My First Two Days in Los Angeles After Being In NYC Lockdown
I finally got out of NYC! I won two tickets to Latinafest which is held in Los Angeles, and it was my chance to get out of my apartment. I haven’t been to LA in years, and I was not sure what to expect but I booked my plane ticket for a few days. I decided to go with the flow, and I reached out to a few people I knew through my business groups. I knew some of the ladies were from LA and I wanted to connect. Recently, I’ve been going through a tough time emotionally and figured this would be the perfect mini escape.
I arrived in LA in the afternoon, checked into my hotel, went to a cafe and then decided to walk. I know who walks in LA? But I needed it. I am a New Yorker who walks everywhere and though LA is nothing like New York I needed to see things and feel some type of freedom from being trapped in NYC for the past two years. I started in West Hollywood then walked down the Antique District. The temperature was perfect. The last two weeks before leaving New York it was raining and cloudy, it did not help my mood. I finally understood people that get seasonal depression. I kept walking down the Antique District and as I peeked into the windows most of the stores were closed. I kept walking and ended up at LACMA. There was a huge boulder above the walkway that was cool and terrifying. I walked underneath and headed towards the lamps. I took a few pictures, admired my surroundings and sat for a bit. I wanted to go to the museum, but it was already 4:00PM so I decided to walk a bit more. Adjacent to LACMA are the La Brea Tar Pits. I walked around what seem like a beautiful park, but it was a historical site with tar pits. I was a tourist for a day.
I decided I would walk a few more miles before heading back to my hotel to rest. I haven’t had much of an appetite, and I was surprised with all that walking I didn’t feel hungry. I walked a bit more and headed to The Grove. I decided to get some chocolate because even without an appetite I will somehow find room for chocolate. I passed the Farmers Market and walked into The Grove. It had beautiful shops and felt like a movie set or a small street in Europe. I walked around the fountain and people watched as they were dining outdoors. It was very peaceful to go in slow motion and not have any plans. I headed to See’s Chocolate that was within the campus and decided to keep it simple and only get two pieces. The chocolatier was so lovely and gave me a free truffle when I paid, so I had three pieces of chocolate. Dinner was served.
As the sun set, I decided to walk to my hotel, and I walked by the Farmers Market again. I wanted to explore some more but I suddenly felt tired and perused a bit but didn’t stop. I began to walk to the hotel and halfway decided that I would take a bus. I could’ve taken a car, but I am such a New Yorker that public transportation doesn’t bother me. The bus came and left me 5 blocks or so away from my hotel. I thought I would go out that night, but my body was exhausted. This always happens to me when I go to California. The first day I get there, I feel drained around 8PM. It’s not even that late in the East Coast but I took it as a sign to rest. Between being mentally exhausted, flying out, walking a few miles and the time difference my body needed a break. I threw on my night gown and laid on the bed planning my next day. I knew I wanted to go to Runyon Canyon, and I would meet a friend after.
The following day I went to Runyon Canyon and hiked. It was refreshing but the sun was strong. There were a lot more people at the canyon then I expected. I walked one trail and took a left then quickly realized that I was headed toward a difficult trail. Luckily there was a bench and I just sat for a moment. I decided to take the moment for myself and slow down. My mind is always on go, go, go. I want to do so much and not waste a minute, but I was outdoors and just for a moment I wanted to just take in the sights and not think about anything. I took a few pictures and videos. I meditated for a moment and just stared out into the city. I decided to go towards the more popular trail since I knew there was no way I could do such a difficult hike on my first try. I walked up and sat a few more times. Each time taking in the sights and moments to myself.
My friend called and we met up. I went to In-n-Out, I know how can you possibly have something so bad after a hike? But I’ve been to LA so many times and never tried it. Well, I will tell you now, I never will again. I had two bites and threw it out. It was disgusting. I wanted to explore some chocolate spots and we ended up going to Beverly Hills. We went to And Sons, Teuschers, Diane Kron Chocolates and John Kelly Chocolates. They were all beautiful and delicious. While at Teuschers, I ended up chatting with the owner, Tom, and he offered his specialty sipping chocolate. We sat and he shared his story with me and my friend.
I had a few more fun filled days in LA but the first two was a nice change of pace from my New York apartment. The sun was shining, everything was beautiful, and the energy was fully charged. I visited a few more spots and attended Latinafest which was a filled with so much energy. More of that event to come. But it was a much-needed trip to escape the solitude and stagnate energy I’ve been feeling lately.