Travel | Los Angeles

Introduction

Yeah, yeah. I know.

My trip to Los Angeles was months ago. I should have written a post immediately after that, but so much has happened and my life’s insanity has skyrocketed, so I haven’t had much time to write, compose, or really do anything creative. My workplace is killing me, lately, and every time I sit down to be creative, I end up falling asleep.

Anyway, I went to Los Angeles this spring to attend the Writers of the Future award ceremony for 2019! It was a blast and a fantastic experience, even though I was in the city for less than two days. I’m glad I went and I’m extraordinarily glad I was able to bring my mother with me.

Vegan Food in Los Angeles

I knew there were a few places I wanted to eat while in Los Angeles. As a vegan in Los Angeles, my options were virtually unlimited. I had to be picky, though, as I only had time to eat at two different places. I tried to squeeze in a third (Plant Food + Wine), but had to cancel the reservation as there just wasn’t enough time. So, my two picks for dining out were M Cafe and SuperFood Cafe.

M Cafe

M Cafe more than lived up to the expectations that had been set by their Instagram. My burger was remarkable, the Strawberry Shortcake was heavenly, and my mother quite enjoyed her salad. I know for sure that I am going to be heading back there as soon as I return to Los Angeles.

SuperFood Cafe

After seeing the ocean (for the first time in my life), I went to SuperFood Cafe for a pre-flight breakfast. The food was incredible, surprisingly spicy, and quite filling. This was originally supposed to be followed up with brunch at Plant Food + Wine, but I didn’t have enough time before the flight. Thank goodness, though, because I don’t think I could have handled a follow-up meal after this one!

Los Angeles Coffee

You know that if I’m gonna travel somewhere, I’m trying some coffee. In Los Angeles, I tried quite a bit of coffee, stopping at three different places: Coffee Commissary, Lab Coffee & Roasters, and Bulletproof Cafe. I also had coffee at the award ceremony. That coffee was quite good, though I’m not sure who provided it.

Coffee Commissary

This was my favorite of the three stops we made. Coffee Commissary was lovely, near our AirBnB, and had a calm, inviting aesthetic (this may seem strange as far as compliments go, but I will always praise coffee shops for invoking a sense of peace or focus). The coffee was great, too; I got a black, hot coffee despite the intense heat.

Lab Coffee & Roasters

The second stop for coffee, which was made between M Cafe and accessing our AirBnB, was also quite good. It was a small, quaint shop with a very zen vibe. I felt right at home as I sat there with a shot of espresso, sipping it while time ticked by.

Bulletproof Cafe

Bulletproof Cafe was okay. I didn’t finish my coffee (partially because it was such a hot day) and I wasn’t overly fond of it. I will be fair and say that Bulletproof seems to specialize in a particular kind of coffee which is very much not vegan, so I only had a black coffee. That said, I greatly enjoyed the black coffees at the other two cafes, so I am more inclined to recommend those two coffee stops if you’re in the area.

Writers of the Future Award Ceremony

Attending the award ceremony was surreal. It was like the last note of a crescendo for a particular phase in my career as a writer. Attending the ceremony for a contest I had been entering for such a long period of time made the whole thing feel a lot more real. My favorite part (and certainly the most encouraging) was seeing how ecstatic all of the other writers and illustrators were. They seemed to have a deep admiration and respect for the competition, which furthered my own respect for it.

Conclusion

In the end, this short, less-than-two-day trip to Los Angeles featured a great number of new experiences that I am sure to cherish for some time. From amazing food to great coffee to a strong dose of encouragement regarding my writing, I think that my trip to Los Angeles was more than just a vacation; this trip was a necessity and was vital to helping me spur myself forward as a creative individual.

If you would like to read specifically about the Writers of the Future event, check out my previous blog post about it. If you like the makeshift vegan tuxedo I threw together, I’ve got links below to the different articles of clothing I used.

I hope that you found this article helpful, especially if you are a vegan traveling to Los Angeles. Traveling as a vegan can be especially difficult, but after going to Los Angeles, I’d say it’s a very vegan-friendly city. Think of it as vegan traveling on “easy mode”.