How I moved 3000 miles away from home with 500 dollars and a dream Part 1

Wrote on: August 22, 2011 at 1:04pm

Since I was a young child I've always dreamed about moving to California to pursue my dream of being a film director. It's not a common dream where I come from, and not many people supported a "fabricated" career in the film industry. So, I had a long and hard road ahead. My family was not on the streets and they were not upper middle class either, but they definitely didn't have a savings for my college. Little did I know, how much more work I had to do in order to go to college.  High school came and went, and three years later I achieved my associates degree. With time, hard work, and a decent GPA, I was ready to transfer to a school in California (preferably USC). So I started filling out apps for colleges.

When May 2011 came around, I found out I couldn't afford to go to USC and I was deeply disappointed (but I have some plans up my sleeves to be able to go to USC for my master's degree). However, I did get into a good close by school named Columbia and it was about 3/4's cheaper than USC, and I could afford it! So I set my sights on Columbia, one problem...where was I going to live in expensive L.A.? No one I knew had good enough credit to help get me a loan for student housing. Trust me, I tried, begged, pleaded and cried. I even asked some complete strangers for help. (that's how much I loveee me some film) So anywho, after no success, I got a huge reality check: Anything I want in life, I have to do it myself and stop depending on help from others. So, it was the last Thursday of may, and my boy friend gets a call for a job....in Socal!!  So we're like okay awesome but we don't plan on leaving until my school starts aka the end of June. Well in order, to get the job the latest he could go for an interview is 9am June 1st.

Okay...wait... lets back this up for a second:

I wasn't planning on moving til June 25th

I have no place to live there

My family, what are they going to think?

I only have $500 dollars

I haven't quite sold everything yet

I'm so not prepared

It's May 26th, that's less than a week.

Did I mention I live in South Carolina.

That is about 3000 miles away.

I have a lot to do, and I'm not sure if I'm going to do this.

Okay that's about what went through my mind that day at the mall. So, My boyfriend agreed and told her that we will be there. However, after the phone call we were shocked, our stomachs dropped. What are we going to do? What are we going to tell our family? This is way to sudden! The first person I called was my mom. I didn't think she quite understood that I was serious. I called a family friend who moved a lot and she said well not many places is hiring, and that we should go! She told me to sell everything asap. 

So, my boyfriend, and I sat down, and tried to calm our self's down from the dizziness. We agreed to this: If we could sell everything before Monday (labor day) we would go. 

Pros: We would go to So. Cal with a job and money security, and if we waited we might not get another chance to get a job. We would also have time to get settled before school starts.

Cons:  Have Friday, and Saturday to sell everything plus pack everything. Also let my job know I am leaving early. Only have one day to say goodbye to my friends and family. There is also the possibility that we may not even get the job, and well...we have short notice to do all of this. I also had to move with only my car, only taking things that would fit.

So, I went to work that night like nothing was wrong, but I broke my guts to one of my good friends Tiffany. She was deeply upset, and didn't want me to leave but she agreed to buy some of my stuff to help me out. Feeling sad, and helpless, after work, I called my longtime bestie, April. Little did I know she just got paid by the her military job and had 6000 dollars to spend. She surprisingly wanted to by some stuff! I was like omg! So Friday, and Saturday she spent about $800 dollars on just about everything I wasn't taking. I was in utter shock. I have two amazing best friends who just helped me sell everything. 

Then it started to sink in...I am leaving my home! I am leaving my family, friends, and comfort zone...I don't know if you have ever experienced this feeling but it was a nasty feeling in my stomach. It's like having to throw up but can't-but all the while holding back tears- that's how it felt. This was a feeling I most definitely didn't prepare for.

I am actually going. I did sell everything.

I was so sick with grief, I couldn't eat properly.  I went out to eat one last time with Tiffany, and I couldn't even eat. All I could think about was how much I'm going to miss her, and everyone, and this town and everything I overlooked. We cried, and said our goodbyes or our "see you laters" and then off I went to finish packing. 

Sunday was the hardest day I ever experienced in my entire life. Harder than taking my stepdad to court.  I was leaving my family. It's so much harder than it sounds...trust me. I woke up like any other Sunday, I skipped the make up and wore sunglasses, so I could cry in style, and not have to worry about fixing my make up- since I knew I was going to ball tears all day. I went to Marathon, and I finally got to be the director (first and last there-something I worked two years to do). I said goodbye to everyone, and it sucked so bad. I randomly cried out of nowhere when people said the word California.

I made plans to go to my grams and say goodbye to everyone there. My baby sis tagged along and it was a lot of fun! I said goodbye to my uncle, who as always, wished me good luck and told me to enjoy the new territory.  Then at my moms house we all sat in the living room avoiding the word California. All the while my boyfriend was with his family saying goodbye. It was about 11 o'clock and then me and my sister broke down, and just cried together. It was one of the hardest things to do.  Then it was my mom, and we just cried together as well. I promised her I would keep my roots, and push til I'm at the top. My grandmother drove me home, and my face was so red, I could barely touch it without it burning. We said goodbye, and then I just couldn't take it anymore. I balled more than  I ever had in my entire life. I looked up, as she was leaving, and I saw my best friend April, waiting for me in the driveway.

We drove around town one last time, we drove around hospital parking lots, we talked about the past, the future, and just avoided the present for now. It was about 2 am and we ate big macs together while reminiscing on life together. We drove back to my place, and watched funny youtube videos til 4 am, and then we just had to call it quits. It was getting to late, and I had to be up at 5 am to leave. So I walked outside with her, and we hugged for an hour, and just cried. It was winding up to the end of the saddest day of my life. I said goodbye, and walked in my room. I just let it go, and cried like a baby. My boyfriend came with me, and we cried together. It was even harder for him...he has never moved out of the state, and never was separated from his family. So we cried. Said "screw it" and woke up at 9 am instead of 5 am. We only had 4 hours of sleep, but we got up anyway on that Monday morning...and packed the car. Cody threw some football with his brother, and we all said our goodbyes. We eventually left about 12 pm (so late) and all we had left was the road and a time limit. 

We drove, we drove and we drove non stop. We both had some second thoughts by the time we were in Arkansas but we drove anyway. On the first night, I got about 3 hrs. of sleep. I woke up in Amarillo Texas, and it was a strange but beautiful scenery. and all that Tuesday we drove without stopping, It was so beautiful and finally that Wednesday morning we arrived at 6 am To simi valley. 

The next day: 

Well...he got the job and we were happy but we went right back to the hotel room and slept the rest of the day.

On Thursday morning,  our car wouldn't start. With the help of my bestie April, we got it fixed. It was a dirty fuel pump. and that next day we found a place to stay on craigs list...we didn't have to live in our car after all. 

We are now just surviving, and getting used to the new life. I love my school, it's amazing and well  the rest is still processing...

check out part 2 here: https://www.ambernicoleartist.com/blog/how-i-moved-3000-miles-away-from-home-with-500-dollars-and-a-dream-part-2-the-room-mates-from-hell