When I graduated college, I was left with two options: returning home to work at a local newspaper or moving to a better market to do freelance work and hopefully get noticed. It might not have been the most financially sound decision I ever made, but I decided to move to Los Angeles. I had spent almost 21 long years in my small, rural hometown and it was time to test my mettle in the big city.
The drive across country was a memorable one to say the least. My ancient economy car broke down several times in the Rocky Mountains. All of the possessions I piled inside the vehicle were clattering around the backseat for most of the journey. Finally I arrived in L.A. and moved into a squalid apartment. It wasn’t until I actually arrived at my destination that I realized I was missing some things that most people take for granted. How would I eat dinner without silverware, pots or pans? I ate my meals in restaurants for the next week and ordered some discount kitchenware online. When it showed up in the mail, I finally started preparing home-cooked meals.