I'm Moving to Los Angeles
On a humid August morning in 2013, I had just finished moving into my dorm room the previous day and was eager to explore the area surrounding Purdue's campus. I unlocked my bike from the rack outside and set off on a journey to visit a diner located just to the north. I hadn't asked for permission to leave, nor given an ETA for my return. This was, in many ways, my first act of total freedom as a young adult.
As I rode through the grandeur of campus, the tranquility of the countryside, and the biodiversity of the wetlands, I thought, “I’m really going to like it here." But even amidst the excitement of my newfound liberty, I felt the California-shaped hole forming in my heart.
Saying I was spoiled by the Golden State would be an understatement, and — borrowing from a cliché — I never realized how true this was until I left. Through my five years at Purdue, two years in Dayton, and six years in Charlotte, my attention remained invariably fixed on the West Coast. From the day I set off on my bike toward that diner, I made it my mission to someday call California home again.
Back in September, on my first day at American, I was officially awarded an LAX base. I was closer than ever, but I continued to reside in Charlotte. I divided my time between coasts while waiting for Tiffany to follow in my footsteps; she is anticipated to begin her American career later this summer.
For months, I’ve been boarding a plane and traveling 2,125 miles to go to work. Then, after work — eager to sink into my couch — I travel 2,125 miles back home, usually overnight. I do this anywhere between one and four times per month. It’s an onerous routine, powered exclusively by my enthusiasm for this new chapter.
But my commute is about to get a lot shorter.
After months of apartment hunting, neighborhood scouting, packing, moving, and unpacking, we’ve settled into a place we love in Los Angeles. It’s perched in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, and we can’t wait to call it home for the foreseeable future.
A new chapter is beginning, one that I know will be Golden.