*sigh* Moving back to LA... again. (Los Angeles, August: home, job market, school)

[kbbr]

Well, it looks like Seattle isn't going to work out for me, so I'm heading back south. Again. This is the third time I've tried moving away only to return. I don't hate LA, but I don't love it either. I just can't make the kind of money anywhere else that I can make there. The film industry seems to exist in a bubble and pay better than it should. The catch is you have to live somewhere you're not that thrilled with. Anyone else doing this boomerang thing??

[TurcoLoco]

You should consider yourself very lucky that you can move back n forth and still be able to find a solid, well paying job. Perhaps you should make a list of "must-haves" and make sure the next prospective city will be offering most if not all of the requirements on your list.

If you are in the film industry, then CA is the place to be so why bother? Supposedly there is some movement towards New Mexico but still...
Too bad I am not in that industry cause NM wouldn't be a bad place to live especially if you are not into crowded and busy urban metro lifestyle.

Most people who leave CA for one reason or another thinking the grass is greener on the other side come back because they do not do their homework to research if their next relocation will provide what they are looking for. I have been in that situation myself but I won't be making the same mistake again (hopefully).

[nicey141]

Originally Posted by kbbr

Well, it looks like Seattle isn't going to work out for me, so I'm heading back south. Again. This is the third time I've tried moving away only to return. I don't hate LA, but I don't love it either. I just can't make the kind of money anywhere else that I can make there. The film industry seems to exist in a bubble and pay better than it should. The catch is you have to live somewhere you're not that thrilled with. Anyone else doing this boomerang thing??

I am originally from Atlanta, and I have moved to LA twice, to end up moving home. However Atlanta is not LA. Now in terms of technology Atlanta is definitely more advanced. However the pros outweigh the cons for me. I like diversity, the beach, and tropical weather. I like the idea of having a multitude of things to do, and the laid back vibe I get. I don't make alot of money, but when I was there I woke up happy most days. The 1st time I left once I finished the school I was attending, then came home and tried to get a job in entertainment, BIG MISTAKE, 2nd time I had my daughter with me and she wasn't acclimating at all, so I had to make a big decision. I left for her happiness. I hated it, but it's what I did. Now that my daughter is on a weeks eve of her 15th b-day she is always going on about how she didn't understand at the time when I was trying to convince her of all the opportunities, but now that she is older, she understands. Again I don't make alot of money, but to wake up happy being in an environment that I am accustomed to will make it all the more worthy. Some may say this is crazy, but for me it's about enjoyment of life.

I watched a special on the Travel Channel by Anthony Bourdain this spring on LA, and in essence he referenced how although LA is notorious for Hollywood(which only represents about 10%-15%) the average LA"ian" is comprised of the average working person, and not the glamed out millionaire.

I will try LA once more, and if it doesn't yield a great result, I will resort to another city of the west, but I won't return to Atlanta.

[alexxiz]

Originally Posted by kbbr

Well, it looks like Seattle isn't going to work out for me, so I'm heading back south. Again. This is the third time I've tried moving away only to return. I don't hate LA, but I don't love it either. I just can't make the kind of money anywhere else that I can make there. The film industry seems to exist in a bubble and pay better than it should. The catch is you have to live somewhere you're not that thrilled with. Anyone else doing this boomerang thing??

I've been doing it for a while... until the asthma from LA smog had kicked me down, so there ain't no going back

[alexxiz]

Originally Posted by TurcoLoco

Most people who leave CA for one reason or another thinking the grass is greener on the other side come back because they do not do their homework to research if their next relocation will provide what they are looking for

But the grass literally IS greener in PNW..

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by nicey141

I watched a special on the Travel Channel by Anthony Bourdain this spring on LA, and in essence he referenced how although LA is notorious for Hollywood(which only represents about 10%-15%) the average LA"ian" is comprised of the average working person, and not the glamed out millionaire.

How sad is it that the rest of the country need a TV show to tell them that?

[pwright1]

I moved to Los Angeles from Seattle and I find Seattle's economy much healthier and life is a lot harder in LA, but I find LA so interesting and so so much more than tv/movie glitz and glamour and plastic fakeness that people on here seem to always talk about.

[Jonah1979]

Originally Posted by kbbr

Well, it looks like Seattle isn't going to work out for me, so I'm heading back south. Again. This is the third time I've tried moving away only to return. I don't hate LA, but I don't love it either. I just can't make the kind of money anywhere else that I can make there. The film industry seems to exist in a bubble and pay better than it should. The catch is you have to live somewhere you're not that thrilled with. Anyone else doing this boomerang thing??

When you make these moves how long are you there before you move back? When I moved to LA it took me 3 years before I adjusted and started to like it.

The main thing is that you have to except the realities of the places you move to. In LA is was the cost of living, traffic, and general overcrowded feeling you get when you go places. Here in Florida it's August and September. Once you except these things you start to enjoy life.

[TurcoLoco]

Originally Posted by alexxiz

But the grass literally IS greener in PNW..

Yep, no disagreement here. I used to think So Cal was green till I flew to OR and WA a few times years back and minutes before landing, I could see what green land really looked like. I think the same thing can be said about the air, you think So Cal has nice, clear skies until you go ....pretty much anywhere else.

There really is no perfect place, a person just has to figure what are the -realistic- bare minimum things they need to have in the area they live in to be happy. In this economy and job market, if you have a job and a place to call home, consider yourself lucky and be grateful.

[BVitamin]

Headed back to GLAMA in a week, ugh. Well it's better than here at least, that's for sure.