Marissa Goes (Mid)West

It took a while for me to appreciate the Valley. Growing up, there was always an assumption that I would escape the bubble. Someone or something would whisk me away from the banality of my suburbs and take me to some cool, hip, artsy land. To me, the Valley was too boring, too small, and just had too many people I knew.

As the end of high school neared, I became more enamored with the idea of the Pacific Northwest or San Francisco, somewhere far enough to start a new life but also still matched the vibes of my ever-angsty and emo self. There wasn’t some huge reason for wanting to go. I think it boiled down to your typical teen angst and rebellion; echoing sentiments like “No one here gets me”, “All the good music is up there”, and “The Valley is so small. I want to see what else is out there” You know, the usual naive grumblings of a hormonal teen.

Suffice it to say I didn’t make it out. Between a crappy GPA and just a general lackadaisical demeanor, I didn’t really set myself up for success. Instead, I watched most of my classmates move away and escape the Bubble. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous but truth be told, I think I was more excited at the prospect of saving for a car and going to concerts with my best friend. So, I stayed behind, started Junior College, and took a full-time job at a bookstore chain. I was lost and a little aimless but was having a good time, most of the time.

As I grew into adulthood and began to make more friends, take new jobs, and continue pondering what I wanted to do long term, I unknowingly began to engrain myself into the Valley; it was like seeing it from fresh eyes. Suddenly there were cool places to go, new restaurants to try, and the comfort staples I grew to love (RIP Studio City Dupar’s. We had so many late-night pancakes, heart-to-hearts, and laughs in that place. Shout out to Steven the Server, who had to witness more than a few emotional or obnoxious conversations in those red booths. It was our spot. It was turned into a Sephora around 2018).

In addition to the fun and debaucherous memories I was making with my friends, I began dating and eventually meeting the man I am now set to marry. We met at the bookstore. He was a Midwest transplant with a penchant for learning and a love for trying new foods. I was trying to expand my social circle and was definitely not trying to conceal a schoolgirl crush on the new kid. After a while of bonding at work over comedy, music, and life, we started hanging out as a way to venture out into the city and take in some of the fun it had to offer. Before long, we found ourselves dating and beginning to build the foundation of our future, in this bubble.

Now, almost a decade, an engagement, and a baby later, we find that bubble bursting in front of us.

It should surprise no one to hear that Los Angeles is expensive. It’s more than that. It’s a scam. Just kidding, but at this point, it’s untenable for us. Rent, gas, food, daycare, entertainment, it’s all at a premium. Sure, it has everything you could ever need in a home base, everything except an affordable cost of living. When my fiancé and I sat down and really talked about what we wanted for the next decade of our lives, we both knew what the right choice was. In order to provide our family with stability, a slower pace of life, and omg, maybe even a house, we knew it was time to relocate. The natural choice being Kansas City, Missouri, a.k.a the city of fountains and the home to the current Royal Couple, Travis and Taylor. It also happens to be my fiancé’s hometown.

As of today, we are nine weeks away from our official move date. We already bought our One-Way tickets out. We started letting our family and close friends know. We have even started to go through our things in an attempt to pare down the boxes from our last move, only four months ago. It’s… a lot. I know I’ll try to, no pun intended, unpack those feelings over the coming weeks, but for now I’ll focus on the good and try to acknowledge the scary. Gotta keep that anxiety in check somehow!

In the meantime, I’ll make some plans to see old friends and meet at our favorite spots. I’ll admire the jagged outlines of mountains surrounding the perimeters of the Valley. Hell, I’ll even brave the 405 and the 101 to see the beach a time or two. I’ll just try to enjoy the remaining days we have here in our Bubble