They Say It Never Rains In L.A.

"It's funny how strength comes in different forms / Some embrace their faith, others weather storms / Others tell themselves that the pain moves on / I saw the clouds move in and when it did, they poured / I push away the pain, it's the sun and the rain / Rain or shine, I got my umbrella." - Evidence, "Rain or Shine"

Those Evidence lines often come to mind when it rains in Los Angeles. There's something about rain that really inspires me and I think it's because it doesn't happen too often in this city. I don't think I'd love to live in a place where it rains all the time, but when it hits here, it's a cool change of pace.

When I was a kid, I loved the rain. I remember sitting in my dad's car, the heater on, listening to oldies. In elementary school, I remember hopping on puddles at recess. I remember walking a girl home from middle school with the smoothest strut and then accidentally stepping into puddles. Had to walk that girl home with drenched socks.

Then, when I got older, I had to walk (in the rain) to basketball practice. I'd listen to songs that helped shape me during those rainy walks, days when cars passing by would sometimes soak me with the speed-splash. I had to struggle to get out of the way just to keep my Walkman CD player dry (I ain't dating myself with that, am I?). All of these memories and more still pop up in my subconscious when the rain hits and these images help remind me that the rain ain't all bad.

Last year, I drove around the city looking for ways to document Los Angeles through the rain. When I looked back at the photographs, it was as if they were taken in another state. The tone. The mood. The feeling. But it was Los Angeles and the city is just as beautiful when it trades that gold sunshine for grey skies. Here are a few images from different rainy days from last year and this week.

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