<\/p>It has been nearly four weeks since I left my beloved New York for Los Angeles. And, as I had hoped and expected, picking up and moving across the country has been an exhilarating, emotional and revelatory experience.\n

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All smiles at Yamashiro Restaurant with a panoramic view of LA behind me<\/p><\/div>\n

First and foremost in this journey is the job which brought me here \u2014 Marketing Manager for the SLS at Beverly Hills<\/a>. In the short time that I have been a part of the team, I have felt truly welcomed and utterly impressed by my smart, spirited and dedicated colleagues.<\/p>\n

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Altitude Pool: one of many spectacular amenities at the SLS<\/p><\/div>\n

The hotel itself is a dream for a storyteller like me \u2014 rich in its design, service and food and beverage offerings. During a rotation at The Bazaar <\/a>restaurant, in which I had the pleasure of sampling several innovative tapas, I told a coworker I was running out of synonyms for delicious and awestruck. Wow.<\/p>\n

One of the best parts of this move \u2013 and a key factor in my decision to do this \u2014 has been the many wonderful friends and acquaintances I know out here. Like longtime galpal Natasha, with whom I enjoyed a girls night out in Pasadena, a charming little town not far from LA. And blogger\/author Kelly Seal, who gave me my first taste of local Mexican food and margaritas at Mercado<\/a> on West Third Street, a stretch known for great eateries. And my dear friend from high school Allison, who moved here from Toronto nine years ago and understands the inevitable adjustment period that accompanies such a huge life change.<\/p>\n

I am blessed to know alot of awesome people here and can\u2019t wait to catch up with all of them.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, this New York City Gal is appreciating the differences between the Big Apple and my new hometown. Among those I\u2019ve noticed so far\u2026<\/p>\n

Quiet. With its sprawling nature, LA has a lot less noise pollution than NYC.<\/p>\n

LA is\u00a0also far more pedestrian friendly than you would think. An amalgam of neighborhoods with varied personalities, LA has several walkable areas. While I am looking forward to eventually getting a car, I haven\u2019t felt stranded thanks to Uber (much cheaper and faster here in the state where it launched) and Zipcar.<\/p>\n

Plenty of New Yorkers live here. I\u2019ve met them at work and out and about, feeling an instant kinship with all of them. But I\u2019m also enjoying getting to know the locals. And looking forward to feeling more like a local myself. In the meantime, I\u2019m truly enjoying the honeymoon period.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s truly amazing when you follow your bliss and it leads to an incredible fresh start.<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"