el cajon: light leaks, loose change, and the numbers that followed me

i'm sitting on a cracked curb in el cajon, california, trying to remember why i thought bringing my 35mm film camera was a good idea. the sun's beating down like it's mad at me, and the air smells like dry grass and distant barbecue. i just checked the weather app: 21.99°c, feels like 20.98, humidity at 28%-it's that dry heat that makes your throat feel like sandpaper. perfect for shooting, they say, but my hands are already sticky. anyway, here's the spot i'm rambling about:

i've been wandering around for hours, looking for that perfect street corner where the light hits just right. el cajon's got this weird mix of old strip malls and new apartment complexes, and the shadows are long and weird at golden hour. i keep seeing these numbers everywhere: 5345529 on a graffiti tag under the freeway overpass, 1840020618 on a crumpled receipt from a taco place. they're probably nothing, but my brain won't let go. maybe it's a code, maybe it's just the universe messing with me. the locals are... something else. i stopped at a little coffee shop called 'the daily grind' (original, i know) and the barista gave me a look like i'd asked for a unicorn latte. i asked about the best spot for sunset, and she just pointed west and said 'if you get bored, san diego's just a short drive away.' i mean, yeah, but i'm here for the gritty stuff. i heard from a drunk guy at the bar that the taco stand by the freeway only opens when the owner's cat is in a good mood. i'll have to test that theory later. i've been scrolling through tripadvisor and yelp for recommendations, but i trust the street gossip more. someone told me that the mural on main street was painted by a famous street artist who vanished after finishing it. i spent an hour trying to find it, only to realize it's just a giant ad for a mattress store. classic. the light today is insane-clear, sharp, almost clinical. i shot a roll of film just to feel the grain. i'm a freelance photographer, so i'm always chasing that 'real' look, you know? the kind that makes you feel like you're there. but honestly, sometimes the best shots are the ones you don't plan. like this one time i captured a kid chasing a pigeon and the pigeon just stopped and stared. i still have that negative somewhere. i should probably mention the neighbors. when you need a break from el cajon's weirdness, san diego's only a quick 20-minute drive via the 94, or you could swing east into the anza-borrego desert where the stars actually show up. i've thought about heading to julian for apple pie, but i'm too busy chasing light. anyway, i'm getting hungry. i found a burrito joint that was recommended on the san diego reader's 'best cheap eats' list. i'll drop a link here because it's actually good: San Diego Reader: 10 Best Burritos Under $5. i also saw a yelp thread where people argue about whether el cajon has the best mexican food in the county-Yelp: El Cajon Mexican Food Showdown. and if you want to dive deep into local drama, the tripadvisor forum has a thread about the haunted theater downtown-TripAdvisor: El Cajon Haunted Places. i'm not saying i believe in ghosts, but the theater does have a creepy vibe. i've taken a few shots that i'm kind of proud of. here's an aerial view i found on unsplash that totally captures how el cajon spreads out into the foothills:

and this one, taken from the hill near the freeway, shows the city with the mountains in the back-kind of how i felt when i first arrived:

then i stumbled upon this pumpkin on someone's porch. i don't know why, but it felt like a sign. maybe it's a halloween thing, maybe it's just someone's weird decoration. i love how the city throws these little surreal moments at you:

i'm not sure what i'm trying to say here. maybe that el cajon is a weird, messy place that doesn't fit into any postcard. maybe that i'm just tired and my brain is making connections where there are none. but i keep thinking about those numbers: 5345529 and 1840020618. i looked them up-5345529 is a zip code? no, that's too long. 1840020618 is a phone number? maybe. i called it once and a guy answered in spanish and hung up. so, mystery unsolved. anyway, the sun's starting to set, and i need to find a spot to catch that golden hour before it's gone. i'll leave you with this: if you ever find yourself in el cajon, don't follow the crowds. follow the weird little details. the cracked sidewalk, the flickering neon, the pumpkin on the porch. that's where the real stories are.

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