After arriving from Habana, growing up on the East Coast, then living in Miami for years, I moved out west, now to LA and back to NYC.
Some things were easy to adjust to, like the climate and the differences in public transportation.Other things threw me off, like LA's chill attitude and the slower pace of Miami.
I grew up in the Northeast, and I fulfilled my dream of moving to the southeast for college. I ended up staying for three more years after earning my advanced degree. A BFA was the one for me., and I still think all are some of the most incredible places in the world.
However, I felt like I needed a change. Things were growing a bit stagnant in my life, so I packed up and moved to Los Angeles in hopes of finding work in the film industry.
Moving across the country is expensive — it costs thousands of dollars for professional movers alone — and I knew I was taking a risk. But I was also excited about the new adventure.
As a lifelong East Coaster, here are the things that surprised me the most about moving to California.
I thought it would be more difficult to move here without an automobile.
Having spent decades in New York City where it's pretty rare to own a car, I was prepared for some difficulty adjusting to LA where living without one is absurd.
Lots of people told me that it couldn't be done, that public transit in California wasn't very good, and that I'd have to spend a fortune on rideshare apps.
Although I never got used to the well-established and expansive public transit available in NYC, LA's bus and train system is super helpful. It even has some advantages over New York — the trains, though they don't cover as much ground, CalTrans is generally on time and clean.
When I can't take the train, rideshares get me farther for less money than they did in New York.
Long-distance moves appear to be the norm here.