Take a Hike

I wanted to start the week with a serene mindset, and so I hiked my favorite trail, Temescal Canyon, in the Palisades.

Thank god the temperature had cooled and yet the sun was still aglow, dappling soft light onto leafy trees that canopied the forest scene.

I zipped through the forest that feels like a hidden world, before winding up past sienna rocks to a wooden bridge that hovers over a creek with boulders that are fun resting spots. If it has recently rained, you can catch water trickling down the cragged rock wall facing the bridge, which is neat.

Then, as you're almost at the summit, the forest breaks open to a bright blue sky and there it is ... the ocean stretching to the horizon.

The hills of the Palisades and Malibu are to your right, the shoreline of Santa Monica and Catalina Island to your left, with the rest of L.A. -- Brentwood, West L.A., Century City, West Hollywood, Hollywood, eastside, downtown -- coming into view as you turn even more to the left.

The view is unreal -- it always gets me. I know how lucky I am to be standing there to see it. To enjoy it.

And with that, here's to a really good week...