Even after five years of living in Los Angeles, I am still madly in love with this city. On any given day, you can do a number of diverse activities and experience what LA has to offer from different perspectives. A few weeks ago, I had the most fun-filled week in LA that I’ve had in a while, and it made me realize how versatile this beautiful city is. I work from home and sometimes need a change of pace during my workday to maximize productivity. I met up with a friend at a coffee shop in Venice called Deus Ex Machina and sat outside in their quaint patio area. I was surprised at how many people were working from this coffee shop. It really goes to show how popular virtual business is these days. Gone are the days of being trapped in an office from 9 to 5. After work, we cruised the Venice Canals at sunset. These canals are probably one of the coolest activities in LA. They are so unique, and each home and garden on the canal is dramatically different from the next. I’ve walked the canals with my pup, Minnie, a number of times so far but never at sunset. It was absolutely breathtaking seeing the canals with the light of the sun setting upon them. That weekend brought on a new hike and an unbelievable Super Bowl boating adventure that will never escape my mind. Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Trail, located in the Santa Monica Mountains and leading to the San Vicente Mountains, is perfect for a quick hike with your pooch. This off-leash trail is easily accessed from the west side of LA and is a moderate hike along a fire road and up to the ridge. The total trail is about 7.4 miles round-trip. When you get to the top of the ridge, you have views of Brentwood, downtown LA, Century City, Sullivan Canyon and the coastline. It’s definitely worth the effort, and Minnie would agree. The next day was Super Bowl Sunday, and perfect SoCal weather — not a cloud in the sky and calm waters. Now seeing that my team, the Green Bay Packers, was not a contender this year, I was only interested in the advertisements and at least hoping for an entertaining game. When the opportunity arose to watch the game on a boat out at sea, you bet I was down. I’m built for boat life. We each brought snacks, booze and bikinis and headed out to the big blue sea with perfect reception to watch the game on my friend’s new TV on board. We got more entertainment than we expected. There were whales breaching at sunset, dolphin pods everywhere and a quiet day on the water. It really did feel like a private experience and almost spiritual. I’ve never seen whales breaching off the coast of Santa Monica Beach like that before; it was truly a spectacular moment and, once again, at sunset. And like any memorable life experience, the company you keep is the most important component. It’s my good fortune to have such amazing, adventurous friends that all want to live in the moment, be present and soak up everything this exciting city of ours has to offer. — Rafie Iannello, account director, Pacific Rim