I’m currently sitting in Manhattan Beach, thinking about how much this trip has changed my perspective.
This was my first solo trip to Los Angeles.
Just me, my suitcase, and everything I didn’t know I was about to learn.
I came here thinking this trip would be about LA.
It turned out to be about myself.
One of the first things I realized is how much I love creating my own itinerary. There is something incredibly freeing about deciding your own days, moving at your own pace, and listening to what you actually want to do. Traveling alone showed me that this is the kind of life I’ve always imagined for myself. Traveling for work. Moving through cities independently. Building a life that allows both ambition and autonomy.
I also realized how much I value my safety above everything else.
More than convenience.
More than speed.
More than pressure.
This trip taught me that protecting your peace is not weakness. It is wisdom.
I truly believe now that everyone should fly alone at least once in their life. You learn so much about yourself when there is no one else making decisions for you.
Throughout this trip, I learned things about myself that I couldn’t have learned any other way.
I learned that moving to Los Angeles is not something I want right now.
Not because I’m afraid.
But because I’m clear.
Unless finances are flowing freely, LA is unrealistic. And that clarity brought me peace, not disappointment.
I learned that “making it” comes in many different forms. It doesn’t always mean relocating. Sometimes it means building your life intentionally where you already are.
Jumping outside of your comfort zone is one of the most invigorating feelings there is.
And I realized something very important.
If you stay in your comfort zone, you will go nowhere in life.
For me, flying back and forth from Canada to LA feels like the most aligned path. Building my career at home. Traveling when I’m booked and busy. Creating stability first, expansion second.
Not running toward a dream blindly, but building toward it intelligently.
And above all, this trip reminded me of one simple truth.
If you put your mind to it, you can and will achieve everything you want in life.
This trip wasn’t about Los Angeles.
It was about clarity.
XOXO
Dominika