A picture taken of me posing next to this statue at what I think was James Irvine Park in Irvine, CA!
This whole day was a totally spontaneous adventure, happening right after Anime Expo 2010 (AX '10). We all met up at a mutual friend's house to cheer them up after they went through a breakup. Our original plan was to go ice skating, but that quickly turned into a random road trip! We bounced from Diamond Square in LA to this park, and even hit up a small petting zoo where you could interact with the animals.
The most important part of the day was meeting my cosplay mentor. It happened entirely by chance! The driver felt the sudden need to pick her up, even though they were "frenemies." I remember feeling immediately comfortable with her, and we chatted happily before exchanging contact info.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is take a risk on a last-minute adventure, especially when it's to support a friend. You never know what life-changing connections you might make along the way. I'm so glad I went to LA that day!