Meet Carly from Thornton-Cleveleys who moved to LA seven months ago while her husband goes to music school.
Was there a particular reason you chose LA?
My husband is an American, from Colorado originally, and lived with me in the UK. It was his dream to go to the Musicians’ Institute in Hollywood and so we (eventually) made it happen. As someone who has a background in performing arts and is an aspiring writer the move made sense to me. Even though it was ultimately for him, we knew we both had the potential to get the most out of it. We moved to Colorado first, to be with his family in May 2015, then to LA for him to start school just after Christmas.
By being out here I have the chance to work with some very talented people and to develop my career as a stage manager. I’ve been lucky to have already worked on a few stage shows and I’m looking for new opportunities every day. I gave up my retail team leader job as it was destroying my soul. That was a big risk as I’m the one supporting us both in a very expensive city so I’m always on to look out for jobs that work to my strengths or likes; theatre, creative studio work, something with animals, all three…
What do you miss most from home?
My parents and my cats. The hardest thing has been not being there for my parents; my dad got pneumonia last year, and both of them lost their mothers, my remaining grandparents. I’m going back in August for a few weeks and I can’t wait.
I’ve always had cats in my life and we had to leave one with my aunt and two with my parents. Being here is the longest I’ve ever been without an animal around and I feel it every day. I’d love to foster a cat while we are here but the increased pet rent is too much and I’m currently between jobs and trying to get freelance work. My hope is that when I get back from the UK I’ll start pet sitting.
What was your first impression of LA and has it changed since? If so, why?
I first came to LA in 2006 (that’s when I met my husband) and it was such a shock. There are almost as many people in one square mile in Hollywood as there are in my entire home town! The heat is pretty extreme too, and Hollywood is so dirty! In the UK I live near Blackpool and Hollywood Boulevard just reminded me of there, a tacky tourist trap, not very glamorous. I still feel the same about it but it makes sense to be in Hollywood right now so Jon can walk to school as parking is a nightmare and we only have one car.
I much prefer to be near the coast. Once Jon’s done with school, in a year, we’d like to relocate to the Santa Monica area.
What do you find the biggest difference is living here versus Thornton-Cleveleys?
Just the vast amount of people, the different classes and nationalities, oh and the traffic!
Do you have a hidden gem in LA that you want to share with us?
Galanga Thai Fusion on Santa Monica Boulevard at Vista St. A friend took me there many years ago when I didn’t really know much about Thai food. Ten years later it’s still there and now I actually know what to expect. I think it’s one of the best, and is very reasonably priced. Dine in or take out. Also, if you’re into kooky clothes like I am, Crossroads Trading on Melrose and the Out of the Closet in Atwater Village have some great selections.
What would you suggest to others who are thinking about making the move here?
Do it, be true to yourself, don’t settle and get what you need from Craigslist. I got a super microwave for $10 when I went to get a side table (but don’t go alone because some people are crazy). Talk to everyone you meet because you never know who they know or how they might help.
Lots of our members join our group Brits in LA seeking out words of wisdom – what is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
“Tread softly because you tread on my dreams’, which is taken from a poem by William B Yeats.
Lastly, how can we find out more about you? Are you working on anything at the moment?
I’m currently ‘finding myself’ as a writer whilst working through the changes. You can follow my journey through my new blog uktolablog.wordpress.com.
