For this post, I had to combine the last TWO weeks of LA living into one massive super-post because I’ve been so busy and… FINALLY FOUND A JOB! The chaos and incredible amount of networking and interviewing has finally paid off and I’m officially an account coordinator for a PR firm that specializes in travel and lifestyle which I know is going to be a great fit. Interested in more info? Find out below 🙂
WEEK 10
On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of week 10 I found myself exploring three new coffee shops and informational interviews over coffee with people at The Metro Cafe in Santa Monica, Solar de Cahuenga in Hollywood, and Bar Nine in Culver City. I love being in these kinds of creative spaces to get my work done.
On Wednesday evening I went to a “Built in LA” career fair at Angel City Brewery which was a really cool experience because I got the chance to network with people from some really amazing startups in the LA area and even got to try a free pint of their beer. The brewery is located right downtown in the “arts” district which is only a couple miles away from our apartment.
On Thursday I had the opportunity to visit the farmers’ market right by our apartment for the first time even though we’ve lived here for almost three months now (wow!) and it had flowers, homemade goods like cheese and fresh picked fruit for sale. I love farmers’ markets.
Friday I spent the day running around the greater LA area, and having a final interview with what would become my future company! Then, I had the chance to check out a new rooftop bar downtown with Conner called the NoMad Rooftop Bar where we enjoyed the classic view of the DTLA skyline and some tiki themed cocktails 😉
Saturday afternoon Conner and I hiked the Lake Hollywood Reservoir which had a really nice view of the Hollywood sign.
After our hike on our way to Costco in Burbank, we saw a crowd gathered and what looked like a movie filming on Burbank Blvd…it turns out it was the film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and who jumped out of the car at the end of the scene other than Brad Pitt himself! It’s the first time I’ve officially seen a movie star in LA so far and he was just as handsome in person. Don’t worry, Conner agrees.
On Saturday night Conner, Michael and I drove up to the Fairplex in Pomona to go to Oktoberfest! It was a LOT of fun and I’ve never been to any festival like it. There were so many people dancing, traditional German food, a band, a DJ as well as other live entertainment, and lots of German beer!
On Sunday I got to have the super extra picnic brunch of my dreams on the beach in Venice. Conner and I ate homemade pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bananas with peanut butter. It was delicious, and made even better by the view of the ocean.
WEEK 11
On Monday I felt pretty stressed out so I went for a run around Echo Park Lake which left me sore for three days, no kidding. I cycle and hike a lot but I guess I’m not in running shape! That evening to make me feel less stressed out Conner made me a candy plate complete with sweet tarts, laffy taffy, chocolate, and a sugar scented candle which was very thoughtful. I’m so lucky to have so much support in LA even when it feels really tough sometimes!
On Tuesday I spent the day at a coffee shop called with an outdoor patio and lots of shade in Culver City. That evening was the American Music Awards at the Staples Center which is about 300 yards from our apartment, so of course Conner and I walked over to check out the real life red carpet and see if we could spot any celebrities.
Wednesday evening I watched the sunset off the Santa Monica pier with Conner, and then met a new friend that I met on LinkedIn (who knew that LinkedIn was a place for finding friends, too? 🙂 ) for drinks in downtown Santa Monica at a place called “The Bungalow.” It had a really cool vibe and featured a fire pit and twinkly string lights everywhere. I got a drink called the “California Incline” which was named after the road that connects the PCH to Santa Monica’s main street. Clever!
Thursday I went to a new coffee shop in Silver Lake called “La Colombe” with a cool upstairs seating area and a really pretty mural (see above!). That evening I went to my friend Meagan’s Panel on Women’s Empowerment, at Group Nine Media in Culver City. I felt really inspired by the five women (and Meagan herself!) on the panel who shared their life stories and advice for making it in the media industry, as well for life. Meagan put on an AMAZING event and I’m so grateful to have been able to attend it 🙂
Friday I went to the “Skylent” disco at OUE Skyspace with Conner. It was a silent disco on the roof of the OUE Skyspace building. I had never been to a silent disco before! There were three DJ’s and each was spinning a different type of music. You could tell which kind of music was playing in each person’s earphones by what color their headset was lit up! It was neat.
Saturday Conner and I drove back to San Luis Obispo for my good friend Amanda’s 21st birthday bar crawl in downtown SLO! First thing we did when we got to the Central Coast? Hit up my favorite place in the world during Fall: The Avila Barn and pumpkin patch. There were farm animals to feed and lots of fall treats like pumpkin pie and apple cider, and even some puppy service dogs in training 🙂
That evening, a bunch of my friends from college met up to go downtown and watch Amanda be absolutely incredible on her crawl (she finished her ENTIRE sign checklist.) and wind down a bit in SLO-town for the weekend.
Sunday I met my friends for breakfast at my favorite coffee shop in SLO, Kreuzberg. It was just as good as I remembered. Then, Conner and I went hiking in Montana de Oro with his sister who goes to Cal Poly now on the Point Buchon trail and had beautiful weather! It was a great trip and I was so happy to be able to see my old friends and watch Amanda OFFICIALLY turn 21 😉
It was a really big week and I’m excited to have more details on my first real big girl job in my post for next week 🙂