5 Things I've Learned In My First Week Of LA

This past week has been hectic and a whirlwind of learning that I am growing up, whether I like it or not. I took a leap and moved to Los Angeles without a lease, hoping that the realtor I had been desperately trying to get a hold of would answer me back. Mike, my stepdad, and I put a U-Haul on my little Honda Fit and filled it with all of my possessions that weren't going into storage and we headed across country. The realtor never called me back, but fate worked it's magic and I was able to find the most ADORABLE studio I could imagine. We arrived Wednesday morning at 3:00 am, stumbled upon the apartment by 9:00 and signed the lease Thursday morning. By 5:30 Friday morning, my dad was already on a plane home and I was left to fend for myself. I have since turned on internet by myself and started my internship and all around dealt with life hitting me in the face. But California is an adventure! And that's what it was intended to be! It has been quite different from life in Florida. So here, I have compiled a list of things I have learned in my first week as an Angeleno:


1. In Los Angeles, introduce your dogs, not yourselves.

I cannot tell you how many neighbors I have met, but have never learned their names.

2. Left hand turns are hard.

When making a left-hand turn, you won't be able to go until the light turns yellow. And as risky as this feels for most people, in Los Angeles, the next three cars will go even if the light has since turned red.

3. When driving, 35 MPH actually means 50 MPH.

Very frustrating for a lost Floridian who is just trying to read the street signs!

4. Los Angeles loves Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do."

The song was released in 1993 and I swear I've heard it play on every kind of radio station out here, and multiple times in one day. It is about LA, but damn, they can't get enough of it!


5. Traffic has never been more painful.

I always heard traffic was terrible out here. I thought I was mentally prepared. When I first realized it would take me 15 minutes to drive three miles, I thought I was going to pull my hair out and gave up trying to be cool and open-minded about driving.



This city is taking some adjusting to get used to, but ultimately I am incredibly excited for the journey that lies ahead. I might continue this list later in a different post, but for now I'm going to drink some wine, eat some cookies and binge-watch Girls.