#21: big Life updAte

ANNOUNCEMENT

Happy Friday!

Today is a particularly happy one for me because I have an exciting announcement to share with you all.

Drumroll please!

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WE’RE MOVING TO LA!

In a hopefully not-shocking turn of events, I have decided to follow my dreams of becoming a professional comedy writer. Ariana, you may be thinking to yourself, aren’t you living that dream already? Isn’t this newsletter living proof? That is so kind of you! And yeah, this is definitely part of the dream. It’s a dream that any of you are here reading this at all.

Unfortunately, someone decided that everyone needs to make a stupid amount of money to “survive.” So, as of right now, I’ve gotta do a bit more than writing the newsletter to “make a living.” And if I can, I’d really like to “make a living” writing comedy full-time.

I hate that phrase, “make a living.” Aren’t I already living? How could there be anything else to make? Here I am, alive! (I would say no money required, but we all know how much money it took for me to be born and survive this long.)

I don’t know why this is devolving into a rant about capitalism. Maybe because it’s inescapable and ever-looming in our society, and Adam and I are about to spend six grand on a cross-country move. If you are reading this thinking poor thing because you’re absolutely slaying capitalism and you want to use this opportunity to share the wealth, feel free to upgrade to a paid subscription! If not, no worries girl. I feel your pain.

For those of you who don’t know, I’ve spent the past year writing three original half-hour comedy pilots. (In addition to freelancing, performing standup, and exploring DC, of course.) I’m now in the process of sharing my work with industry professionals, trying to prove I have the chops to land a spot in a TV writers room (even if that means getting coffee for the real writers for a year or two). The plan in LA is to get as enmeshed in the industry as I can, network my booty off, keep writing, and eventually work my way up to the gig of my dreams.

Special thanks to Noah Johnson, who singlehandedly manifested this move by gifting me a Dodgers hat for Christmas. And another shoutout to my NorthCal-born college nemesis who told me I gave her “SoCal vibes, and that’s not a good thing.” Guess what, Chrissy! It sounds like a pretty good thing to me so nana-nana-boo-boo in your face etc etc.

If you have any cross-country moving advice or Los Angeles recommendations, please let me know in the comments below! We don’t know many people out that way, so we’re hoping to make some friends, try good food, and see all the sights. All recs welcome!

The official move will take place the second weekend of September (THREE WEEKS AWAY AAAAAHHHH! EEEEEEP!), so expect some nostalgic DC content and move horror stories until then.

Thanks for following along on this journey with me! I’m so pumped for this move and what it means for my career. A world of opportunity is about to open up, and I am excited-anxious-terrified to embrace it. I couldn’t do this without each and every one of you. It’s scary to take a big leap for a pie-in-the-sky dream, but your readership each week reminds me that I actually can do this. And people just might like it if I do.

Here I go. Wish me luck.

Your soon-to-be LA baby,

Ariana