Staying True to Yourself in a Big City

Meghan Daum

"My Misspent Youth" tells the story of the early life of best-selling author, Meghan Daum. Meghan moved to New York City in hopes of living a luxurious and high-status life. However during her time in the city, she found herself herself miserable, lonely, and in debt. She always was looking for "the next best thing" in regards to schooling, jobs, and living arrangements. At the end of the piece, Meghan found herself moving out of the city because she could no longer afford to live there.

Warren and I at FashionFirst in Seattle

Like Meghan, I too will be chasing my dreams and moving to the big city of Los Angeles after graduation. I have received a job offer from Hall of Fame Quarterback Warren Moon's company, Sports 1 Marketing after interning with them this past summer. Both Warren and CEO David Meltzer used to work for Leigh Steinberg, the Sports and Entertainment agency that inspired the Tom Cruise film, Jerry McGuire.

My co-workers and I at the Rose Bowl for
the 4th of July

One of my biggest fears is that I will always be trying to "upgrade" my life, as Meghan did in her 20s. I believe that where Meghan Daum went wrong was she was never satisfied with being where she was in life. Although she ended up being successful in the end, I believe she could have reached the same end point without putting herself in such misery and debt during her 20s.

My co-workers and I attending the
ESPY Awards

I want to learn from Meghan's financial mistakes regarding her large amount of debt. Just like New York, Los Angeles is an expensive city to live in. Between rent, dining, and activities, it will be hard to save large amounts of money at a time. In My Misspent Youth, Meghan talks about how she went to the most expensive school and moved into a studio apartment as soon as she could. While this is tempting, I know that in order to live in Los Angeles and be comfortable, I might have to sacrifice things such as living on my own, at least for the first couple of years.

I can empathize with Megan to a point as well. Before this summer, Growing up in a small mountain town nestled in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, I had never seen or been a part of the high-end city lifestyle. When the people you are surrounding with "have it all", its hard to not to compare yourself to them and wish for the same things. It's incredibly easy to accept invitations to go out to fancy dinners and drive long distances on the weekends to go to the beach. It's also extremely tempting to buy higher-end clothes and accessories in order to fit in. And on top of all of that, it is easy to forget who you are and what makes you unique as an individual.

2016 ESPY Awards

It is an everyday struggle to not get caught up in status in a society that focuses a great deal on appearance and wealth. One of the best lessons I learned this summer is most people care more about your personality and attitude than about your status. Listening to other peoples' stories has made me realize that focusing on status and the "high-end city living" dream leads the majority of people to depression, anxiety, and long-term debt. Before they know it, they have dug themselves into such a deep hole, that they are merely surviving and just trying to get from day to day. I don't ever want to reach the point where I am just trying to survive, and lose my identity trying to live a high-status life.

Going forward, my plan is to stay humble, and remind myself everyday that I am doing this job not for the status, but because I am passionate about it. I want to keep the hunger and awe I had this summer, and do not ever want to reach the point where I don't appreciate all the experiences that this job will enable me to have. 

Los Angeles, California

I will leave you with a quote that my mother has told me since I was a little girl: "When you get there, remember where you came from". Even all the way out in L.A., I will be proud to say that I am from Golden, Colorado, where Coors beer is brewed and Where the West Lives. I have an incredible opportunity ahead of me in Los Angeles and I hope to be successful at my job. However, I do not want to focus solely on "making my way to the top". I want to use this opportunity to grow as a person while still staying true to who I am. I wish to control my own destiny, rather than being forced to abandon my dream due to misery and debt. 

Golden, Colorado