I have a lot of family in California, and as such it has been a reoccurring destination from me since childhood. Unfortunately, as soon as you get into college everyone expects you to pay for your own tickets to get out there (go figure), and so I haven’t been there in a long time. The last time I was there, it was actually for work. Struggling to find a job in a highly competitive college town, my grandpa hooked me up with an internship for an oil company in Los Angeles. I was supposed to be trained for a month and a half, and then go home to Colorado and do the work remotely. In the end, it didn’t pan out that way, but the experience of living in Anaheim with my aunt, commuting with the black tie crowd, and working in the big city was one I’ll never forget.
(My desk at work. Yay, cubicles!)
(An unnecessarily large calculator I found at my desk.)
Travelers get the chance to visit so many places, but you see a different side when you actually get a job wherever you’re visiting. This was a side of Los Angeles I had never known, despite having been there so often. Admittedly, I was pretty scared. Denver is a mere neighborhood compared to Los Angeles, and even Denver intimidates me. I had to make the trip into downtown L.A. all by myself and try to find the building based on loose directions. I woke up early to catch the hour and a half long train ride from Anaheim to L.A. in order to be in the office by 9 am. Luckily, when I got to my transfer, a nice lady helped me figure out which train to take, and then a police officer downtown told me exactly how to get to my building. “You’ll see a bright orange sculpture in front!” Who ever said city people aren’t nice?
(You know what this fountain needs? A bright orange stairway sculpture...thing.)
Overall, my experience was pretty much what you’d expect from working anywhere. It was working; getting up ridiculously early, grabbing lunch at crazy prices because it’s downtown L.A., looking over a sea of sky scrapers during my breaks. Still, it felt posh, it felt professional, it felt empowering. I was truly grateful for the opportunity.
(The building I worked in.)
(The view from the nearest window to my desk.)
It wasn’t all work though. Here are some of the things I did or saw that made working in LA almost as good as vacationing in LA:
I got to swim almost every day. I swear I am Californian at heart; I love the sun and the water. While I only made it to the beach once, there was a pool at my aunt’s condo that I took a dip in almost every day. I got to play with my young cousin, Amari, and his friends, who were a handful but lots of fun. Kids always make pools more enjoyable. The best part was night swimming. I don’t know what it is, but swimming in the dark in a lit up pool feels great (as long as it’s still warm out).
I got to see the beautiful gardens in the central train station in Los Angeles. One of my favorite things about California has always been the flowers, since Colorado, in general, is pretty devoid of them. The garden in the train station was a treat, especially coming home in the light of the setting sun.
I got to swim almost every day. I swear I am Californian at heart; I love the sun and the water. While I only made it to the beach once, there was a pool at my aunt’s condo that I took a dip in almost every day. I got to play with my young cousin, Amari, and his friends, who were a handful but lots of fun. Kids always make pools more enjoyable. The best part was night swimming. I don’t know what it is, but swimming in the dark in a lit up pool feels great (as long as it’s still warm out).
I got to see the beautiful gardens in the central train station in Los Angeles. One of my favorite things about California has always been the flowers, since Colorado, in general, is pretty devoid of them. The garden in the train station was a treat, especially coming home in the light of the setting sun.
The stores in downtown L.A. are very chic, and my favorite was a cute bar/bakery/confectionary called Bottega Louie. They sold amazing macarons (not macaroons), providing me with my first taste of those trendy treats. They were kind of expensive, but the earl grey flavored ones were just too good. I usually picked some up twice a week. They have pretty little gift boxes to put them in, but I actually just bought the gift boxes separately because they were so cute. I keep jewelry inside them.
(Pretty macarons and dainty pink boxes. Source.)
I visited Chinatown and Nihonmachi (Japan Town). Los Angeles’s Chinatown is full of interesting smells, sights, and stores. It’s huge and magnificent and I definitely recommend a visit. Japan Town is a bit understated by comparison, but they have awesome ramen restaurants, beautiful Japanese gardens, and I even got to buy my first yukata there.
One of the most fascinating parts of my visit was learning so much about my grandpa’s company. It was a great opportunity to get a glimpse into that part of his world, and to see how much he was appreciated. My coworkers were so nice to me, and I learned a lot, such as how oil wells are made and about geology in general. One coworker seemed to just be waiting for someone to ask about his impressive rock collection, and I was the one who obliged. He had some really rare pieces!
Most of my memories of this time are happy, but there is melancholy to them, as well. It would be the last time I saw my cousin Devonte, who passed away only six months later. I try to fix this time in my mind whenever my memory wanders back to him. I try to remember watching TV with him or playing in the pool while he flipped off ledges into the water. My visit to California helped me grow as a person, but it is more important as the most fun I’ve ever had with my cousin.
Have any of your travels been for a job, or have you ever tried to pick up a part-time job while vacationing somewhere? Do y
One of the most fascinating parts of my visit was learning so much about my grandpa’s company. It was a great opportunity to get a glimpse into that part of his world, and to see how much he was appreciated. My coworkers were so nice to me, and I learned a lot, such as how oil wells are made and about geology in general. One coworker seemed to just be waiting for someone to ask about his impressive rock collection, and I was the one who obliged. He had some really rare pieces!
Most of my memories of this time are happy, but there is melancholy to them, as well. It would be the last time I saw my cousin Devonte, who passed away only six months later. I try to fix this time in my mind whenever my memory wanders back to him. I try to remember watching TV with him or playing in the pool while he flipped off ledges into the water. My visit to California helped me grow as a person, but it is more important as the most fun I’ve ever had with my cousin.
Have any of your travels been for a job, or have you ever tried to pick up a part-time job while vacationing somewhere? Do y