Living in LA can work
It's only been three weeks (!!) and living in LA has already been more wonderful than my wildest expectations.
After 4 years of impermanence, I'm settling in. I'm in a beautiful 4-bedroom home for the summer with friends visiting from all over, have a doggo (dogsitting, end date tbd), and we are throwing beautiful, connected events like I grew to love in Bay Area co-ops. Life feels like it is blossoming.
Though I grew up here, I never connected with the city and its culture, or that of the entertainment industry. I would find myself in a perpetual state of lack, networking and trying to impress others, or not doing so and feeling out of the groove.
I moved here because I want to integrate my social life and human connections with my work, to be around creators and make things with people I love. And I was ready to make LA a place that works in all the ways the Bay Area has.
This time I'm doing things really deliberately and intentionally, and practicing several tenets:
- I choose to believe that what I am looking for is here. That though this city presents itself as one way, it has every kind of person, and some are on the same wavelength.
- The best way to find community is to create it. I'm making the community I want to live in, starting with who's down and building from there,
- Listening to my yeses and nos. Inertia is powerful, and I'm listening to my body about what works and what doesn't. I'm finally old enough to know and feel comfortable saying no, which is a huge difference from when I was here in my early 20s. I know that my best life and best work will come from being exactly who I am.
I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of this summer and beyond brings. It feels amazing to not want to go anywhere, to not be making any travel plans.
I still feel incredibly connected to all of you up in the Bay, and will be coming often to visit. LA feels permanent, but I'm going to see how it goes and take it one month at a time. Things are feeling really good though.
Come visit, and feel free to connect me with any friends who are interested in what we're doing down here! We're makin' a thing happen :)