I (along with many people) have a love-hate relationship with Los Angeles. To start with the negatives.... traffic. Honestly, that might be the main thing that drives (hah) me away from staying here long-term. The three-mile drive from Sawtelle (best ramen around here!) to UCLA on a Friday night can take forty minutes. Don't do it... just take my word for it. Sometimes parking costs more than my lunch. The stalled car on the side of the 405 freeway is the most interesting thing to drivers and causes a five-mile back-up. But, the bright side is that God uses traffic to teach us patience :)
But seriously, though. I get a lot of questions from friends about life in LA. What's the food scene like? Art presence? Fashion culture? What are your favorite coffee shops? Do you study at the beach?
As a student at UCLA, I really don't need to go off campus. Class, work, gym, friends, and food (really good food) are all within one square mile. It's not as snazzy as you may think—I wear a sweatshirt, leggings, and Nikes to class every day and try to save money by cooking. I organize each day with my Google Calendar and would probably forget to do everything without it.
A typical day starts with:
Waking up at 6:30, going to the gym, showering, and spending time in the Word. I love morning devotional time because God refreshes and prepares my heart for the day. I'm not perfect at this spiritual discipline, and am constantly learning to fight for sweet moments to drink deeply from the Bible!
Work or class starts at 9am and continues throughout the afternoon. I'll meet up with a friend for lunch and/or dinner, work on some calligraphy commissions, do homework, job-search, and attempt to sleep by 11pm (this rarely happens, but a gal can have goals, right?). It can get mundane and repetitive, so sometimes it's nice to spend time away from UCLA every once in a while.
I get off campus at least once a week for church. I attend Grace Community Church, and this is hands-down my favorite part of being in Los Angeles! I've found my home here with its biblical preaching, Gospel-centered leadership, loving community, and many areas to serve. The church coffee shop also serves the best coffee in LA (I'm probably biased, but check for yourself on
Steeplehouse's Yelp reviews!).
When my friends decide to be spontaneous, or my fiancé and I want to go on adventure, we can always find a new place to explore.
Here's a roundup of a few of my favorites:
These are my favorite coffee shops for studying. They have free WiFi, abundant seating, a few outlets, and excellent milk alternatives (that last one is practically mandatory for any LA coffee shop nowadays). There's free street parking for The Boy and The Bear, Verve, and Groundwork; just be careful to read the street signs about time limit and exceptions. For ChitChat, there's a free parking structure farther down Sawtelle Blvd.
There's an abundance of overpriced avocado toast in LA, but these are two of my favorite brunch spots. Lunetta All Day has a free parking lot (BLESS), adorable outdoor seating with vines crawling up pink walls, and stellar brunch dishes. Republique has the most gorgeous open space with communal tables, natural light, high ceilings, hanging lamps, and tiled floors. They serve a well-curated menu; kimchi rice, pastries, and waffles have never tasted so good together.
Guisados (restaurant) and Leo's (truck) can be found at multiple locations all over LA. I love the Guisados sampler plate becuase I'm indecisive, and Leo's has mastered the pineapple-al pastor combo. These places are authentic: small corn tortillas, perfectly-seasoned meat, and reasonable prices.