You know it’s funny…as much as I dreamed of California as a child and even as I still pondered over it as an adult.. it took me a REALLY long time to actually go see it. As I got older and more successful, taking vacations to distant places became common for me; from trips with boyfriends, and my frequent girls trips, I had been all sorts of places. From New York to Vegas, Colorado to Puerto Rico, traveling was something I was comfortable with. Yet I never thought about planning a trip to Cali. Honestly, I think subconsciously I was scared that once I actually saw it I would feel more pressure to make it my home… and if for some reason I couldn’t or never did, I’d know what I was missing out on. Then, just like he has done so many times in my past, God stepped in and laid my path in front of me.

I have a girlfriend who is a casting director and occasionally she would contact me to audition for shows. Shortly after my 29th Birthday she contacted me regarding a gig which I would have passed on just because the timing was horrible, the pay wasn’t great, and it wasn’t particularly impressive, but it was being filmed in LA, so I went for it. I was genuinely surprised when I got it! Things moved very quickly and within a few days my flight was booked. It was a 2 day job but knowing how badly I wanted to see LA my girlfriend pulled some strings so I was able to stay 3 extra days after filming. All this time I had spent dreaming of Cali and contemplating when and how I should go and here I was with a trip handed to me. Flight paid for, hotel paid for, food allowance included, and I was at least getting paid enough that missing work couldn’t be an excuse either.

I got off the plane and I immediately wasn’t impressed, slightly disappointed even. I spent 2 days exploring LA. Strolling Hollywood Blvd. and playing tourist. I’d stand in the obnoxiously crowded Starbucks to order breakfast. Spend my lunch hour trying to get the perfect picture of the Roosevelt Hotel, or some famous landmark, to post on social media. Then I’d have dinner at a trendy, yet incredibly over priced restaurant where the food was only mediocre before heading back to my extremely outdated, but still  very pricey Motel room. *Yes, I meant to say Motel. Apparently if a movie scene was filmed at one of these establishments (even if it was 30 years ago), what would typically be a considered the equivalent of a Motel 6, would now becomes a staple place to stay while visiting Hollywood and the nightly rates would be substantially more than one would expect for such accommodations.* Overall, LA seemed a bit obnoxious, a bit phony, and particularly overrated.

After filming I took a friend’s advice and headed to the beaches. I spent the next few days bouncing between Manhattan Beach, Hermosa, and Redondo. It was incredible! By far one of the most beautiful places I have visited, from the landscape to the architecture. I spent my days eating the best Mexican food I have ever tasted, strolling through the quaint beach shops, and sinking my feet into the sand to watch the sunset. I was 100% alone here. I didn’t know anyone and while it isn’t uncommon for me to go places alone, I was really far away and alone. I realized, I can do this on my own. I can move and start a new chapter on my own. There was no need to wait for anything or anyone.

That tripped changed my life for so many reasons. Besides the fact that I accomplished something I had dreamed about as far back as the 5th grade, Hell, as far back as I can remember…. making it to California. But what really made this trip so meaningful is not something I can describe, other than to say it gave me clarity. I was struggling with so much during this period of my life and while that didn’t all get repaired on this trip, this trip helped me find the right direction. It led me to my path of fulfilling my dreams. It was the reason these dreams transformed to goals, and those goals were developed into action.