Stardust

Words and music by Alina Celeste
© 2016 Alina Celeste

Alina writes: “The Griffith Park Observatory sits high above Los Angeles, a beautiful symbol of art and science. It’s free to the public, given to the people of Los Angeles by Griffith J. Griffith. It has a planetarium that shows movies about space and the universe; a Tesla coil; a Foucault pendulum; and other exhibits on the stars, the sun, the moon, and our universe. It’s one of my favorite places in all the world. I spent seven years in Los Angeles and celebrated more than one birthday overlooking the city at the observatory. I love the breathtaking views, the beautiful architecture, and the seven-dollar movies explaining the history of the universe and the big bang theory.

“Leaving any place you have loved is a process. About three months before I left on my next adventure, I went to the Observatory one last time with a good friend. We watched my favorite, slightly corny movie about the history of the universe, and after we looked out at the city I had called home for years. That night, while brushing my teeth, I began humming the chorus to ‘Stardust.’ By the next day I had finished it. It is my love song and my farewell to the life I had in Los Angeles, and a promise to the loved ones I left there that I’ll be around.”