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1. Our 13-year-old niece has potentially saved herself years of heartache by learning this lesson early.
2. It's worth it to drive a few hours out of your way to visit family.
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3. Reconnecting with a friend you haven't seen or talked to in 15 years is also very worth it. Just be prepared for the mind-trippyness of the whole experience.
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4. Jack London lived in Berkeley and was a smart guy. I recommend clicking on the photo and reading the quote. I now want to read more of his work.
5. Jesus, Abe Lincoln, and Maria Von Trapp are the best of friends, at least according to an artist at Stanford U.
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6. Letting your kid discover the joy of jumping on hotel beds is pretty fun.
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7. Okay, I didn't really learn this so much as was reminded: this photo explains why I really don't want to live full-time in Los Angeles. This was at 10 am on a Tuesday morning. I needed to get off this ramp and turn right. Yeah. It took a while. Also: yelling into the phone long expletive-laden rants about traffic won't make the cars go any faster.
8. Pinkberry makes all that traffic-angst a lot better.
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9. Go Dog Go
is the perfect book for a toddler who is learning English.
10. It is possible to be inspired to live a better life by attending the memorial service for a person who lived very well. Over 1000 people came at 1pm on a Monday for the funeral of our relative who went on to his next big adventure. It was very much worth the drive down.
11. Last (for now): it's true what they say about grandparents. Abe's L.A. grampa is pretty rad.