As I gear up to go skydiving on July 1 (I say gear up like I’m gearing up for a race…I feel like I’m gearing up for the worst experience of my life) I’m focusing on more relaxed weekly experiences. Like the one above, talking to a stranger, or even opening a door for someone when I’m in the middle of something! You don’t have to do something out of the box every week: the reason I started #FearlessFridays is to encourage you to get out of your comfort zone every week, whether that’s doing something outrageous or doing something that’s just as big but might cost less money or be less intimidating.
I’ve spoken about the reason I moved to LA last September, which was truly just to try it out after living in Boston and New York. I miss Boston everyday, and I’ve been going back and forth to NY a few times a month, but when I was living in Boston I didn’t feel like I was getting out of my comfort zone each day. Same people, same food, same coffee shops…that was a fantastic stepping stone for me for the two years I lived there, though after a while I wanted more. When I moved to LA, I came here knowing no one (besides my best friend who I initially moved here with), having no business connections, and no idea what I was in for. We rented an Airbnb in West Hollywood from September- December. We knew that if we hated the experience after 3 months, we were out. No regrets either. Oddly enough, I got scouted by a pretty major management team that saw me on a TV segment I did on KTLA… and so I like to say my LA experience began in that moment. What I thought was my Instacart delivery carrier calling from a blocked number happened to be a manager.
So, I left LA in December to get surgery and came back January 19th, under the impression I’d be moving in with Gabe again who also left for the holidays…he decided that LA wasn’t right for him, and didn’t move back with me. Like the teen boy he is, he texted me the minute I landed in LA so I had to scramble to find a place to live. I literally live on the edge every minute: I never know what’s going to happen in my life! I’ve been asked why Gabe didn’t come back, and all I can say is that it wasn’t the right time for him. He went from living at home to moving across the country and trying to start his own social media company. I moved 4 hours away from my hometown when I first moved out, not across the country. Gabe is also so kind and so genuine which can be the opposite of the people in LA. I’m nice and genuine too, but after working in entertainment for so long you grow such a tough shell and learn to always have your guard up.
Much of my life revolves around adjusting to any one situation. Nothing is ever really straightforward. I’d say I’m always on my toes, that’s for sure. Point being, I wake up everyday in LA a little bit anxious for what my day will bring, but more inspired to work harder than I’ve ever worked before. Everything in life happens at the right time, and moving to LA, appearing on KTLA, getting my manager…and now a huge opportunity that I landed myself (stemmed by an email I wrote last October) is all about to happen.
You might want to move to the town over from yours, or across the world…either move is a big move. Start small and move somewhere that’s out of your comfort zone but not too far away from your mom or dad to visit them when your day really sucks. Had I moved to LA when I was 17 (I don’t even know how I could have done that with how insecure I was back then) I would’ve done everything backwards and too soon. Be open to every experience, every door, and every possibility. You never know who you might just meet or where you might end up.