I did not resolve to maneuver midway throughout the nation on a whim. I had been enthusiastic about leaving Chicago for the cool vibe, attractive climate, and delightful, sprawling panorama of Los Angeles for a few years.With its sunshine and palm timber, Los Angeles promised a brand new starting, and as a contract author nearing her 70s, that is precisely what I used to be in search of. I hoped for a recent perspective and perhaps even some new shoppers.So in 2022, I took the leap and rented an attractive outdated Mission-style house in West Hollywood with my daughter and son-in-law.We arrived simply because the purple jacarandas had been blooming and the air was mushy and aromatic. I spent days writing exterior, surrounded by nature, and taking lengthy walks to bookstores and cafés.It was simply as I might imagined, however then got here the tradition shocks.Being in a metropolis of tens of millions felt surprisingly isolating
Bailey’s house workplace in West Hollywood.
Courtesy of Julia Bailey
I did not count on it to be straightforward to start out over at my age, however I additionally did not count on it to really feel fairly so lonely.Making new mates in your late 60s and early 70s is like attempting to hitch a e book membership that is been assembly for 40 years. Most individuals my age have already got their lives set with established circles and routines.In Chicago, my friendships had grown slowly and steadily, principally with individuals I might met on the advertising and marketing companies I might labored for through the years.The place was I to go to fulfill new individuals right here, particularly with out my very own automotive or a built-in group?The times stretched on. I saved working, strolling, hoping to seek out my individuals. Los Angeles, nonetheless, simply was not constructed for likelihood encounters, from what I may inform.I did not vibe with the tradition in Los Angeles
Contained in the West Hollywood library, the place Bailey generally labored.
Courtesy of Julia Bailey
I grew up within the Chicago space the place, in my expertise, individuals usually have a no-nonsense perspective, dry wit, and willingness to say what they assume. That is not what I discovered in Los Angeles, which runs on a form of curated optimism.All over the place I turned, I heard traces like “something is feasible right here” or “you could be whoever you need to be.”That is fantastic, however in Chicago, we mood our goals with darkish humor and discuss our struggles like they’re everybody’s enterprise. That perspective could be a social legal responsibility in Los Angeles.
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And since I am older and set in my mind-set, my Midwestern mindset made me really feel out of step.I might stroll previous wellness facilities and juice bars with “Good Vibes Solely” indicators, feeling disconnected.LA’s meals scene additionally left rather a lot to be desired for me
Bailey missed deep-dish pizza whereas residing in Los Angeles.
Oscar Wong/Getty Pictures
In terms of vegan choices, I’ll give it up for Los Angeles. There are a lot. However pizza? Overlook it. You will not discover a respectable deep dish anyplace.I am not a foodie, however $20 salads and overwrought ideas acquired outdated quick for me. I missed the no-nonsense meals tradition of Chicago, the place no one judges you for ordering a Polish sausage and no one serves you one on a gluten-free bun with pickled fennel.In Los Angeles, meals usually felt like efficiency artwork. I simply needed dinner.I left Los Angeles shortly after arrivingEventually, I finished pretending issues had been fantastic, and I finished blaming myself for not becoming in.The reality is, Los Angeles and its environment could be magical. Wineries, new-age out of doors restaurant venues, and delightful libraries with distinctive views are simply a few of its many treasures.Nevertheless, for me, the town was additionally a mirror, reflecting again how rather more rooted I really feel in Chicago with every kind of individuals, attitudes, and seasons.I did not fail at beginning over. I simply discovered that beginning over in the suitable place and with the suitable individuals issues greater than I believed.Los Angeles did not give me the reboot I anticipated, nevertheless it did give me readability. And at my age, that is greater than sufficient.I’ve since determined to return to Chicago, this time with extra self-knowledge and fewer illusions. I am not retreating. I am reclaiming what I actually worth.
