So here's some of the places in United States that I managed to visit in the 6 years I lived there. If I were given more monetary flexibility, I would have traveled more! The desire to travel came when I moved to Los Angeles. That would be when I was officially "off the leash" from my family. (sound wild, but NOT). In addition to that, I took up part time job while doing Masters. This gave me extra income. So whenever there's any holiday, I would take that opportunity to travel with close friends.
My favorite cities?
1. San Francisco & Los Angeles
3. New York
It's hard for me to pick between San Francisco and Los Angeles. People often asked which cities I prefer since I've lived in both for 3 years each. Each city is unique on its own. I love San Francisco because it is a very romantic city; everything looks so picturesque. The weather is the best because it doesn't get warm like Los Angeles. There are many places you can visit in SF - Gold Gate Bridge, Sausalito, Lombard Street, Union Square, Twin peak, Fishermen's Wharf, Museum of Fine Arts, etc. And you can never get bored of these places no matter how many times you visited them. SF makes a better tourist place than LA because it is a prettier city. People are friendlier too. Food here is awesome. Some of my favorite restaurants are Tani's Kitchen, The House, Shabuway, Dojo Ramen, etc. Yes, those are ASIAN food. In addition to good food, SF has good public transportation. You can easily take bart or buses to almost anywhere.
The downside of SF would be the hilly downtown road. It can get a bit stressful when you drive in SF. The roads can get so steep that you have to make sure your car brake is on when parking. SF can get really foggy too (in the Summer), especially in Daly City. I used to live near the Airport and sometimes the fog can get really thick that you feel you are driving in some eerie scary haunted road! You can barely see anything in front of you.
Golden Gate Bridge
Union Square
Palace of Fine Arts
Twin Peak
And as for Los Angeles.. it is a totally different city from SF. What do I love about Los Angeles? I love the fact that the city offers a wide variety of food - chinese, japanese, korean, vietnamese, greek, italian, french, everything you name it! I guess California has the highest percentage of Asian throughout the whole nation - many lived in LA & SF. And strange enough, LA is where I fell in love with Korean food. LA has a koreantown and they offer different types of korean food. The food in koreantown taste as good as the ones in Korea, some even taste better! LA has a more variety of food and nightlife as compared to SF. Most of the cafe places close really late at night unlike in SF.
Places to visit? Of course there's theme parks such as Disneyland, Universal Studio & Six Flags. There are museums that you can visit such as LACMA. We usually go to LACMA to take pictures with the giant lanterns. The city is also known for the beaches. That you can't get it in SF because of the cold & foggy weather. You can go to Malibu, Santa Monica Beach, Huntington Beach, etc. There are many places that you can go for hiking too - Runyon Canyon, Eaton Canyon to see the waterfall, Griffith Park Trails etc.
The downside of LA would be the CRAZY traffic. The intersection between highway 405 & 10 is named the most traffic area in the whole United States! And to think that I used to live right off that highway. The weather can get really hot too. Winter can feel like summer because it doesn't get colder than 10 degree celsius?
LACMA lights
Santa Monica Beach
Disneyland
Eaton Canyon Hike
Hollywood Sign Hike
So now you know LA & SF have different things to offer. I can't really say that I prefer one to the other. I love both cities. :)
My 3rd favorite city would be New York. I wouldn't want to live there, but I would go back to visit the city. It is a fast paced city. Everyone just seems to be in a hurry. New York is the best place to go if you want to experience the real meaning of Christmas. You can even get a white Christmas aka snow on Christmas Day itself! Christmas songs are being played in every store and Christmas trees and decorations are everywhere. I love it! I want to visit NY every Christmas. ~~~ !
Places to visit would be to the Empire State building, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Top of the Rock & Rockefeller, Times Square, 9/11 memorial etc. There are many yummy places too such as Halal Guys (Gyros - Da BEST!), Ippudo Ramen, Serendipity, Toto Ramen and Peter Luger. New York is the place where people walk from one place to another. Traffic can get really bad especially in downtown. People rather walk than be stuck on traffic or paying for parking. Be prepared to walk a few miles/kilometers a day or you can just take the subway/ taxi.
Statue of Liberty
On top of the Empire State Building
Rockefeller Center
Times Square
Times Square
On the street of New York with my family - notice that I am the smallest & shortest.
This is not NewYork, but we were in the city of Buffalo playing with the thick snow!
Yes, I miss America very much. I would definitely visit all these places again. Some people would say that America is not safe because there are many "unstable" people that go on a rampage killing people. I can't deny that. However, I believe everyone has their time to come and go. If it is God's plan for them to leave, there is nothing you can do but to accept it. Of course daily prayers for protection and guidance would help to prevent any unexpected circumstances.
Claraaaa <3
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