Olivier Giroud always wanted to end his career in California – but life has not been entirely the dream he proposed so far.
The Frenchman fits in Los Angeles, sitting in the sun after training in the impressive facility of Lafc, east of the beaches and palm trees of the west coast of America.
But Giroud has arisen for a huge number of challenges since he arrived at AC Milan last summer.
A number of LafC teammates and employees were put on evacuation alert during the devastating forest fires of January that destroyed more than 18,000 houses.
The club has helped to collect funds to support those who were displaced, while Spits Giroud has donated assets.
Powercuts, earthquakes and the Giroud family home have even been broken into earlier this month.
Giroud said: “Since I arrived in LA last summer, we had three power outages in five days of ten, 12 and 15 hours.
“There was a huge earthquake when we were on the training field. There were all the fires. It was really a sad situation. People lost everything.
“We thank the first responds and firefighters who have done great. It really made me sad. I was scared.
“I also had a personal bad experience. Hopefully there are better days in advance. It is part of life.
“Sometimes you have great days and sometimes difficult moments.
“It was a desire to finish here in the US and give this opportunity to my children to discover a different way of life.”
Despite all the challenges, Giroud California and Major League Soccer fully embraces.
The 38-year-old, who started the French side of Grenoble two decades ago and took it during his journey in London and Milan, is more than satisfied with the life, in a dramatic six months.
He added: “It reminds me a bit of London. I lived in London for nine years and I really enjoy this city.
“You can do a lot of things with the family. Plus you have the ocean side, which is really fun.
“It's a bit far from Europe, but I love the lifestyle and visit other parts of the US.
“I brought the family to different places in California, but I really want to go to Hawaii and San Francisco.
“I took them to Las Vegas, San Diego. Maybe New York, if I can, for a break.
“It is sunny almost every day. You feel far from home, like every day on vacation. It is not yet a vacation time, but maybe in a few years.
“I am really here to bring my experience to the team and to keep playing to win.
“I am a competitor and I said I will be in MLS to always give and reach my best.”
A bottleneck of his new life in LA is keeping track of events back in the Premier League.
As Giroud says, “it's far away from Europe”, with English early competitions on a Saturday that starts here at 4.30 am.
At least that has enabled him to sleep through some recent struggles from Arsenal.
But despite the fact that the Gunners look again as a title, Giroud's confidence in former teammate Mikel Arteta is unwavering.
Giroud said about Arsenal's Spanish manager: 'He has done great work in recent years.
“I would say in a different style, but in a continuity of what Arsene Wenger did.
“He had time to have the team improved, to set up his ideas. He is now one of the best managers in Europe.
“He shown it. He almost brought Arsenal back to the top of the competition. I would like to see them win the title.
'Mikel will never give up. I wish they win. “
One of the biggest factors that Arsenal stops was their lack of no. 9.
But the top scorer of France of all time with 57 goals, which also took 105 for the Gunners, did not consider a return to Thierry Henry-Stijl to North London from MLS.
He said, 'No, I'm getting old. I quickly become 39. “
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