Los Angeles, California

Traveling is my all time favorite thing to do. This year has been the start of my constant journey. I vowed to take as many trips that my time would allow me. So, for my second biggest trip, I went to Los Angeles, California! This has been a trip I've wanted to take for so long. So many thoughts ran through my mind about what I've heard about it, what I wanted to see, what I wanted to do, etc.

My trip was this past week, November 1-7 and it was very much of an experience. To start off with, L.A. was not what I expected. However, the overall trip was very enjoyable by the time the end was near. It was a leisure trip that had no definite plans except for ComplexCon, which I'll discuss in a later post. I was with one of my best friends and we both expected this trip to be 'glits and glam', everything we saw and heard from movies idealizing California, but that was not the reality.

Throughout the week, we visited different areas of L.A. including Melrose Ave., Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Echo Park, Downtown, and even the surrounding beaches like Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, and Long Beach. We explored the cliché touristy sites as well as some cool local spots. I always feel like local restaurants, bars, and events are a must when visiting new places so you can scope out the real atmosphere.

My favorite things about the trip were the food we ate, hiking to the Hollywood sign, and ComplexCon. We ate at a bunch of different places; brunch spots, a marketplace, food trucks, and little local restaurants. The hike to the Hollywood sign was one of the most invigorating things I've done and I thought I would've been extremely tired as soon as we started. It was exciting to explore the different paths to figure out how to get exactly where you wanted to. Lastly, ComplexCon! That was by far the best experience I've had yet. The convention was a collective event for new releases of shoes, clothing, and music for many different brands and artists. There were performances by artists like Pharell, Gucci, A$AP Ferg, and many more. There were loads of food trucks, cool people and good vibes all around.

I would definitely go back to visit L.A. but it'd have to be when there is a big event going on like ComplexCon or something of that sort. My advice to anyone that wants to visit is to make somewhat of a plan of what you want to do out there and keep yourself busy. If it weren't for my desire to explore any and every aspect of a new place, then I would have been bored. I'm glad I visited because that was an overly hyped location that I needed to experience myself to get an accurate depiction.

See you on my next journey!