Alone in Angel City – Los Angeles

 

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Ahoy! Ahead is sort of a partial diary page in my self-guide to traveling solo in your 20s, I guess.

If you have never ever considered the idea of traveling solo, I ask, may you reconsider the idea again?

I must admit that the lack of selfies and menu choices for the singular experience can leave you missing the shared fun of doing things in sets of twos (or more), but if Bear Grylls has taught me anything about slowly awakening the more instinctual and open minded side of adventure, it’s about being resourceful. And sometimes, that can only be found when you are on your own.

Although I have been by now on a couple of travels plane hopping without a companion to call ‘friend’ for a good portion of a trip, my second time traveling solo was indeed a true solitary experience. Across four cities in two weeks. Destination: United States. And now that I am looking at this from the other end, from being 24 to now 25, it’s not all about being mentally tough and letting the complete selfish act of only thinking about your besties (Me, Myself and I) take over your every day without compromise. There will be a point when you just feel too damn alone to be happy by yourself for these occasions (an experience I felt in New York which I will share on a later date). Still, I think it’s something you can’t avoid. Accept it, embrace it, and then move on. It’s not all sugarcoated freedom as it might sound at the start but once you get over it, I found I was able to lighten up at the small joys of the treasure find. Whether it was finding a good spot for a much needed break from pounding pavement or better time management to fully conquer my to-do list, the adventure was like a Survivor guide to evaluating and strategizing fun in the absence of company, without having to deal with that tribal outplay drama cos, you know – no tiki torches.

Admittedly, coming from Australia I would say venturing to the Land of the Free (and the Home of Pumpkin Spice, my newly discovered favourite) would be considered a stranger kind of familiar than foreign. So of course I would naturally end up first on the West side to discover our long lost distant cousin who would make me want to stamp every experience with that distinctive Cali-vibe I heard so much of from the lyrics by a certain Californian Girl.

Los Angeles this early October was a mixture of familiar short-shorts and tee’s in the unusually hot weather in the Autumn season and I am convinced that the space this city land mass has occupied could shame a tetris labyrinth – sandwiched between beachy coast and arid desert. Crazy Winter pattern aside, LA seemed to share many aspects of Sydney’s lifestyle, the casual dress code, the urban beach scene is a interesting mix of Manly and Bondi eccentrics and body shapes and how public transportation is a bio~tch. Lucky, public transport was no longer my sole method to get across the ridiculously long roads of Angel City in the form of a most gracious acquaintance from a dear friend (I realized early that no one uses their legs for more than a few blocks) but I heard Uber was a nice alternative to hack the vast maze blocks that make up LA in no time for those with no wheels.

If you are only traveling for a few days in LA, here is my hit list of must does which I found enjoyable:

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Until next time!

Siree

Xx

Comments (2)

Beautiful photos!

I’d never be brave enough to travel solo – I always get lost and look like a tourist even if I’m just visiting a different state, haha!

Would be a great adventure though, like you said.

Thanks Mica!

Haha I’m also bad with directions myself and got lost a few times when I was using Google too!

Ahh failure… I end up drawing my own maps to get the right direction :)

Luckily small talk is a big thing in America and asking/talking to people was a bit fun :D

Xx
Siree

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