Welcome to Los Angeles!

I grew up in the Midwest.  Spent nearly 15 years in Michigan, and before that was born in and lived some in Wisconsin (with 2 years in nowhere-Texas sprinkled in).  So when I decided to move to San Francisco 10 years ago, it was a big deal.

Last week I moved to Los Angeles, which is the inspiration for this blog.  Yeah, I have already learned the ropes living on the West Coast since 2000, and it is pretty much my home now, but I also chose to come to LA independent of what anyone asked me to do or thought was the "right" thing for me to do.  It was entirely by my own choice, and primarily because I wanted to live near my boyfriend of the past year and a half.  It made sense for me at this point in my life to move, and here I am.

Los Angeles is very different than any place to which I might have seen myself moving years ago.  Part of the purpose of this blog is to put my thoughts down and share first impressions and experiences of this city in a public forum, for anyone who thinks that what I have to say or share is even the least bit interesting.  It's also to organize my thoughts as things come at me from all sides - perhaps you can provide some semblance of order to it.

I come at this as someone who learned early in my life to hate LA, when as a child I watched my beloved Detroit Pistons (that's NBA basketball, for those of you who care to know) lose to the Lakers, before finally besting them a year later.  As an alum of the University of Michigan, I have had no love lost for the USC Trojans, with their year-in/year-out Pete Carroll media lovefest and powder puff PAC-10 conference (Note: The PAC-10 is pretty amazing these days... but not so 10 years ago; and yes, I know Pete Carroll jumped ship for the NFL and that USC is in a difficult place this year).  Having grown up in a city dependent on cars for even the most basic necessities, I'm no fan of being in the ultimate car city, known not only for its parking lot freeways, but also its smog which taints an otherwise unbeatable daily weather routine of sunshine and 70s.

I didn't start a blog 10 years ago when I first moved to San Francisco because (a) I didn't know blogs existed back then and (b) moving to LA feels somehow different for me than my move to SF.  LA feels like and moves like a big city, while SF felt more familiar, almost like a big town where everybody knew your name.  LA is the first place I've been able to afford my own place, in a desirable part of town, that isn't the gay ghetto.

This isn't to speak ill upon the good name of San Francisco, a city that I have loved and continue to love, because SF is an incredible place.  It's simply to provide some arrangement for my thoughts as to why now, why this medium, and what next.

I'll share thoughts, experiences, and pictures here as this journey unfolds.  And, whoever you are reading this, thank you.  I hope you'll share your own thoughts as you see fit.