The day I dumped MA

On July 11, 2009, I crammed all of my worldly possessions and one very good, very skinny friend into my 2006 Ford Focus hatchback, and left Salem, Massachusetts for Los Angeles, California for no other reason than I really had nothing better to do.

Jobless, relationship-less, nonplussed by New England’s endless winter, and bored with spending most Friday nights making-out with whichever douche bag du jour I was dating at the time: I came to the conclusion that living on the North Shore of Boston, Massachusetts was much like living in an abusive relationship.

The Boston-area had proven itself to be a total dick: Cold, emotionally unavailable, and always screwing around with college students; I became tired of holding out hope for the one-sided relationship I’d been leading with my hometown. It was time to dump Massachusetts and, since I’d always had a little crush on California, I figured I had nothing to lose by going westward ho.

So, I set my sights on the shimmering lights of dream-factory US: Los Angeles, CA. After three decades in MA, I wanted to live on a different planet and, if you’re from the bookish, blue-blooded Boston-area, there really is no place more different in the continental United States.

While I love the rich history and gorgeous architecture of Boston, I’m charmed by LA’s ability to always look toward the future. Some people may call LA plastic and youth obsessed, but I disagree that it is more of those things than any other city I’ve experienced both stateside and abroad. What’s different about LA is that it’s unapologetic about its flaws. In that light, it’s possibly the most genuine city in the country. I would also argue that it’s the most diverse and, at 420 square miles, I’d welcome any commentary to the contrary.

Under a veneer of silicon and Botox Los Angeles is a city full of best-kept secrets. It’s like the youngest child in a family of over-achievers:  Because no one has any expectations of Los Angeles, it’s free to be whatever it wants. From that unimpeded existence, LA has developed an incredible creative, culinary, and cultural community.  I promise to share, but first I have to find a paying job.

More soon… promise.

xoJ