We had long thought of visiting the gardens but we always found ourselves occupied with other things. As it turned out, when we finally got a chance to, it was perfect timing.

It was a few days after it rained heavily in Los Angeles and I had never in my life seen my city so green. The trees and the rollings hills were so lush they were reminiscent of the Tuscan vineyards (except, of course, for the busy freeways that were ever intimidatingly present, heavy with vehicles of all shapes and sizes).

I have always loved the famous golden hills of LA but the greens were a pleasant surprise and got me dreaming about the rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula, the only rainforest found in the United States. It’s always been a dream of mine to roam about its moss-covered floor. The fascination, I think, comes from living in a city whose hills, for the most part, look more like desert dunes than actual hills. The idea of an actual living rainforest seems inconceivable to me and wildly exciting.

Someday soon, I will get my chance to experience it. For now, I have Los Angeles. I cannot wait for it rain again.