July 9th 2016 officially made it one year since I first stepped foot onto the West Coast and made it my new home. July 9th 2015 was the day that changed the entire course of my life whether or not I ever accomplish any of the goals that I came over here for. I should’ve had a post detailing my journey in LA up by… say… July 10th? 11th? As we’re all aware… It’s October 14th.
I didn’t really know how to approach this type of post, and to be even more transparent, even as I’m writing this, I still don’t know how to approach it.
There’s always a level of discomfort that comes with getting a little too personal, a self conscious voice that says “Hey guy, maybe you’re sharing a little TOO much.”
Lately, I’ve realized that the path I’ve chosen isn’t one that really allows for much secrecy. I think privacy is something that needs to remain in place no matter what, but, as long as I’m determined to express myself through various artistic platforms,complete secrecy isn’t a luxury I’ll be able to enjoy much of, especially with the way that I’m trying to connect with other people.
It’s been a bit of a rough patch for me since this year’s anniversary hit and while I’ve tried to keep a positive outlook on things, I have a bad habit of allowing negative experiences to poke little holes in my happiness balloon and getting annoyed at the deflation that I’ve had to try to patch up, instead of appreciating the fact that my Balloon is still in the air.
So I took a while to step back, look at the bigger picture, and really lay out everything that’s happened to me in this time period, the good the bad and the in-between, and the conclusion I walked away with after looking at everything that I’ve experienced…
The Not So Good:
- The Parking Tickets– My goodness… MY. GOODNESS. There was a time within this past year where I was getting a parking ticket every month, each time for a different reason. If I had to take a rough estimate of how much money I’ve spent paying parking tickets, it has to be at least $300, and that was with me trying my best to not get any future tickets after the first one. The parking laws in Los Angeles can be very confusing, and despite the advice you get from people, for me I had to figure it out through (expensive) trial and error.
- Broken Car Mirror– I did this one to myself and I’ve mentioned it in a previous post. Too narrow of a parking space, too big of a car, too much attention in the wrong direction and BAM! I got a credit card swipe for repairs that I’m still paying off.
- Credit Card Debt-Speaking of Credit Cards, I had a post a few years back, where I was ecstatic about finally paying off my credit card debt and not having to worry about making a payment. That all quickly changed shortly after moving to Los Angeles. The crazy thing is that none of the purchases have been for anything that didn’t serve as a greater investment… Acting Classes, the cost of uploading head shots, paying for casting network services… you get the idea. It’s only been a year and my credit card is almost maxed out.. I’m still not sure how I feel about typing out that last sentence.
- Heart Break– This is probably the one that most walks the line between privacy and secrecy… Mostly because I’m still going through the process of everything. If I had to choose an outlet of mine that’ll probably best express my thoughts and feelings about everything, I’d say just look for it in the music.. I’m not sure when I’ll be comfortable enough to just express it here. Just know, it’s one of the things on this list that affected me the most.
- Two Close Calls with Homelessness– Making the decision to move is something that can be very stressful. Having to move because the only other option is not having a place to live is like a heart attack on standby. Things tend to come in threes but if I never have to experience this again that would be great.
- Check to Check Lifestyle– I know this isn’t something that’s exclusive to Los Angeles (or anywhere else in the world for that matter) but it’s definitely one of the cities where it hurts the most. There were too many occasions where a sandwich and chips for dinner was mandatory simply because I couldn’t afford anything else.
The Good:
- Moved By July– One of the greatest things about moving to L.A. on July 9th was that it meant that I met my target month of when I wanted to move by. It was literally a miracle that I got to LA at the time that I did. There were TOO many reasons why it shouldn’t have worked out.
- Had friends and family to guide me– While I don’t have any immediate family or relatives over here and that does make things harder for me in all aspects of my life, I was blessed enough to have really good friends that looked out for me from the minute I touched down. I honestly am not sure where I would’ve been had my friends not been there to guide me along my way.
- Didn’t have to spend the holidays alone– Again with the amazing friends. I had a Potluck Dinner Thanksgiving and a place to visit for Christmas Dinner last year. Not bad for my first set of holidays away from my family.
- Moved into an apartment– At glance it may not seem like much, but let’s keep in mind that I spent my first couple of months living with a landlord who was off in the head. I’m currently living in my 2nd apartment since moving out here and let me tell you, it’s not worth paying rent every month if you can’t do as you please on your own terms. It’s adulting at its finest..
- Got to take an acting class at a discount-Everything happens for a reason and when you come across someone who just so happens to be married to one of the most popular acting teachers in Los Angeles and can offer you a discounted price on the classes that they teach… You take it. It opened up my eyes to how much further I have to go on my acting journey.
- Went Hiking and Saw Snow – I’ve wanted to see snow since I was 5 years old but I’d be lying if I said that I had any active desire to go hiking… and yet.
Even still I really enjoyed the experience and I’d probably do it again…But seeing that snow though
- I was able to transfer jobs- A very underrated benefit I have to admit. While my job isn’t the type of work I’d like to be doing, being able to move to a new city and starting my decently paying job within a month of being here isn’t something I take for granted. Come through bill paying method come through.
- I was able to move where I wanted – Since I’ve been here I’ve heard so many different stories of people who lived in some of the lesser known areas of Los Angeles for months on end, usually with ridiculous commutes, before they could find a place in an area that they actually liked. My target areas since moving here have always been Burbank, Glendale, and North Hollywood.
I can now say that I once lived in Burbank/Glendale for 8 months and just recently moved into an apartment in North Hollywood where my rent is the cheapest that it’s been since my arrival. Hallelujah.
- Provision Has Come When I Needed it the Most– It’s not as if I’ve needed more convincing that prayer works or that you can speak positivity into your situation but living in LA has taught me that I really don’t have any reason to stay worried for long about any of my needs, they’ve always been taken care of in time. Even looking back at me being able to move TWICE under a short period of time, there’s so many other things that have happened just as I needed them to happen, everything from the bed I’m sleeping on to something as simple as finding $5 on the ground so I wouldn’t have to come out of my own pocket for lunch the next day…
My path has unquestionably been blessed and I do myself and my story a disservice every time I doubt or question the process that I’m going through while living out here.
Ultimately I’m glad to be able to look back on an year of being in LA while still actually being in LA because things could’ve gone much differently and led to a very negative overall experience. It’s this type of reflection that allows me to refuel and encourage myself to keep going and work through the future hardships as they present themselves. Thank you to everyone who’s been taking the time to keep up with my journey and even read this post.
