Unexpected experiences are one of my favorite parts of travel. While walking down Venice Beach for my first time I saw a crowd gathering at the skate park so I decided to check it out. Shaun White, fresh off his Olympic gold medal victory in Vancouver, was skating with the local kids. He was waiting his turn and chatting with people around him, and it felt as though I was getting a glimpse of what everyday life was like for the locals, even if in this town the locals happen to be celebrities.