Jayson and I will be packing our cars and driving to Los Angeles, California on April 19th! While preparing for this BIG adventure, we have had a few of the same questions repeated time and again; so I am going to have a little Q & A time here.
Q: Do you have jobs?
A: Not yet. Yes, yes we said we weren’t going out there until we had at least one set up; but you know what we found out… You can talk to lots of people, and have everything perfect for that prospective job; but unless you are out there, no one takes you seriously.
Now in Texas, you can apply for a job and not hear back from the employer for two months about an interview (it’s happened to me several times… always have to have them remind me what position I applied for. Seriously dumb). In L.A., things work much quicker. You apply for a job, they want you to come in right away to interview, and then you know right away if you have it or not. If you have the job, boom!, you start right away.
So since we have had to include in our cover letters, until now, that we aren’t in L.A. yet; no one has been willing to consider us for a job.
We have talked to every friend that lives out there or has lived out there, and no one had a job before they moved. (This does not apply to independent contract or short-term work/internships.) ALSO, we have several friends who have been out there and have worked hard for years in L.A. helping us by using their contacts to help us find jobs and to talk to more people in power. We’re in good hands. (Plus, Jayson and I believe in working hard.)
So everybody, I will say this in the nicest way possible: cool your jets. Trust us. Believe in us. It’s going to be okay, and we will find jobs.
*Extra personal note from Sass: I don’t believe in looking at the negative in a situation or “the worst case scenario” because if you don’t go into something with confidence, you’re most likely going to fail. So feel free to think about the negatives all you want, but please don’t bring them up to us. It’s like a total bummer, man.
Q: What kind of jobs are you looking for?
A: Jayson is looking for something in the mental health field. He loves his work with children, and especially Autistic children. His main goal is to find a first-rate, patient orientated company/organization. He has lots of help from really smart, well-connected people in finding this.
I, Sarah, am looking for starting working in Event Planning or Personal Assistant work. Because of my strong desire to work in event planning, I am looking for anything to give me more legitimate experience in that field. Personal Assistants often take on event planning as a part of their job description. My goal is to one day work with one company that I believe in, and help build their brand through events. For example I LOVE GOOD, Inc. (www.good.is) and have been applying to everything I can there.
Q: Do you have a place to live?
A: Yes! That is what really confirmed our moving date. For a month to a month and a half, we will be renting a fully furnished house in Studio City. Then, once we have our jobs in place and we know where we want to live, we will find our permanent place.
It’s a very cute house, owned by a rental company (rather than just some person who is leaving town for a couple of months), has all utilities paid, our own yard, off street parking, and everything we need to live included inside the house (even sheets and towels and kitchen supplies!). It’s in an area we love; plus, we have a pool that we share with two other houses! It is the perfect place to help us transition into LA life.
Oh, and I didn’t mention, Adler stays for FREE! NO PET DEPOSIT! Helpful, very helpful. The house where we live in Fort Worth not only had a pet deposit, but we don’t get that money back. So having her get to stay somewhere for free is awesome.
Q: Why did you decide to rent a short-term place, only to have to move again?
A: For anyone who has ever rented a house, you know about the downs I am about to explain. First, there is the lease. We didn’t want to get stuck in a year-long lease in one part of town while having our jobs FAR on the other side of town. So we wanted something we could easily move out of if needed.
In all of our searches we found only one month-to-month rent house. Even with a house like that we would still have to move all of our stuff in, unpack, and spend hundreds setting up utilities. Moving into a place that has all of that set up (AND has ALL UTITILITES included in the price) makes things much easier, and most likely, cheaper.
Q: What are you going to do with all of your stuff?
A: We are taking both of our cars (YES BOTH of our cars. You know how in DFW you need two cars for two people to get to work, that definitely applies to Los Angeles.) We are filling the cars with our necessities (clothing, etc), and driving out.
All of our other stuff will be in storage here in DFW. When we find our permanent location, we will arrange to come back here, load a moving van, and drive it back to LA.
On our first trip out there we will also take a few other basics; so we wont feel the rush to get back here to get the rest of our things (ex. Air mattress). We will be buying a new couch there any way; so we should be fine :)
Q: Why are you putting things into storage in DFW instead of LA?
A: Money. Not only are the storage units cheaper here (by about 50 dollars a month), but actually moving everything in one trip would be more expensive than moving it in two.
Our original plan was to have me drive my car, and Jayson drive a rental, moving truck while towing his car on a trailer. The only 10’ moving truck that can tow a car is U-Haul (which is often more expensive than other brands). By not needing a trailer, it opens up our money saving options.
Jayson’s car would use the same price of gas driving to LA that the towing trailer would cost to rent; and if we used the trailer to tow the car, it’s weight would cause us to use more gas for the moving truck itself. More gas used, more money spent. Therefore, driving two cars = cheaper. Plus, Jayson doesn’t really like the idea of driving a big moving truck, towing a trailer carrying his car over 1400 miles. I think less stress makes for a better trip; what about you?
Also, we have enough frequent flyer miles to fly back here to get the rest of our stuff for FREE! Win. Win.
I think those are the basic questions we are asked most often. If you have anymore, feel free to comment and ask. I will do a follow up blog post if necessary.
Mainly, remember this: I do A LOT of research. So if I’ve picked out something for us to do, I have made sure it’s the cheapest option. THEN, Jayson goes back and double checks to see if there is an even cheaper way.
Thanks for your prayers and support during all of this. I know most all of the questions people have for us come out of love and concern. Plus, it’s just fun to keep track of adventures friends are going on. I know I follow lots of friends’ blogs for the same reason.
Really and truly, always feel free to ask your questions. I would rather have the option to answer than have you ponder over it on your own (or with others).
I love and am thankful for you all!
California Dreamin’
Sass
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