Cali By Night Part 2: Sleepless Nights

The thing that bothers me the most at night is the lack of sleep. For the past few years, I have suffered from severe insomnia. In the past, every time I had this problem, I used to use sleeping pills to get a good night's sleep. Sleep is a form of energy for each of us after a long day of hard work so that the next morning we wake up with a refreshed spirit and full of energy for a new day. I am a person who takes sleep very seriously. In the morning, I usually have classes at school or morning shifts, so I have to get enough sleep to be able to concentrate for the following day. If I don't get enough sleep, no matter how many cups of coffee I wake up in the morning, I can't eliminate the sluggishness every time I work.

A Cali street by night

But gradually, my sleep is often interrupted by the deadlines of work. I have not called myself a journalist because even if I graduated from college with a degree in journalism, the title of a journalist is far from me. As you all know, I’m an intern for Voice of America and write part-time articles for the school newspaper. The amount of work is not much, but because I often have to collect information and do interviews, I have to arrange my time to complete my article on time. Not only that, blogging has become a full-time job of mine all the time. I regularly have to write blogs to post on my site from Monday to Friday. Because of these things, I put myself up often at night to complete it.

It is strange that when night falls, the energy of creativity and concentration flows out like streams of water that I cannot control. For example, when I start writing something, I need direction in my head on how to write. There is a certain flow and idea in my head so that when I start writing, it will spread and never stop. I just kept writing, writing, writing, and writing. I don't care about the things around me. I only raise my head from my MacBook screen when I'm done. Writing often comes from two points. One is talent. Surely it must be. No matter how good you are, you have no idea what to write when you think you want to write something. Or when writing an essay, it takes you a long time to write an introduction. But when you have a little aptitude for writing, you will automatically write easily. The second is to have passion. It is a strange thing that I love to write, but I chose the wrong major until my mother encouraged me to follow the path of journalism. I love reading and exploring. Writing, for me, is an integral part of this life.

That passion feeds me to let me have ideas every time I put down my pen. There have been many times when I just kept plugging my head into my writing MacBook and forgot the time. Looking back, it's already over one o'clock in the morning. At this point, my body is tired. But unfortunately, the work has not been completed, but if I go to bed right away, I will regret it. Just like that, I pushed myself into the sleepless cycle. There are nights when I have laid my back on the bed and can't sleep. Taking sleeping pills for me is now completely ineffective. I am using all sorts of methods “How to fall asleep faster?” nothing to lose. But one day, an idea popped into my head. If I can't sleep, I'll stay up all night. I know I will be very tired tomorrow morning, but let it go. I enjoyed the sleepless night on my way. Sometimes I am very curious when night falls, after 12 o'clock, what will Cali be like? The daily scene of Cali is already ingrained in my mind because when Cali wakes up, I also wake up with the residents and start a new working day. But the Cali nightlife is the most mysterious thing I have ever seen. Because of that thought, I began my journey into the night world of Cali.

The street was now deserted—just a few cars on the street. Restaurants and bars have long since closed. A chilly wind covers the night air of Cali. On days when the weather is terribly hot, at night, the heat is eased by the gentle breezes. It will not be an exaggeration to say that Cali has all four seasons in one day. Truly so. Try driving on the road at night in Cali, roll down the windows, and let the cold seep into you. You will feel the refreshment that the night gives you. Because of that chilly weather, sometimes my stomach growls, asking for something warm to eat. But know what to look for now? One of man's greatest inventions is the convenience store. 7-Eleven or Circle K is always the choice of nightlife people, the savior of hungry stomachs, and the most luxurious supermarket at night. A very popular dish in daily life, it becomes a five-star standard dish of Michelin restaurants when night falls. It's instant noodles.

Normally, we pay little attention to this normal dish, and no one wants to eat it all because it's full of other dishes; why should we eat instant noodles? But instant noodles are for the night. It's simple to prepare and enjoy. Just pour boiling water into the bowl of noodles, wait three minutes, then eat. Cali nightlifers like me are often highly focused on what they do at night. Not only work, but gamers also plug their faces into the computer screen to play a few matches that always say is the last one. People who work nights and are single want something to put in their stomachs and go to bed quickly. There's no time for the kitchen to waste time. Such activities often make people hungry. Nowadays, everyone must have at least one box of instant noodles for bad cases. Cali often has earthquakes, so stocking up on boxes of instant noodles is necessary. You don't even need instant noodles at home. You can take the trouble to find the convenience store closest to you to buy a pack of noodles. Some convenience stores are so generous that you can make your bowl of noodles in their store and have a separate place to enjoy this five-star restaurant-grade food. The noodles are chewy and crispy, plus the salty taste of the seasoning packet, the rich soup, and sometimes the spicy taste of the spicy noodles. The chilly weather at night in Cali and a bowl of hot noodles will make you feel warmer and refreshed. It is also a way to put you to sleep. Today, instant noodles have become much more popular and diverse. But for me, the best bowls of noodles are still those with shrimp flavor in them.

If the Cali nightlife in the city makes you feel bored, hit the gas station, get to the freeway, and head straight out to the ocean for a free concert that nature plays for you. There you will hear unique symphonies to your heart's content. It is a combination of waves crashing on the sand and the sound of the wind. Everything around is captivated by the melodious sound of the sea enveloped in the night. There is something special that not everyone realizes. Only insiders can enjoy the symphony of the sea in their way. If a person carries many feelings, the symphony wants to share those lines with you. If a person is carrying pain and sadness, the symphony changes direction with sad and tragic waves. I am in the same mood as you. It's like crying with you. It is experienced with you. It is also trying to comfort you. The symphony is full of joy and life if a person is happy. It's like playing with you. It is also dancing with you for the fun of it. The sound of the waves is always the same, but if you are a sentimental person, the sound of the waves is not simply drifting to the dry sandy shore and then back to the pitch-black sea. Most of the beaches in Cali have piers, so Californians can walk on them and enjoy the Cali nightlife at night. The lovers invited each other up there to go around to the end of the pier. They held hands and walked under the yellow lamps. Together, they confided in their future promises. Or sometimes, there are tearful partings in the night of Cali. On those piers, we also easily meet fishing enthusiasts. They often take their fishing rods out there and wait for the fish to bite. It could also be lonely souls walking on it. The most beautiful sea at night is when a bright moon shines down on the earth. The romantic atmosphere is increased tenfold. It makes me want to dance with the moon on the fine sand. Everything settled down a bit to enjoy the beauty of the moonlight.

Sleepless nights in Cali always make me feel restless and settled. Time is slowing down strangely. People are right. "Long night knows the night." When we fall asleep and wake up the next morning, we feel the night go by quickly. But you must stay awake at night to understand that the night is like an infinity with no end. Try once to stay up all night until morning to experience the Cali nightlife that is far different from other places. Let Cali’s quiet and magical space take you into a world of nightlifers who stay up all night and sleep all day, where you will enjoy five-star restaurant-grade instant noodles. Let's go out to the sea to enjoy the beauty and wonder of the sea at night. After all, you come home, lay your back on the bed, and fall into a sleep that in your heart is truly immersed by the Cali night.