THE BEGINNING

72 and sunny. Flawless, right? A true movie scene background this city of angels. Souls soaked in organic vegetables, gold, and smog. The life. I came to this city six years ago. A place I swore I’d never live. But there I was. Fresh out of my ’99 Honda CRV with a belly full of Philly cheesesteaks, I was greeted with the Los Angeles starter kit:

• An overpriced apartment with too many roommates

• An appetite for In-n-Out

• A pet cockroach

• The reoccurring question if someone was homeless or hipster

• And a heart full of hopes and dreams

When you move or take any sort of leap in life, there are going to be a lot of different people with a lot of different opinions. Suddenly your friends and family become a Yelp submission that dances with 1 and 5 star reviews, leaving your wondering mind with a constellation of confusion and a stomach hungry for the best damn pizza in town. Some of the advice will stick, and those pieces of spaghetti aren't always right. Be...