It was colder than normal that day. I had just plunged into the Pacific and was trying to stop the shivering.
As I looked for a place to sit down and lace up my Converse, I noticed a lady basking in the sun.
It was her cow jacket that initially caught my eye, then it was her peaceful positioning. Her eyes closed and her head angled to be fully engrossed by the sun's rays.
“I like your hat,” I said as placed myself on end of the bench.
No response…
I continued shaking the sand off my shoes. Until I heard, “Thank you.”
She scooted over giving me space for my sandy self. Thanks for “moooooving over” I chuckled.
A soft smile sat across her face and my curiosity unfolded a conversation.
This is Bella, originally from Russia, she came to the States in 1991 and has spent nearly all of her time in Los Angeles.
Despite being here for over in the US for over 30 years there was still a language barrier. Luckily, I studied Latin in middle school which makes me fluent in Google Translate.
Born and raised in St. Petersburg, she believes it’s the most magical city in the world. “Have you been?” she asked. “Not yet,” I replied.
“It’s beautiful, all white, you must go visit in June.” She painted it like a winter wonderland. Looking for a connection, my brain immediately went to the set of Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Bella told me how grateful she has felt over her years to live in The United States.
With the majority of her family lives in Los Angeles and she can’t imagine leaving. She couldn't stop talking about how much she loved her grandkids. At this point in the conversation, she’s scrolling and scrolling looking on her phone looking for that one photo. “10 days later” - narrator from SpongeBob.
In some ways, I felt like I gravitated towards her because she reminded me a lot of Nan. Not just because she was a grandmother, but because Nan would be wearing a stylish jacket and would be basking in the sun.
I’ll say Russia has never been top of my travel list and I think that’s in large part to how the news portrays the country. Or maybe just the fact that the harsh winters do not speak to my Florida bones. But after talking to Bella, I feel compelled to go over and formulate my own opinion.
This interaction wasn’t life-changing or life-altering, but I did get to have a beautiful exchange with a beautiful soul. The small snippets I heard about her story reminded me that sometimes we need to slow down and listen to one anothers story. It’s nourishment to the soul.