Earlier this year, I signed up to write an entry for the3six5 blog. Each day for 365 days, a different person writes a diary entry about their thoughts or experiences for their assigned day. Not only does it give a snapshot into an entire year as told by people around the globe, but also gives a platform for individuals to express and connect. Each author also includes their own photo or image. It’s a fantastic crowdsourcing concept.
Here’s my post about 11/1/11:
Griffith Park & The Hollywood Sign
Rabbit Rabbit! 11/1/11. A new month, a new day for auspicious beginnings.
So goes my internal pep talk.
Is it horrible to feel plagued by options?
After more than seven years in LA, it’s still remarkable to wake up to 80 degrees, blue skies and sunshine. My Chicago roots make me think this version of November is unfair, or somehow cheating.
My gut keeps nudging me that LA isn’t forever. Chicago is my home, where my family lives and misses me. I miss them too. But California has gotten under my skin.
I used to live in Santa Monica, 13 blocks from the ocean. It’s beautiful, but sterile. I moved to Silver Lake, trading saltwater air for a bedroom view of the Griffith Park foothills. The neighborhood is grittier and more hipster-y, and I love it. I’m more creatively engaged and invigorated.
But the mountains taunt me today. I broke my ankle four months ago and I’m still recovering from my surgery. While I’m grateful for being able to walk, I’m not quite ready to go jogging around the 2.2 mile Silver Lake Reservoir loop or hike past Griffith Observatory. An outdoor active lifestyle is one of my top 10 reasons for living in LA—along with In-N-Out Burger. Although I’m healing, seeing the mountains makes me feel trapped in my limited physical mobility.
But, really, my life is as movable as ever. Now that I (thankfully) no longer work in the film industry, I’m not tied to LA. The freedom of consulting is just awesome—I work when and where I want.
The tradeoff is that I’m usually alone. I live alone, I don’t have a central office (except my adopted coffee shop), my family isn’t here, and I just ended a long-term relationship. I love my liberating lifestyle, but I want to grow roots, too.
So I’m evaluating my options. I’ve given myself until the New Year as my deadline for making a decision. Weather and friends? Family and hometown roots? Will a change of scenery help me fill in the blanks for what’s next?
But I keep these questions in perspective. There’s a lot to explore beyond the mountains.
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