Meet Michele Paradise from London, who moved to LA nine months ago for a lifestyle change and greater opportunities in her career. Michele was born on the East Coast of the US and was discovered by the designer Zandra Rhodes to be her muse. “I left for London and didn’t look back. I enjoyed a 20-year international catwalk modeling career and loved every minute of it. I’m a hybrid. I don’t consider myself American or British, just the best of both worlds.
Was there a particular reason you chose LA?
After retiring from modeling in 2000, I trained to work in the field of human behavior and all of the modalities that I use with my clients originate from California or have evolved into even greater things here. I believed that the mindset here would be more conducive to what I do and I was right. California has always symbolized the new frontier to me and that hasn’t changed. LA is full of great creative minds who are willing to embrace new ideas and build on them. Also, my son moved here five years ago with his British band, Charming Liars, and has been encouraging me to move ever since. He believed that this was a better environment for the work I do and he was right.
What do you miss most from home?
The banter and the humor. I miss shows like 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, QI and of course, the Great British Bake Off. And pubs, of course. I’ve recently found a way to watch those shows here and relish them even more now.
What was your first impression of LA and has it changed since? If so, why?
After living in London and other large European cities, I didn’t feel like LA had a center, a soul. There wasn’t a West End or Oxford Street where you knew you could go to shop, eat or just walk through throngs of people. I now get LA and I love the small community feeling in each area. Some even have names like Little Armenia and Thai Town. I live in West Hollywood and love the fact that I can walk to shops, see people on the streets and not always rely on my car. There are many different types of communities here, which makes it easier to find the best fit for you.
What do you find the biggest difference is living here versus London?
The car is king! More people are in their cars than on the streets and that is bittersweet. You don’t meet many people on the streets but you also have a lot more room to walk on the pavement, and I love to walk. I couldn’t write this without including the weather. That is the biggest difference. From time to time I do miss the smell of rain but I get over it quickly.
Do you have a hidden gem in LA that you want to share with us?
My hidden gem is a rather large Indian ‘corner’ shop in Los Feliz called India Sweets & Spices. It’s the size of a football pitch and by the time you leave the store, you can have your eyebrows threaded, eat a hot Indian meal, buy a new outfit, buy loads of incense, Cadbury’s chocolate, Heinz baked beans and PG Tips, all under one roof. Also, Pace in Laurel Canyon. It has all the best elements of a restaurant…great food, a good wine list, off the beaten track and romantic. I love it! (www.pacerestaurant.com)
What would you suggest to others who are thinking about making the move here?
What I’ve noticed most amongst my British friends and family is that they sometimes find the American friendliness a bit disingenuous but it’s not. Roll with it, enjoy it. You might even get used to it after a while! I find myself having the most interesting conversations with waiters and Uber drivers about topics from politics to spirituality. Americans are talkative and very friendly people. Embrace it!
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?
The best bit of advice I’ve been given is that life isn’t a dress rehearsal. So when you move here, get involved. Taste all that you can in LA from hikes, restaurants, beaches, theatres and nature. I came to LA to be closer to nature and I love the fact that the mountains and the beach are equidistant from my apartment. It’s so easy to spend a lot of time in your car and not interact with that many people during the day so it’s good to push yourself out a bit more and get involved.
Lastly, how can we find out more about you? Are you working on anything at the moment? You can find out more about me on my website www.changeyourmindforgood.com. Shortly after arriving in LA I was introduced to Deepak Chopra by a former Harley Street client who referred to me as a ‘good witch’! Deepak very much liked the work I am doing to help people relieve stress and anxiety from their lives and invited me to become a Wellness Expert on his new digital wellness platform jiyo.com where I have my own channel entitled The Healing Haven.
