Although it was not my home town there are definitely things I miss about Atlanta: the trees and greenery, good iced tea (it is not a thing in LA), Southern hospitality and friendly people and the sense of community.  Atlanta really is a big city with a small town feel. I miss autumn; that is the most beautiful season in Atlanta.

But I definitely do not miss the weather – I did not like Atlanta’s oppressive heat and constant rain.  I miss my family and friends, but since LA is a destination city we’ve seen many of our Atlanta friends this year; that’s fun.

Moving to Los Angeles felt like moving to another planet, it’s so different from Atlanta. Things I don’t like: the traffic, the expense, the non-existent and expensive parking, and the people in general are not so friendly, they do not speak on the street. It’s also really hard to create community because of geography (and not so friendly people). But there are things that I really like about Los Angeles.

10 Things I Like About Los Angeles

1. The ocean and beach right outside my front door.
2. The mountains right outside my back door.
3. The lemon tree in my yard.
4. The pretty much perfect weather – it really is 72 and sunny most of the time!
5. The culture of being outside.  I walk on the beach or hike several times a week.
6. The abundance of healthy food and easy access to international cuisine.
7. Fantastic farmer’s markets.  Seriously, people bring shopping carts.
8. A surprisingly robust art and culture scene.
9. The fashion and style aesthetic (way more “me” than Atlanta).
10. I really love that I can bring Chili Dawg everywhere – department stores, restaurants (patio seating is year around) and even a few beaches.

Most of all I like that I have a new city to explore; every weekend is an adventure.  There are so many different things to do from the beach to downtown and beyond.  I have a whole new city to be curious about!  Many of my #LAstories are posted to my Instagram Story, so follow me there for daily musings about life in LA.

My daughter made this video of our family’s journey from Atlanta to Los Angeles; from Atlanta trees to LA beaches and old friends to new.  Welcome to La La Land!

P.S. You may also like to read: 10 Things I Like About Atlanta.