5 Year Anniversary Of Moving To Los Angeles CA: A Trip Inside My Heart & Mind.

My 5 year Anniversary in Los Angeles.

The land of dream makers, goal chasers, wanna bees, heart throbs, heart breakers and more. I came here 5 years ago this month, to pursue a dream of mine I have been prepping for since I was 8. The past week has been very nostalgic for me, When I was 18 I picked up and moved from a little suburban town in Cleveland Ohio to the city where everyone wants to be something, Los Angeles California. I packed up my Mazda 3, booked a one-way ticket and shipped away. I knew only a single friend, her pullout couch and how to cook ramen noodles. I never woke up with anything but a smile, only keeping the passion of dreaming alive. When I think about it now, I had a goal; I never second-guessed it and I never let anyone talk me out of it. When people ask me advice on how I got here and tips to becoming “successful”, I just say follow your dreams. But people never take me seriously; they think it is a corny statement and that I am just saying it because I have nothing else better to say.

People always get nervous thinking about their future and what they want to do with the rest of their lives. I know it can be very intimidating and overwhelming trying to make a decision. Advice: What do you like to do? Let me help you to understand more: What is “work” but doesn’t feel like work? That is something you should be doing with your life. So you aren’t miserable in a cubicle doing a 9-5 because you think it would be what your parents want, or would be the “best life for you”.

I took a chance, a huge risk, moving across the country, far away from everything I knew, to embark on an unknown journey.

Getting out of your comfort zone is what makes you grow.

When things become monotonous and comfortable. You aren’t growing or changing as a human. What fun is that?!? Don’t you want to become the best person you can?

After completing my first year of school, living out of my car, showering at gyms, living off of cup o noodles and bread from the restaurant I worked at. I began auditioning. The reality set in that I didn’t have a set schedule, no one was making me be at any specific place, I was an ADULT. So scary. I felt so alone. It began to feel real that this is MY life, what is going to come of it is whatever I decide to put into it. No one is going to do it for me.

So I kicked into 1st gear and made shit happen. I made goals, wrote them down on a board every year. As farfetched as I could make them. You know what? As of today, I completed every single thing and have done some more than twice. I am a firm believer if you REALLY out your mind to something you can make it happen. My stubborn non patient personality also helps out a lot lol. I have toured the world, met the craziest people, have been in the best and worst situations of my life to date. But I would never trade anything in or re do any of it. But what I remember most, is if I was smiling, and who was around me at that time. Who my friends were.

TAKE THE TIME TO NUTURE YOUR FRIENDSHIPS

Friends come and go. All the time. Get used to it. You don’t have to treat them like boyfriends either. Relax, if Susie doesn’t text or call you one day, she doesn’t hate you or I can promise you that you guys are still friends. Being high maintenance is awful.

Love them like you love yourself. Don’t let them put you down or say rude things to you. Draw a line. Some people just don’t and will not get it. It is not your job to change them. If they bring you down, someone right around the corner will bring you up. I think a friendship rule book blog is next up. But pertaining to my life journey, what I meant to say was that friends are the ones that really helped me get through these past 5 years and are by my side for the long haul.

Each day I struggle with really becoming who Dani Vitale is. Trying not to get sucked it by crappy people’s energy, getting put down, hearing the word NO, or failing at something. But I realized all I can do is take care of me. To nurture my body with the best food, get rest, stay active and healthy and doing what I love and not losing sight of what makes me happy. Loving people around me and being able to be loved.

Who knows where my life will take me (hopefully Chicago lol) but so far it has been one hell of a trip.

Tell your parents you love them. Tell them thank you often. Call your siblings. And never forget to smile.

Love,

Dani <3