A decade of living in LA

Hey guys! Congratulations to me! Ten years ago, I made the hardest choice of my life. I traded comfort and stability for a shot at the Hollywood dream. I remember it like it was yesterday.

It's 2014 and I've been working with my therapist, Ivan. He said "just got for it" , more or less. I made plans, packed my stuff, said my goodbyes and left home. My mother was so sad, the tears rolling down her cheek will always haunt my memories. Overall she was supportive, and just wanted me to be happy.

It was a lifetime in the making. I want to be an actor, director, and writer. The road to LA was paved with poop and pee, but I made it! A journey of 2000 miles began with a bold step, but it ended with me rolling up to a ramshackle hut in the bad part of Burbank. Okay, so there is no bad part of Burbank, but this house was barely standing.

I was renting a room and had to share it with a Chinese film student. He was a nice guy, but he loved to feed me undercooked chicken. Bro, do I have a lot of stories from those early days.

Sooner or later, I got a job at Universal Studios. It was like a dream come true. However, I wasn't working in the backlot; I was operating a ride. Theme park life can be exciting, and it was, for a few months. It gets repetitive and annoying quickly.

There, I met some filmmaking buddies. That first year was amazing for networking. Everyone wanted to be friends with the new kid from Michigan. I did so many little short films, movie reviews, acting classes, and so forth. Man, those were the days.

One of my first days in LA, I was invited to a rooftop pool party where I met a director. Life seemed so magical.

I got accepted into Central Casting and had background roles in 2 different projects. I was complimented on my professionalism. Most extras just want to sleep, eat donuts, and cash a check. I wanted to learn the biz, make friends, and respect the craft.

I just wish Ivan taught me more about self-confidence. Despite being praised, loved, and adored, I never felt good about it. I never felt like I truly belonged. I started to fade away. I did turn down some gigs because I was anxious. LA is a huge place with some dangerous folks.

I've had my money stolen, car stolen, car break down, I've been threatened, misunderstood, shouted at. One time a guy busted out a taser on the subway and looked me dead in the eye like he wanted to hurt me. I was just trying to enjoy the ride.

After some time, I became bitter. People noticed. I lost a lot of friends. Some drifted away, and others spread rumors. Needless to say, my trust in myself and in California went right out the window.

2018. It's been four years and I am a shell of my former happy self. I keep applying for new jobs to get away from that hellhole. I have had no luck. Even a self-produced internet project couldn't save me. It all fell through the cracks.

Several times I felt like throwing in the towel. What is the point of being here if I can't make it work? I might as well go home. BUT my stupid hope wouldn't let me give up. I had to keep going. Because you just never know what's around the corner...

Tragedy. My mom passed away in 2019. The lord took away the one person in my life who always had my back, no matter what. I guess I had to learn the hard way to stand up for myself, spread my wings and fly.

That whole year was tough. I got demoted at work, I got into a car accident, and I had gallbladder surgery. I was down. But there were some silver linings. I got a new car, and I took a trip to New York. I told myself that 2020 would be my year....

We all know what happened. Everything shut down and I got fat, lol. I wrote a sitcom but never got a chance to pitch it. I sat on it for years. If you want to hear about Work Blues, just let me know.

Let's fast forward to this very moment, 2024. I am still here, 10 years later. Life is not bad. I work in an office with good AC. I live in a better place, I have my own room. I've got a good woman. I've self-published 2 books. There's a lot to be thankful for.

I still plan on doing stuff. I have a lot of ideas I'm working on. LA hasn't broken me yet. I am tougher than I used to be. In the future I might blog more about my weird experiences. lol trust me, I have stories. Thank you for being part of my journey!

-Your friend, Mr. Cali Bee

#mikebee, #lifeincali, #Hollywood, #actorslife