While the weather in Yardley screams for hot cocoa and fuzzy socks, the gentle breeze Los Angeles had to offer last week is all I can think about.

As I mentioned in my last blog, last week the team headed west to celebrate the 16th annual GT Tested Reader Survey awards in sunny California. This year, my birthday landed two days before our event; the timing couldn’t have been better, as I promised myself I would not spend my birthday bundling up for the cold.

I decided to arrive a few days earlier than the rest of the team for some sightseeing and exploring. My boyfriend and I arrived early on Saturday afternoon and made our way to Thrifty Rent a Car to pick up our rental. While our experience there was horrendous — we waited more than 2.5 hours and had to settle for a different vehicle or else the wait would have been longer — the rest of the trip was lovely!

We finally got to our Airbnb (a chic studio loft Downtown) around 5 p.m. and decided to settle in and go for an evening stroll before we committed to anything. Luckily, the Airbnb had a gorgeous rooftop and we settled in, grabbed some food and enjoyed the city lights on our first night.

The following day we woke up bright and early, ready to make the best of the day in spite of the rain. We ventured to the Institute of Contemporary Art in the morning, took in the amazing views from the Santa Monica Pier and ate delicious food from Lala’s Grill.

Besides it being my birthday, Monday was my absolute favorite day of this trip. We strolled the Walk of Fame, came across the Jumanji premiere set-up process and then went on a three-hour hike in the Hollywood Hills. I have seen a lot of pictures of the Hollywood sign and the views from it, but the view from above is just breathtaking. We hiked with a couple from Portugal who was part of the excursion we found through Airbnb; we shared experiences, laughed and saw a gorgeous sunset together.

Besides the hike, we celebrated the beginning of my 27th trip around the sun with a delicious dinner at Broken Spanish LA. I loved how elevated the dishes I grew up with were presented; with that being said, I had never tasted a rice pudding like the one they have to offer. It was some sort of religious experience!

On Tuesday we made our way to Beverly Hills to meet the team at the stunning The Peninsula Beverly Hills. Some of us grabbed a quick bite and walked around Rodeo Drive before a team dinner. During the latter, I was pleasantly surprised with personalized menus and a great dessert for my birthday.

We wrapped up the trip with an amazing event on The Peninsula’s rooftop Wednesday night. It was great to see our clients and friends in the industry and to celebrate this year’s winners.

— Yasser Ogando, production & advertising coordinator