a city of angels?
I remember this place feeling foreign; a space of land near my hometown, but blurry - in terms of what I came to expect from its residents.
In high school, my friends and I would attend shows of the bands we loved who weren't playing back home. We'd caravan for the hour and a half drive, eat somewhere cheap, and then spend a few hours at the venue. When the shows were over, it came time to drive home and leave everything unfamiliar behind. This continued for another five of six years, until it was time for me to call this place home.
When I moved to Los Angeles in the early quarter of 2007, eliminating my curiosity was at the top To-Do list. Places to eat and hang out, things to do...they intrigued me, but not as much as meeting the amalgamation of people who also call this place home.
We have 'em all, in LA. The beggars. Those who work hard and don't get paid enough. Those who don't work hard enough and are overpaid. Countless nationalities. New friends.
I grew up playing sports in an area that provided me with friends from every different background. I had friends who's parents did amazingly well, friends who's parents didn't, and everything in between. Through them, I learned that background can and can't breed character, so I had a feeling there would be some interesting people coming my way.
My first job here was with an ad agency, which introduced me to a group of people I've befriended and have since hung out with regularly. I've been introduced to different facets from new religions, different people's preferences, the different ways different people handle things, and it's all beautiful. I thought I had it good growing up with so many people to learn from, and I feel myself more enriched by the day, up here.
Being young in LA, you're also introduced to new things about yourself. Like not having a job and facing rent with a deteriorating income. Growing up under an umbrella where my parents didn't necessarily give me everything (so they could let me prove to myself that I would be capable of taking care of myself in the real world), there are moments now where I'm sitting on the floor of my room, pondering the best ways to save money for the remainder of the month. And I'm thriving on those feelings.
It's not important to me to be ahead of the game right now because I love living in the trenches. I love waking up and wondering if the day will be lucky or not, and then try to define my luck at the end of the day: Maybe I met a new person I can learn something from, or maybe a new contact potentially fell into my lap.
Whatever happens, I just hope to get through each day with another lesson tucked beneath my belt. That's what success looks like in the big picture. And in LA, that's all that really matters to me.
In high school, my friends and I would attend shows of the bands we loved who weren't playing back home. We'd caravan for the hour and a half drive, eat somewhere cheap, and then spend a few hours at the venue. When the shows were over, it came time to drive home and leave everything unfamiliar behind. This continued for another five of six years, until it was time for me to call this place home.
When I moved to Los Angeles in the early quarter of 2007, eliminating my curiosity was at the top To-Do list. Places to eat and hang out, things to do...they intrigued me, but not as much as meeting the amalgamation of people who also call this place home.
We have 'em all, in LA. The beggars. Those who work hard and don't get paid enough. Those who don't work hard enough and are overpaid. Countless nationalities. New friends.
I grew up playing sports in an area that provided me with friends from every different background. I had friends who's parents did amazingly well, friends who's parents didn't, and everything in between. Through them, I learned that background can and can't breed character, so I had a feeling there would be some interesting people coming my way.
My first job here was with an ad agency, which introduced me to a group of people I've befriended and have since hung out with regularly. I've been introduced to different facets from new religions, different people's preferences, the different ways different people handle things, and it's all beautiful. I thought I had it good growing up with so many people to learn from, and I feel myself more enriched by the day, up here.
Being young in LA, you're also introduced to new things about yourself. Like not having a job and facing rent with a deteriorating income. Growing up under an umbrella where my parents didn't necessarily give me everything (so they could let me prove to myself that I would be capable of taking care of myself in the real world), there are moments now where I'm sitting on the floor of my room, pondering the best ways to save money for the remainder of the month. And I'm thriving on those feelings.
It's not important to me to be ahead of the game right now because I love living in the trenches. I love waking up and wondering if the day will be lucky or not, and then try to define my luck at the end of the day: Maybe I met a new person I can learn something from, or maybe a new contact potentially fell into my lap.
Whatever happens, I just hope to get through each day with another lesson tucked beneath my belt. That's what success looks like in the big picture. And in LA, that's all that really matters to me.
posted by rollbook at 5:55 PM
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