Saturday, July 28, 2018

LaLaLand 6 Month Update

Hi Friends & Fam,

I've been in Los Angeles for almost 8 months now. I'm still sharing a living room, but I finally have a real mattress and bed frame. I still work for minimum wage at Equinox (so silly that my rate is $120/hr but I don't even make $20 of that), and I've picked up many side jobs to make ends meet.

I moved to LA with $0 in savings, its a long story on how and why I got here, so I'll save that for another time. Moving is costly but I got lucky and have found an inexpensive place in Koreatown/Hollywood area for $600 a month. Yes, I share/split a living room for $600. If I wanted my own room, I'd need to pay at least $1,000 a month for living expenses alone. Since I moved to LA with nothing, I've had no opportunity to save anything up to be able to move to my own place. My expenses are higher than my income. I make so very little at Equinox, but it is so worth working there for the connections I've made, and the amazing people that have come into my life.

I'm giving my 30 days notice at my current place August 1st. I have no savings and no money to get another place but I am giving up any worries or hesitation to the universe. Everything in my life happened in such a way that brought me here to LA. I know I am supposed to be here. I am here for a reason.

I have never been afraid of change. I don't know what's coming next, but I feel something big coming. Thank you for loving and supporting me while I seek my purpose. xoxo

Thursday, May 17, 2018

LaLa Land, Los Angeles Adventures

Hi Friends :) and Fam,

I realize that I am pretty much the worst at keeping in contact with the people I love the most. I want to keep you all updated on my life and I'll be blogging some of my adventures here.

Very long story short: I moved home to Humboldt County summer 2017, after months of trying to make money in a place with 0 economy, an opportunity fell into my lap to visit Los Angeles. Purely by chance, I ended up interviewing at Equinox in Beverly Hills and landed a job as a personal trainer.

I moved to Los Angeles in November 2017, my air bnb and living situation fell through so the day I started my new job at Equinox, my 27th birthday, December 4th, I had no where to sleep that night. Fortunately, I found a wonderful little place in Koreatown with the most kind, respectful roommates ever (as many of you know, I have had some incredibly awful living situations, but those are stories for another time). I was lucky enough to have packed an air mattress along with as much necessities as I could fit into my little Fiat, so I was able to set up my room and sleep in a safe place.

For the last 6 months, I have been sleeping on that same airmattress, in my trusty sleeping bag, working hard, building my business, and trying to create something out of nothing here in LA. I finally have a real mattress, and my little space is improving bit by bit. I wish I could drive up to Humboldt to get some of my things that would improve my daily life, but time and money are two things I am lacking. No complaints though, I love my job as a trainer and I have met some incredible people during my time in LA. Working in Beverly Hills is such a trip, some of these people are highly influential, some are complete fakes; it has been quite the social study interacting with so many personalities. I love people! This is such an interesting area, an interesting culture, an interesting clique.

December: I started my job at Equinox, with $0 in my pocket, $0 in savings; I'm truly starting over in life. I am loving my job, I am loving meeting new people, I am loving exploring myself and this city. I spent Christmas alone in a new city, I have no family in the area and I am just starting to make friends and connections. As tradition, I spent New Years Eve in bed, asleep :) New Years Day and the days after tend to be busy in gyms, so I focus on building my business and working. I am deeply struggling financially and make way less than my bills. But I have plenty of dry goods I was able to pack with me and as long as I have food, water and a place to sleep, I can survive.

January: Continuing to build my business, I have a few amazing clients, am building my business at Equinox and exploring options to build my business outside of Equinox as well. I start writing a book, I start CaraWeareFit.com, I start as many new ventures as I can think of. I am still struggling financially but I am almost making enough to break even. I am running through the dry goods (thanks mom!), but I am blessed to have generous clients and connections, and I can eat almost daily, I am able to get by and am moving on up in the land of opportunity, LaLaLand.

FebruaryMarch/April: I have more than a handful of incredible clients and I am grateful that my vibe attracts my tribe. My small group of connections is blossoming into a friend and support group of people I can truly count on. I am still struggling financially and have to choose often between gas to get to work and food. But I am almost breaking even and catching up on the debts I accrued the past few months getting myself established in Los Angeles. I am still loving my living situation, my roommates are literally the most respectful, considerate, kind humans I have ever met/lived with, I am beyond grateful and lucky to have this. We even take turns cleaning the apartment.. seriously amazing.. haha

May: It is may 17th. I write this in my favorite coffee shop (Mr. Coffee has the best coffee in Koreatown, I wish they were open before 10am. Their service is not great but I've found that other cultures do customer service very differently than I am personally accustomed to). I've been sleeping on a real mattress for the past week and am beyond grateful that came into my life. I have found that eventhough I am barely making enough to break even, that all my basic necessities are covered. The universe is on my side. My clients, connections, friends care about me, support me, bring me treats and protein bars, - its truly the little things in life that are bringing me joy. I am so blessed to have supportive, loving humans in my life. These people inspire be to be greater, brighter, more generous.. I am lucky, so lucky to be where I am at in life right now. I have paid off almost all my debts that I've accrued starting from nothing in LA, I am writing a book, ghost writing a book, I am getting into fitness modeling, I run a website, a meal prep company and I have so much more in the works. I cannot wait to see how my hard work pays off, I know the only road for me will lead to success. All I have to do is keep grinding. Karma is real and I know I'll get mine :)

I will be competing in a bikini competition at the end of july and need to increase my monthly expenses by about $800. It costs a lot to eat enough, to eat clean, to afford the proper supplements, the workout clothes, the gym memberships, the competition tan, suit, hair, makeup. I have made a ton of progress so far toward my goal of competing and cannot wait to see how much progress I'll make. I've already lost 4.5% bodyfat in 3-4 weeks! If you're interested in training with me, online or in person, please go to CaraWeareFit.com if you do not see a program that fits your needs, please contact me and I will create one specifically for you!

If you are reading this and feel the urge to help support me, my dreams, goals, life. Find me on Venmo or PayPal. I promise to buy food (and/or supplements haha)

Thank you friends and family for loving me and supporting me no matter what. I love you all!!