My Move To Los Angeles: Leading A Life To The Ocean From A Pond

The biggest risk was leaving everything known for the unknown, or maybe it was the less known in my specific case.

Los Angeles became my city long before I moved here. In October 2009 when I desperately needed a direction, I volunteered at a film festival (in Texas!) and met filmmakers who changed the trajectory of my life to the present (many of whom are LA transplants themselves), everything has been leading me to the city of angels.

I didn’t decide to leave Texas, the state I had been born and raised in lightly. Plenty of panic attacks, tears, and downright hard months have happened before and after the move. Learning to accept and grow with it has led me to know that in 2024 and beyond Los Angeles is home. This is where I found my people, found my place, and learned not only to grow but to thrive.

I love the ocean, forests, mountains, museums, gardens, and diverse arts and cultural opportunities that Los Angeles has to offer. In one day I can explore 5-10 different cultures, and the scenery as well as the weather is the stuff of legends. I may sound like an idealist who doesn’t take into account the ick factor of a humongous city with millions of people, however, the reality is I took over 14 years to take this leap of faith, and when I finally did, looking back on why it took so long is the resounding question.

I had to take the time to understand producing, networking, writing, and the industry itself before I moved. This has allowed me to make informed decisions on the good, bad, ugly, and terrifying of moving across the country to one of the largest metros in the world so that I can follow my dreams.

The Good I Will Say With More Enthusiasm Than Should Be Allowed

• 95% of the time the weather is incredible!
• I found an amazing group of friends who are spread across the county, which also gives me a diverse and unique experience that deepens my love for this city, these people, and the arts.
• THE FOOD…. I can’t emphasize enough how amazing the FOOD is, especially the small one-of-a-kind neighborhood places.
• The scenery, mountains, ocean, tide pools, forests, beautiful flora abound.
• The reality of being able to swim 80% of the year and be cool enough to hike otherwise!
• Not constantly worrying about when the weather turns cold that there will be a snowpocalypse or ice-pocalypse that takes down the entire state’s utility grid. Looking at you, Texas.
• The neighborhoods are so diverse, that you can find your spot if you look and walk to many places in a lot of cases. - I have only had to turn on the AC during my first month in Los Angeles, otherwise, it is natural air and fans!

The Bad? Sort of….

• The geography of LA is weird, but the traffic as a trade-off from Austin is about the same… This is a huge city and county, but at least they have more than two highways through town… POINTING the accusation at 35 in particular!
• It is expensive, but at the same time, the labor laws and protections are much stronger.
• Gas is expensive, but the walkability of the cities and the actual working mass transit is a plus, and runs much more on time than Austin.

The Ugly

• If you don’t know what you are comfortable with, it quickly becomes overwhelming
• People can be awful and fake, take time to cement real relationships and cherish them
• If you don’t allow yourself to take time to adjust it will quickly become too much.

Tips For Those Considering A Move To A Market Like Los Angeles

• Visit often and get to know the city beyond the surface!
• Find your vibe, as a large city, the neighborhoods vary greatly and so do the people.
• Allow yourself to be uncomfortable, LA will take a while to integrate with.
• Know that you will get lost….. A LOT even with GPS.
• Add 20-30 minutes to whatever GPS says. This is Los Angeles after all and parking is nearly always a beast!
• Learn to be okay with lots of rejection, but also know that there are amazing people who will fight with you through those hours, days, and months. They are your tribe. Jus like we have here at Stage 32.
• Take advantage of the community arts! Los Angeles has so many different types of art to experience and explore every chance you get.
• Get outside! The weather is great most of the time, and there are so many free parks to get much-needed vitamin D and fresh air. Again, find your vibe.
• Until you find your footing in the creative world in LA make sure that you have something that can fill that stopgap until you can switch to entertainment full-time. It is nothing to be afraid or ashamed of, nearly everyone I have met in LA does more than the creative.
• Seriously have at least 15-20K saved to allow yourself some breathing room (it's rough to try to have that in the current climate, but if you can, this will help your mental health and stress levels tremendously in the beginning!)

Create A Solid Foundation

What I can say to all of this is that creating a solid foundation of contacts, and friends, exploring different parts of the city as well as accepting that it takes time to settle in (even with an established network of friends/contacts) made the move to one of the biggest cities in the world less panic-inducing.

Love what you do and be willing for it to take time to get your made-it moments. Los Angeles made perfect sense for me, I was at a crossroads and desperate for a new challenge and a chance to truly grow as a person and a creative. Los Angeles has allowed me to let go of what I would not have had the confidence or strength to do otherwise and grow exponentially in a short amount of time.

Am I where I want to be? Not yet, but Los Angeles and the leap into the unknown have allowed me to grow and become more of the person and creative I have always wanted to become.

This is my love letter to LA, the city of angels, the best baseball team, weather, and humans I have ever met. I love you LA, my city, and my new home.

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