not sure what happened between me and Los Angeles (Irvine: apartment, lease)

[dclamb3]

Originally Posted by readymade

My point was that there are all kinds of people in LA, and it's all about who you decide to (or accidentally) surround yourself with. I think there are arguably more "types" of people in LA than almost everywhere else. You find your niche or you don't.

THAT'S why I love LA.

You said what I was trying to say. Thanks

[bradleyyo]

I have a funny story about this. I have a friend that I met online through a different website and she lives in the Midwest and I decided to give her my number and we started texting. One day we got into an argument through texts. She claimed that "everyone in California especially LA are stuck up". She has never been here for one day in her life. I replied that it is just a huge stereotype and that it isn't like that at all. I want to be an actor and be in the entertainment business because I actually like acting and writing and things like that, not because I want to drive around in limos all day. She then said that all the girls are fake because that's what a friend told her. I then replied with "well I've heard that everyone in the midwest are toothless bible thumping hicks who aren't very smart". That really shut her up and we stopped talking lol

[Sedana]

Originally Posted by Caladium

What is keeping you from living that simpler life right now, and right where you are?




I didn't get that impression, but if you did feel that way, I don't see any reason you couldn't do that in LA. Lots of people wear sweats all the time. Maybe not at Hollywood parties, but definitely in my neck of the woods by the beaches. I wore sweats all the time (or if it was hot, cut offs and t-shirts). I fit in just fine.




Hmmm, interesting thought. You know what, as much as I love VA if a natural disaster or zombie apocalypse was to occur, I'd rather be in southern California than where I live.

For one thing, the weather's nice so you could sleep outdoors if you had to. Everything grows there, so it's pretty easy to grow your own food if you need to. You might have to compete with millions of people leaving the city, but the roads are on a grid system and LA doesn't have many of the geographic carriers that you find in other cities. It would be easier to escape from LA in an emergency than from DC, NYC, etc. Plus the zombies would all want to munch on starlets and models first, so that would give you a better chance at escaping.

That's actually very funny. And you make a good point about doing all of that here. Some of it was that I wanted to learn how to spark a fire with no lighter, shoot a gun and maybe grow one tomato that won't keep dying in the god forsaken cracked soil we have in our yard. I assumed it might be better to learn that while living elsewhere, where it's more common, I don't know. And I think many of the posts here are pretty spot on - I'm not likely to find anyplace as diverse as LA. I guess my last hesitation is the notion that LA is going to go under water sometime. Don't ask me where I got that idea - I probably shouldn't be reading half the stuff I do; I'm a little conspiracy minded that way. Which is why being here is probably the best place for me anyway. It would be great if I ended up staying - mainly because of this thread, of all things...now please excuse me while I go remove my makeup for the night.

[readymade]

Spark a fire: Could you use a fireplace or one of those outdoor fire pits?
Shoot a gun: There's a gun-shooting place (gun range?) in Burbank. I know there's another one in the hills near Pasadena too (or maybe my friend just goes to some deserted place in the hills... not sure)
Grow a tomato: You'd be hard-pressed to find a better place for growing stuff, weather-wise. Get some soil treatment! Go to a plant nursery and talk to them about it. Grow one in a pot!

I can't help you with the going underwater part. It's one of the main reasons I left in the first place. After living in Texas and then Massachusetts, my husband & I agreed we'd rather have a short but happy life in LA than... well... live for a long time in Texas or Massachusetts.

When we were desperate to leave, we also considered Portland, OR. Went for a visit and it was OK... but the rainy weather would have killed us. And we considered Chicago (where he's from and we go a couple times a year), but I have NO desire to live in the midwest. Chicago is very food-focused, and a lot of the people there are pretty overweight. We didn't want that either. Plus... again with the weather. We also considered (and visited many times) San Francisco but it was just too expensive and... again the weather. Too cloudy.

Part of me wishes we'd just stayed in LA, but I try not to have regrets about anything. I'm glad I tried living in different parts of the country and then came back home. Talk about perspective!

Originally Posted by Sedana

That's actually very funny. And you make a good point about doing all of that here. Some of it was that I wanted to learn how to spark a fire with no lighter, shoot a gun and maybe grow one tomato that won't keep dying in the god forsaken cracked soil we have in our yard. I assumed it might be better to learn that while living elsewhere, where it's more common, I don't know. And I think many of the posts here are pretty spot on - I'm not likely to find anyplace as diverse as LA. I guess my last hesitation is the notion that LA is going to go under water sometime. Don't ask me where I got that idea - I probably shouldn't be reading half the stuff I do; I'm a little conspiracy minded that way. Which is why being here is probably the best place for me anyway. It would be great if I ended up staying - mainly because of this thread, of all things...now please excuse me while I go remove my makeup for the night.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by readymade

vamping it up in a sexy Stop Staring dress

Whaddaya mean, "Stop?"

Hey, if it's sexy, we're gonna stare. Might even throw a frisbee or two.

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by bradleyyo

She claimed that "everyone in California especially LA are stuck up". She has never been here for one day in her life.She then said that all the girls are fake because that's what a friend told her.

This is why I'm merciless when it comes to denigrating flyover country and the Babble Belt (here in the Calif fora, not over in theirs). I've been hearing that type of uninformed claptrap for decades, and from people who are otherwise intelligent and should know better.

[Capo1213]

I think the OP is experiencing a typical mid life review and the sense that there must be something/somewhere else out there. And this forum allows for the amplification of those feelings...which are shared by plenty of folks in every part of the country. Me...live in NJ, work in NYC, spend a lot of time in LA/OC, and have lived in Tampa, Miami, DC, NYC, Atlanta. The people that everyone refers to in LA...shoes, cars, boob jobs, etc...exist everywhere. They're a bit thicker on the ground in LA due to the entertainment biz, the attractiveness of the climate, and the image that still attracts dreamers. But you will find the same materialism in any big city or upscale suburb in America. And you are just as likely to find good down to earth people in LA (or NYC for that matter) as anywhere else. You just might not recognize them at first, so scratch the surface a bit.

[readymade]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Whaddaya mean, "Stop?"

Hey, if it's sexy, we're gonna stare. Might even throw a frisbee or two.

HAH! Stop Staring makes gorgeous vintage-inspired dresses (think Joan on "Mad Men") http://www.stopstaringclothing.com

And I ALWAYS wear mine to the beach!

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by bradleyyo

I I then replied with "well I've heard that everyone in the midwest are toothless bible thumping hicks who aren't very smart". That really shut her up and we stopped talking lol

That which was closer to a truth apparently hurt.

[bradleyyo]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

That which was closer to a truth apparently hurt.

I have been to the midwest, lots of nice folks, but stuck 50 years in the past.:/