If you’re sitting there rolling your eyes, maybe you’ve forgotten (but probably not b/c I’m a broken record) that I’ve been living everywhere but my own place for the past 3+ years until last month! Responsibilities are neat (who the f says ‘neat’ anymore?). I feel like a semi grown-up now (or 85 year-old-woman who uses ‘neat’ in her vocabulary) with actual house keys I carry around. Maybe I’ll get one of those engraved keychains you find in Caribbean airports to commemorate such a moment. On second thought, no, because there’s NEVER a correctly spelled ‘Lesley’ on display.

I digress.

My first month in my LA apartment has shed light and lessons on domestic life. Here are my favorites:

1. Brewing proper French Press coffee is no walk in the park. You know what they say…it takes many failures to reach success, and thus a properly caffeinated beverage. This is my official apology to the coffee beans I massacred in May. Hope y’all caught it all on IG stories.
2. Curtains don’t belong behind stoves. Yeah, this was an interesting realization, and one I should’ve caught myself before anything caught fire. Kidding. The curtains didn’t actually catch fire thanks to a very observant Insta follower who noticed when I moved the curtains by the stairs (unnecessary) to curtains over the bright kitchen windows, which just so happen to be in front of the stove. Basically, Instagram and this woman saved my life. I am forever indebted. Yay social media!
3. Dishwashers are overrated. But seriously though. Anyone ever noticed how therapeutic it is to scrub pots and pans?! You’re going to clean off the food residue before putting it in the dishwasher anyway sooo might as well save some water.
4. It rains in LA. Apparently May Grey and June Gloom are a thing here. Gosh I have a knack for timing.
5. Diets aren’t for me. I lasted 3 days on Keto to blow it on a bag of Twizzlers and you know what? I’m happy about that choice. If life is void of carbs and sugar than that isn’t the life for me. No regrets.
6. California is beautiful. This state is actual insane with its diversity and beauty and road trip potential. I’m in total awe.
7. I miss my family. I was so fortunate to be able to see them between trips which added up to multiple days and weeks throughout the year. Now I’m living 1,700 miles away from them 🙁 Is this distance sustainable?? Probably not whenever I pop out kids.
8. I’ve been living in the moment for the past 3 years. I realized this the other day when I was planning my dinner for the following evening. WAIT. WHAT? I quickly realized I hadn’t done this in, well, years. Probably since Argentina when I was playing house with my ex-boyfriend and dinner was usually baked chicken (sick) or spaghetti (fail – we ended up going out that night). I usually don’t know what I’m going to eat until it basically is about to happen. Same with most other things in life besides planned trips here and there. CRAY.
9. Paying rent sucks. Like really sucks after not paying it for 36 months.
10. Gas is expensive. Not only is fuel decreasing my bank account at a rapid pace, but LA is V spread out which means I need a lot of it.
11. I can go an entire month without flying – and an entire month without buying a plane ticket. THIS IS HUGE. Now, this doesn’t mean I didn’t peruse skyscanner.com and their ‘Everywhere’ tab for fun/prospects/cheap getaways…BUT the moral of the story here is that I was able to stay inside the state of California (hello road trip to Yosemite and Joshua Tree!) for a whole month. That’s a big deal for me.
12. Finding a creative space is important. I used to find loads of creativity at 35,000 feet. It was my “office” if you will. Then I stopped writing on planes and began photo editing, reading and taking naps. My apartment in LA (THIS SUNROOM to be exact) became my new space for writing and new projects. I’m excited to see what brainpower comes from this place!
13. My LA apartment quickly became a Bed & Breakfast. And I’m SO happy about that. I live alone and love all visitors who come through. Shout out to Matt, Ally, Maddie and Hannah for being my temp roomies in May.
14. Netflixing/Class Passing/Postmating is not for the indecisive. Part of me feels like I’ve been living under a rock not being an active participant on these three platforms…and the other part of me feels like my time was probably spent more wisely when I didn’t engage in this trio. While we’re on my indecisiveness, WHY are there so many peanut butter and milks in the world? Grocery shopping could be a sport… (Supermarket Sweep anyone?)
15. I can grow plants. I CAN GROW THINGS. Exhibit A…meet Henry the Chia Pet from Oaxaca.
16. I rely on eggs and granola for sustenance. Here’s a serious question. If you were a food, what would you be? Cause hands down, I’d be granola. Perhaps I should expand my horizons. Who wants to take a cooking class with me?
17. A sense of community will come if you spend adequate time in one place. More than anything else, I missed a sense of community while making a life on the road. I had made friends all over the world, but they were so so spread out! I looked at my family and friends and realized they had roots and solid friend groups and things like Sunday dinner, bible study, a workout crew, etc. Oh how we led different lives. I’m happy to be able to see a group of people on the reg now.
18. The importance of saying ‘no’ is just as important as saying ‘yes.’ I turned down A LOT of opportunities to travel in May, but I was committed to sticking to one place for a while. I wanted to see how I’d feel and what would come of a month in one state. It came and went with mixed reviews. As stated above, I’ve learned many lessons, but I’d be lying to you if I said it wasn’t difficult. I crave airports and foreign lands. This career, like anything else, has its pros and cons and as we all grow up and move onwards/upwards, we begin to realize what we need to hold on to and what we need to change. Evolution is necessary for success. I can’t wait to see what June brings!