Life In Los Angeles Archives - Page 4

3 months in L.A.: How I see money differently

November 7, 2013 by Cassie

Before I moved to California, I had a lot of savings, very little debt, few financial responsibilities, and a restlessness for something more.

Now that I’ve been here for three and-a-half months (where does the time go?), my savings are dwindling, I’m thousands of dollars in debt, I’m paying most of my own bills, and that restlessness has morphed into general anxiety. I think I’m finally an Official American Adult.

Needless to say, the way I think about and deal with money has changed drastically in a few short months—which is a good thing, because I don’t take it for granted anymore. Still, money can be a challenge when you’re living in a new city. Part of the point of moving to a new city is actually experiencing the new city. Luckily, we’ve managed to do plenty of that with all the free and cheap things L.A. has to offer. But the several dozen or so amazing restaurants just down the street from our apartment? Not really in the budget to try out right now.

Earlier this week, I wrote a piece for Lady Clever about most people’s attitudes toward money and the false belief that more money means greater happiness. “As long as our basic needs are met and a few indulgences are granted,” I wrote, “We’re not getting any happier.” And yes, while we’d all welcome more cash always, it’s not going to fix depression, a lack of creative inspiration, relationships gone sour, or anything else that might be getting us down.

But my self-quote (ha) brings up an important point: indulgence. What exactly do I mean by indulgence? Well, when I still had a ton of my own money in the bank, I would indulge with the occasional shopping trip. Bad day at work? I’ll just head over to LOFT—I got a coupon in the mail, so I might as well use it to buy a cute new dress and feel better. Hell, good day at work? Today, I’m happy. I’ll celebrate with a new dress from LOFT.

…You see my point.

Now, what I consider indulgences are the basil plant sitting in our tiny 2×6 garden patch and the $6 car wash to keep my new, reliable car (that I still owe $10k for) free of the L.A. dust that’s always swirling around. Maybe if I’d always been of this mindset, I’d have saved even more money and wouldn’t be eyeing my savings account with a wary gaze.

And let’s not forget those student loans. I’m lucky that my undergrad schooling was paid for and relatively inexpensive to begin with, but what I’m spending for two years at USC for grad school (with additional living expenses, because I’m hardly earning enough part-time to pay half of rent) is, admittedly, obscene. To be honest, I frequently question whether I’ve made the right decision by going to this fancy school. Which is why it’s so important that I make the most of it and bust my ass so that when I graduate, I’m able to get a job—or several jobs—that will allow me to start paying back those loans… and hopefully afford to eat, too.

It’s an expensive life lesson, and one I’m grateful to learn early on. I recognize the privilege and opportunities I have by going to school, but I don’t have any delusions that the perfect, well-paying job will just land in my lap because of the prestigious name.

One of the biggest changes for me is how I think about material things. I never liked to think of myself as a material person. What person with substance does? But I was. Am still, I guess. To some extent, I probably always will be. I can’t help it—I love beautiful things. But I see them differently now. I got rid of more than a third of my wardrobe before moving out here, and looking in my closet now, I’d like to get rid of even more. Gone are the days when I shopped just for fun. I used to daydream about making our place Apartment Therapy-beautiful, but now all I care about is making it feel like home. And money? I could most definitely use more of it. But I no longer look at it as a gateway to happiness—just something to be monitored and dealt with. Money is what got me to L.A., along with some serious determination, patience, and planning. And for that, I’m grateful.

Filed Under: Life in Los Angeles Tagged With: debt, grad school, Lady Clever, life in Los Angeles, los angeles, money, more money more problems, student loans

Fall weather (and Halloween!) in Los Angeles

October 30, 2013 by Cassie

It actually feels like fall in Los Angeles this week, and instead of being bummed about it (like I would at home, where it’s cold for a solid six months out of the year), I’m actually sort of excited. Call it nostalgia for changing seasons, but I’m happy to break out the long sleeves and boots in late October. Especially since it’ll get warm again anyway, and then I’ll laugh all the way to the beach.

For tomorrow’s Halloween festivities, I’ll be donning a headdress and my mom’s circa-1988 dress that I wore a few years ago:

Yes. I packed both of those ridiculous things and brought them all the way across the country with me. And tomorrow, I will justify my having done so. (I don’t feel the need to justify repeating this costume. I think the outfit speaks for itself.)

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays (though nothing tops Thanksgiving), because it’s exactly two weeks after my birthday, and it’s something to look forward to when the days start getting shorter and colder. It’s a day when a semi-introvert like me can wear something as ridiculous as the above with abandon. And, uh, the candy. Let’s not forget the candy.

So, I want to know two things about you:

What are you dressing up as for Halloween? And what’s your favorite candy? (Mine’s Reese’s cups.)

Have a happy Halloween, and I’ll soon have more pictures to share with you in this space.

Want to be Internet friends? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

Filed Under: Life in Los Angeles Tagged With: costume, fall, Halloween, introvert, los angeles

Found in L.A.: Brewery Art Walk

October 20, 2013 by Cassie

Brewert Art Walk

Last weekend, John and I ventured to the Arts District downtown to check out the twice-yearly Brewery Art Walk at the old Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery. The complex is one of the largest artists-in-residence communities in the world, and more than 100 artists open up their home studios for people to walk through and get an intimate glimpse of their lives—fun for those of us who like to see how these uber-creative types live and work. Best of all, the event is free.

All kinds of artists live there—photographers, painters, sculptors, and mixed media artists. Some of the art was cool—and some of it sparked a discussion about how art is subjective anyway—but the neatest part about it was checking out the sweet lofts and the architecture of the buildings in general. Who wouldn’t want to live in a converted industrial space with giant, gorgeous windows and tall ceilings? It felt a little strange slinking in and photographing strangers’ homes while they chatted with other guests in the kitchen. You could tell some people cleaned up before they opened their doors to the world, while others still had dirty dishes in the sink.

