that "like" button. It means a lot to them. The little things really do count.

Secondly, this city and its surroundings continue to blow me away. It is truly the neverending story of exploration: from the nooks and crannies of the mountains that divide the city in half to the hidden alleys full of street art; from the islands we see from the beach but never explore to the most amazing food found in the most ordinary of places; from the drama of living in a hazardous area (wildfires, earthquakes, mudslides) to the good that comes out when such a disaster strikes; from the friends we meet, whether short or long lasting, to the music we all share together as strangers at concerts--the list could go on, but you get the point.

Lastly, pulling something out from above, I'm thankful for the outdoor surroundings we live amongst. Being in the second largest city in the nation and having access to the Santa Monicas, the San Gabriels, Griffith Park, the Pacific Ocean, the Channel Islands and much more is not par for the course in a lot of other major cities. That cheesy "surf in the morning, ski at night" line is true during some parts of the year. Also true are waterfalls, sea cave kayaking, amazing views, white sand beaches, rocky canyons, curvy roads and a plethora of more. Sometimes it takes a little pushing to get out there; sometimes you have to push your friends to go out there with you. But everything here and beautiful is for you, for us, to take advantage of. I'm thankful we live amongst it and I hope others can appreciate it, too.

Happy Thanksgiving!