I felt really welcome arriving to Los Angeles. I actually know quite a few people in the area: College friends who relocated after graduating, family that lives in LA, and previous co-workers whom I mostly worked with over the phone. I spent a lot of time just hanging out with everyone and seeing what they do.

LA is a very spread out city, and more diverse than I realized. There is so much going on!

 

Food and Drink Spots

Food and Drink was a big part of my LA trip, and will probably become more of a theme as I travel the world and try new cuisines. Here are some of the places I went to:

-Cole’s: This place claims to have invented the French dip. I went during a happy hour special and it was delicious.

-Little Tokyo: This area has lots of sushi and noodle places. We ate Ramen at the best place in town, Daikokuya. The line can be very long but I thought it was well worth the wait.

-Joe’s Pizza: I can’t skip mentioning Joe’s; I ate there three times because it was cheap and delicious

-Public School: This was a great happy hour spot for meeting up with old colleagues. Everything from the ruled paper napkins to the board and bar games was fit the theme here perfectly!

-The Library: This upscale cocktail lounge has a private ‘collector’s edition’ library vibe. I was able to enjoy a glass of wine with my sorority little sister.

-The Little Easy: As you can probably guess from the name, this is a New Orleans themed bar. Their decor is amazing and drinking here with friends was one of my favorite nights.

-Mrs Fish: Ever wanted to drink awesome cocktails in an aquarium with live jazz music? Yeah, I never considered it either- but this place makes that combination work.

-Perch: For a great view of the city, I went to this rooftop bar on my last night. I’m a big fan of rooftop bars and this one is no exception.

 

Los Angeles Public Library

I normally wouldn’t write home about a library, but this one is special. The library is seven floors (three are below ground), and feels like one of the biggest I have ever been to. The architecture alone made this a worthwhile stop. Plus, with everyone I was visiting working during the week, this was a nice spot to chill.

 

Broad Museum

The Broad Museum, located in Downtown LA, was a fun (and free) contemporary art attraction I would recommend. I had a great time exploring all of the paintings, sculptures, and other displays that were on exhibit. There was even an exhibit that had musicians playing a song from different rooms in a house. Only when all the screens are together do you hear the completed song. If I ever return I plan to book a ticket ahead of time for the Infinity Mirrored Room, the only display which you need a separate ticket for.

 

Venice Beach

Venice Beach was a stop very similar to the movies. While it wasn’t the warm enough for swimming, it was still fun to be outside in January. Walking around I saw a great street show which was very entertaining and full of acrobatics. Here’s a small clip from the finale:

 

 

Hollywood

Walking around Hollywood was exactly as I expected, very touristy. I did have fun exploring the area but, like times square, I wouldn’t want to hang out near all of the tourists all the time. The stars on the Hollywood walk of fame were cool to see.

 

James Corden and the Late Late Show

I should start by saying I’m a huge fan of James Corden, so sitting in on a taping was extra-special to me. I had never been to a taping of a talk show and seeing everything they do to coordinate behind the scenes was fascinating. James’ opening monologue was really funny, and set the tone for a great show. The evening’s guest stars were Kurt Russell and Paul Dano. Thanks to some good seating, I was able to high-five Dano on his way to the stage! I had such a great time and hope to one day go back for another show.

 

Los Angeles has been a blast, but it’s time to move on. I’m off to Fiji.

Later LA.