torrance, ca: why my hoodie is perpetually damp and my bank account is perpetually zero

i've been in torrance for three days now and my hoodie is perpetually damp. i'm a budget student, so everything here is a calculation: how many days can i stretch a pack of instant noodles? is the bus fare worth the extra hour of sleep? but honestly, the weather is the real test. i keep seeing weird numbers 5351549 and 1840020482 on everything - the bus stop schedule, the coffee receipt, even the graffiti under the bridge. what does it mean? maybe it's the city's secret code for 'you're broke but you're here'.

the weather app says it's 15.67°c, feels like 15.75°c, with a humidity of 94%. that's not a forecast, that's a cry for help. the air is so thick i feel like i'm swimming through soup. pressure sits at 1012 hpa, sea level same, ground level 1011. the day's low is 14.52 and high 16.32, so not much variation, just constant mugginess. my hair is a frizzy mess and my skin feels like it's wearing a wet sock. i glanced at my weather app and it's a swampy 15.67 with humidity at 94%. not exactly my ideal climate, but it's here, and if you love walking through foggy broth you'll have a blast.

here's the exact spot i'm camped out:

torrance isn't the postcard you see on instagram. it's a mix of warehouses, low-rise apartments, and strip malls that all look the same. the streets smell faintly of salt and car exhaust because we're near the coast but also near the freeway. i've been staying at a hostel near the 110 and 405 interchange, which means constant traffic noise. still, there's a weird charm in watching the trucks roll by while i'm eating my $2.99 michelangelo's instant pasta.

when you're itching to escape the hum of torrance, downtown la is a 20-minute metro ride away, and long beach is just a few exits down the 710. they're basically your next-door neighbors, but with higher rent.

someone told me that the best fish tacos are at a place called 'el refugio' on 190th street, but the guy only serves until 4pm and he's grumpy if you ask for extra sauce. i went at 3:58 and he slammed the window in my face. guess i'll stick to the $1.50 chicken tacos from the truck by the bus depot - those are reliable and open till midnight. also, i heard through the grapevine that the all-you-can-eat sushi on madison street is a front for a magic card shop. not sure if that's true, but the yelp reviews are suspiciously glowing.

i found a decent list of free stuff on tripadvisor (though some are questionable): Torrance's Top Free Attractions. for eats, yelp is my bible: Cheap Eats Under $10. also, the south bay student discount hub (http://southbaystudents.com) has a coupon for 20% off at the campus cafe (if you can prove you're a student, which i obviously am not but i have a fake id). i also follow r/torrance on reddit where locals argue about whether in-n-out counts as fast food or gourmet.

the hills south of here, the palos verdes peninsula, are surprisingly green for a desert state. i snapped a pic (okay, i stole one from unsplash) that captures that rolling landscape:

brown and white mountain under blue sky during daytime

then, when the marine layer rolls in, the santa monica mountains look like they've got a dusting of snow, which is trippy because it's california:

a group of mountains covered in snow under a blue sky

and if you hike up one of those trails you'll meet people like this guy, chilling at the summit:

man in blue T-shirt on top of the mountain under the blue sky

budget life here is a constant juggling act. a day pass for the metro is $5, which is less than a starbucks coffee (which i can't afford anyway). i've discovered that the public library has free wi-fi and charging stations, so i spend hours there pretending to study while actually writing this post. the humidity messes with my laptop, so i have to wipe the keyboard every hour. also, laundry costs $2.50 per load, which is almost as much as a meal, so i've resorted to washing socks in the sink. not glamorous, but it's a story.

all in all, torrance is a weird, humid, slightly industrial town that grows on you like a fungus. it's not the glitzy la you see on tv, but that's why i like it. the people are real, the prices are low, and the weather keeps you humble. i'll probably leave in a week, but i'll take the memory of that damp air and the haunting numbers 5351549 and 1840020482 with me. maybe one day i'll crack the code.

torrance, ca: why my hoodie is perpetually damp and my bank account is perpetually zero

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