The atmosphere was casual and festive, and it felt like one massive house party. People were walking around with their dogs, there was food and beer (some people even brought their own), and the weather was perfect.

The rooftop was pretty special, too. You could see all the way downtown and all the way to the mountains. Gotta love those clear days in Los Angeles.

The exploration of a new city continues! I love how it’s impossible to be bored here, and you don’t have to spend a lot (or sometimes any) money to have fun. The next art walk will be in the spring, and I’ll be bringing my own six-pack.

Filed Under: Found in L.A., Life in Los Angeles Tagged With: artists in residence, Arts District, Brewery Art Walk, brewery arts complex, found in l.a., life in Los Angeles, los angeles, Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery

Found in L.A.: Secret stairs of Silver Lake

October 4, 2013 by Cassie

John and I have been going on lots of walks lately, and this past week, I took my camera along with me. I used the following series of photos for a class, and there are a whole lot more to break up into a couple of blog posts. There is SO MUCH to explore in my ‘hood, you guys.

Contemplating the climb (Photo by John)

I came across my first set of secret stairs while out on a run. I was at the base of a hill, and the road ended at a tiny cul-de-sac. But instead of turning around, I decided to see what was at the top of the nondescript stairs just to the left of a house. It was a long way up, but that could only mean there was a view at the end. Not only did I get that view, but I got a great workout.

Not long after that, we were at Stories Books & Cafe in Echo Park, and I picked up a book that not only explained what these stairs were all about, but it also had complete maps of all the stairs in the city with suggested routes. (Turns out, the book Secret Stairs was written by a professor at USC. Hi, Charles Fleming—I’ll be looking up your classes now!)

So John and I checked out a few more. If my consternation in the first photo wasn’t telling enough, those staircases are intense. One near us consists of 137 steps. I’ve been working my way up to running the whole thing without a break. I’m not there yet.

These stairs were originally constructed in the 1920’s as a way for people to get from their homes to transit lines at the bottom of the hills. When it became a car city, though, the stairs were mostly obsolete. Now, they’re just a great way to explore and quickly get to the top of a hill on foot. Plus, they help facilitate my endless need to spy on all my wealthy neighbors. (I’ll have a post dedicated to the homes in the hills for you soon.)

Turns out, there are a lot of other people interested in trekking up these staircases. There’s a meetup dedicated to hiking them all.

And, of course, there are the views. It’s hard to capture without a zoom lens, but you could see for miles in every direction from the vantage point below. The gorgeous rolling mountains, the houses nestled in the hill across the way, the tiny cars below (seriously, we were so high up). Totally worth the climb.

If you come visit me—and I recommend that you do—this is where I’m taking you first. (And then we’ll head to the grilled cheese shop on Sunset afterward.) So bring your walking shoes.

Filed Under: Found in L.A., Life in Los Angeles Tagged With: charle fleming, found in l.a., los angeles, secret stairs, silver lake

View from the top

September 25, 2013 by Cassie

I’ll admit it: I’m a wimp in a lot of ways.

I have a low tolerance for pain and temperatures outside the range of 65 and 85 degrees. I’m sensitive to critical comments and fluorescent lighting. I fear making the wrong choice about everything—all the way down to whether I should bring a light sweater or not. But an aversion to anything that’s difficult can be limiting, and in the past, it’s allowed me to be more passive than I’d like. I’d rather think of myself as a Cheryl Strayed-style badass—without the heroin and missing toenails.

But I should give myself more credit. Before I moved across the country, a lot of people told me how brave I was for making the change. At the time, I accepted the flattering remarks without fully realizing the gravity of what I was doing. Yes, it was bold, but the hardest part seemed to be making the decision and sticking to it. The logistics, however tough they would undoubtedly be, would work themselves out.

Oh, how I underestimated the complexity of logistics.

Now that I look back on everything I’ve done in just a few short months, I’m glad I was ever-so-slightly deluded about the challenges ahead. Had I known it would be this hard, I very well might’ve chickened out. But because I didn’t, I’m that much stronger for it.

I don’t think I quite knew what I was capable of before. I’ll go out on a limb and say I still don’t. Literally every assignment I’m given in grad school seems impossible at first, but I always somehow manage to pull it off… usually right before the deadline. Of course, it’s only the beginning of the semester, and shit’s bound to get really real soon enough. But hopefully by then I’ll have built up an even greater tolerance to the pain and suffering that is journalism. (Just kidding, it’s not really like that. Actually, just kidding, it is.) Until then, I’m forcing myself to take a breath every now and then and remember my recent mantra: One day at a time.

And that seems to work for me, at least most of the time. When it doesn’t, though, a good run through the hills does my body good. Hilly runs used to kill me, and they’re still not easy now. But when I reach the reward at the top and take in the view of the hills, the city, and the Hollywood sign in the distance, I’m reminded of why I came here. I can feel the good those runs do for me every day. And I don’t know if it’s the vitamin D from the sun or all those avocados I’ve been eating, but my skin has never looked better. I must be doing something right.

So what’s the point of all this? Well, if you’ve ever felt anything like I have—wimpy, uncertain, scared shitless—let this be a lesson: If I can do it, anyone can. I’m not anywhere close to having my shit figured out, but since I’m guessing that will never happen, I can learn to live with that. Though the future is so uncertain, I hope and believe that it’s bright. And maybe I’ll bring a light sweater—just in case.

Filed Under: Life in Los Angeles Tagged With: change, grad school, moving to Los Angeles