Jen A. Miller Consulting

Tag: Los Angeles

What I Love About My City | Catherine’s Los Angeles

Catherine reveals her top ten in the Los Angeles Westside

PHOTO: Catherine Abalos

Welcome to a special edition of What I Love About My City—a series in which our favorite single girls dish on everything from the best places for a single girls weekend to the secret spots only the locals know about. This time I’m taking over with a twist, bringing you the best of Los Angeles from my perspective.

If you haven’t heard the news, I’m in transition moving from L.A. back to my hometown in the San Francisco Bay Area. In an ode to my home of nine years (I spent the first four in college), I wanted to share my City of Angels. Los Angeles is made up of over 80 neighborhoods, and mine is part of the beautiful Westside. One of the best things about this major U.S. city is its diversity and space for everyone to create their own version of the city. You can be a struggling actor (literally) or a multi-millionaire and find activities, food, and people that appeal to you; granted, it takes some work. I love that Los Angeles is something different to every single person that lives there. I love how much flack it gets from people who don’t truly understand the hidden nuances. I love how you can drive to a different neighborhood and feel like you’re somewhere new entirely. You never run out of places to explore. Each of those 80 neighborhoods has its own character, and I’m so excited to share some of the best things about the Westside.

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July 7, 2014
National Burger Month | California Style

Celebrating National Burger Month with our favorite burgers in California

It’s only fitting that I was born in Burger Month (I’m a self-professed über carnivore). I checked in with some of my food-loving friends for their recommendations of the best burgers in California (including a few for you non meat-eaters) to bring you a list of must-try’s to celebrate this glorious “holiday”… and, of course, no list would be complete without the quintessential California burger joint: In-n-Out, so scroll down to see how our burger lovers order theirs.

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May 23, 2014
New View New You – Featured on Quarterlette!

How Moving to L.A. Literally & Figuratively Changed My View on Life

Single Girls if you caught our post Favorite Sites for Life Advice then you already know I am a huge fan of the ladies over at Quarterlette. These rockin’ women exemplify what it means to us to be a Single Girl and we couldn’t agree more with their site’s mission to “support, guide & inspire women through their quarter-lives.” I’m excited to announce that today’s post is actually featured on Quarterlette as part of their series The Moving Diaries. The series was inspired by the idea that behind every move there is always a story – an end, a new beginning, a challenge, whatever it may be moves always signal change. This was certainly the case for me when I decided to move to Los Angeles in 2011. The story behind my move was the need for a fresh perspective on life. Yes, the official reason I moved was because of a job offer but the real reason, the reason that had truly compelled me to pack my bags reached far deeper. I’d grown tired of my life in my hometown and needed to do something drastic to shake it up.

Head on over to Quarterlette to catch the full article!

April 28, 2014
Single Girl Stays | ACE Hotel Downtown Los Angeles

Catherine reports on her experience at the ACE DTLA and shares tips on planning a “staycation”

PHOTO: Catherine Abalos.

I love everything about staying in hotels… fresh sheets, fresh towels, a mountain of fluffy pillows, the option to order food straight to your room, the free Bible. A couple years ago I made my first trip to Palm Springs and was introduced to the ACE Hotel. I was an immediate convert to the laidback, urban cool vibe of the compound and have considered visiting new cities in order to stay at the ACE. The ACE is purposely a little undone and can feel like glamping. I was fortunate to take refuge in my sister and brother-in-law’s room at the ACE when all of us were stranded in Manhattan after Sandy hit. When I heard that they were opening up in Downtown L.A., I vowed to book a night for some personal R&R. A staycation is a mini vacation from your life, without the inconvenience of leaving your town. A solo version should be purposeful and a way for you to invest in yourself.

A solo staycation has been on my to-do list for a long time. To have an immaculate suite to myself for one night (or more) to relax on thousand-count sheets is more luxurious to me than a day at the spa. However, when I mentioned my weekend plans to people, four times out of five their first response was to ask whom I was going with. For some, the idea of staying in a hotel by yourself for pleasure is comparable to eating alone at a restaurant or going to a movie theater alone. It sounds scary, you would feel judged, you may judge people who are doing it. When you find the courage to face your fear of being alone in any situation, you have the potential to liberate yourself from the constrictions of popular opinion and discover something new about yourself. One night away from my living space filled with material possessions and the figurative weight of the current ups and downs in my life gave me refreshing perspective.
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February 24, 2014
How Big Is Your Brave

How Sara Bareilles helped Catherine become fierce and fearless

PHOTO: InSapphoWeTrust

Last month my friend and I saw Sara Bareilles at the Greek. I have been a huge fan since I saw Sara play at a college music festival in 2009. We all know her #1 hit “Love Song,” but this woman is so much more than that catchy albeit empowering pop song. She is at home on stage in more ways than one. Firstly, her voice is completely powerful, and live it’s a religious experience… until she drops her first F-bomb then a dozen subsequent ones. That leads me to my second point: she connects to her audience. Someone yells out “I love you, Sara,” and she’ll call it out right back. The stage is her couch, and the venue is her living room; everyone feels at home as she tells you about the experiences that informed the song she is about to play.

Before she played “Manhattan” on that September night, she discussed her decision to leave Los Angeles—her home of fourteen years—to make the cross-country move to New York City: a need for change, a bittersweet good-bye, and the knowledge that this chapter of her life was coming to an end. She hints at a break-up, perhaps because she was back at the scene of the crime. The lyrics were chillingly beautiful. Written from the perspective of her ex, the one who’s left behind, you get a sense of the pain felt from both parties.

At the show at the Greek, she dropped the veil of detachment that she sometimes puts up while discussing her journey in making the new album. Perhaps it had to do with coming back to L.A. after moving. Perhaps it had to do with playing the iconic stage. Regardless, she showed raw emotion that struck a chord with me.

It was during this song that my eyes started to well up with tears. It was during this song when I had a moment of clarity accepting that all the tension I had felt in the months prior was for naught. After a stressful day, I’ll drive home from work to my quiet apartment trying to breathe deeply and think about anything else. It finally occurred to me that what was missing from my day was the ease of surrounding family and a feeling of home.
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November 14, 2013