HTLA- Episode 50: Well, We've Had a Wild 2022. How About You?

Brian De Los Santos  00:01

[music in] '22 was "That Girl" for some of us. The new normal in pandemic times was introduced, Beyonce dropped Renaissance, and the midterm elections happened, bringing in a whole bunch of new folks into LA politics. Slice it how you want it, '22 was a major year. So, we want to look back at it just a little bit today, and talk about the wild things that happened to us. This is How To LA, the podcast that aims to connect you with the city and its people. I'm Brian De Los Santos. Also, check us out! We're at our 50th episode, so shout out to everyone who's listening. Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review. Show me a little love and share it with a friend or two. You want to know the wildest thing that happened to me this year? This job. [music out] Really, if you had asked me in 2021 what I'd be doing right now, never in a million years did I ever think I'd be hosting a show about LA, for LA. [music in] I'll get introspective here. To be honest, this job is a dream. I learn something new about the city in every episode. I explore Cheap Fast Eats with food editor, Gab Chabrán, which is super fun to produce. We also break down tough issues, like homelessness and city politics. The one thing I love the most is we always have fun on the show no matter what kind of episode it is, like exploring the city and its neighborhoods with our squad, even making really funny stories like the Holiday Basic Girl episode. Go check it out if you haven't.

Megan Larson  01:33

You might say the wildest thing I did in 2022 is hire you. [Brian: Mmm.] [laughing] You're supposed to laugh!

Brian De Los Santos  01:42

Oh! [laughing] Wow, that was perfect, though. You got my laugh.

Megan Larson  01:50

Anyway, I'm Megan Larson, Executive Producer of How To LA. Brian, let's be real. You've had very little on air experience. Your first audition was - Well, you know, it could have been better. [Brian: Okay.] Right? [Brian: I'll take that.] [Brian and Megan laugh] But we did talk a lot on the phone about this project, and your vision was totally aligned with mine, and you were like, the perfect ambassador for the audience we wanted to reach. I remember that day. Was it late January [or] early February?

Brian De Los Santos  02:18

Oh, yeah. I think late January, maybe.

Megan Larson  02:21

I remember thinking, just sitting there in my living room going, Oh, it's Brian. It has to be Brian. I, I had to read other people. We had other auditions. But in the end, it was a no brainer. [Brian: Aww.] You know? And the rest of the year just kinda stayed on that wild track.

Brian De Los Santos  02:35

I feel you. [Megan: I knew that.] [laughing] We both do. [Brian and Megan laugh] Talking about wild things, let's hear from some of you. [music out] I had to hit up the homie and the host of Wild from LAist Studios, Erick Galindo, about his wild thing in LA this year. He described something simple, yet huge for him, and it has to do with the fear of heights.

Erick Galindo  03:00

The wildest thing I did this year was ride a Ferris wheel. Now I know that sounds pretty, maybe basic, but for me it was a big deal because I'm terribly afraid of heights. [music in] I'm standing in line with Anjuli Sastry Krbecheck and Megan Lee Tan, and I'm freaking out and they're laughing at me and they're filming me. [music changes] And then I get up there. It's like, stunning. Like, to see LA in a way I'd never seen it before - I was blown away, I was so happy that I did it. I may do it again, I don't know. [laughs]

Brian De Los Santos  03:50

That was the host of Wild, Erick Galindo. Next up is our newsletter editor, Aaricka Washington. She spent her childhood here in LA, then came back to the city about a year and a half ago. She's done a lot this year, including running in a half marathon in San Diego. But she says her wildest encounter this year was something a little bit more fluffy. [music out] And really, it could only really happen in LA.

Aaricka Washington  04:15

So, earlier this year, I actually went to a doggy birthday party. [music in] [dog barking in background] Yes, my friend had a birthday party for her little Yorkie. And so, she had her human friends bring their little pups and they had these colorful little collars on. It was unicorn themed. It was very colorful. We had a pool party. There was a place to take selfies with your puppy, your dog. It was a very LA thing to do, indeed. [music out]

Brian De Los Santos  04:46

That was How To LA newsletter writer, Aaricka Washington. Our podcast producer, Evan Jacoby, did something unthinkable for most Angelenos, including himself.

Evan Jacoby  04:56

Yeah, I, uh, sold my car. I've lived in LA for - basically my entire life. This is the first time that I've lived here as, like, an adult, without a car. Sold it in August and I've been biking to work. Honestly, I thought it was gonna be a huge pain in the ass, and it's been, it's been a lot of fun.

Brian De Los Santos  05:15

[music in] We also reached out to a bunch of people through social media, and other means, and JD told us this. The wildest thing he did this year was leave. He left WeHo and lived in London for eight months. He moved for work, but he still took a little bit of home with him, his cute puppy.

JD  05:34

The wildest thing I did in 2022 was to get the hell out of here. I was gone for the hot ass summer. I was gone for the drought. I was gone for the drama. I was gone for the traffic. I was gone for the stress of living in LA. But what I missed was the beauty of it, and I'm glad I'm back because I love it here.

Brian De Los Santos  05:56

Tessie did something she always wanted to do and overcame her fear. This year, she took the leap and got something permanent.

Tessie  06:03

The wildest thing I did in LA this year was I got my first tattoo, and I didn't even cry. In fact, I fell asleep while I was getting it.

Brian De Los Santos  06:17

Okay, guys. That's a wrap on today. Thanks for sticking around for 50 episodes. You're gonna hear from us one more time in 2022, when we talk a little bit about politics. Then we'll see you in the New Year. Thanks for listening, and don't forget, please leave us a review, and subscribe to the podcast and the newsletter. You can find it all on LAist.com/HowToLA. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. Later y'all. [music out]