Field Notes: The Media School Travel Blog

I was apprehensive but immensely excited when I arrived in Los Angeles. I’ll never forget the first emotions I felt upon approaching city for the first time after driving more than 2,000 miles. My dad was behind the wheel, so I was able to take everything in and get a feel for the big-city L.A. life.

I was overwhelmed at first. The amount of people, traffic and overall activity was nothing like anything I’d ever seen before in person. I was pretty nervous driving around at first, but as soon as I said goodbye to my dad and drove on the 405 for the first time back to my new apartment and life in Hollywood, I felt this new feeling of freedom and opportunity that made me so enthusiastic about living in the city where the entertainment industry thrives.

I came out to L.A. in January with no internships, which was nervewracking. By the time I got an offer, I’d applied to at least 35 internships, eager to get my foot in the door somewhere. Waiting for responses was stressful, but as soon as the replies and interviews started coming in, things immediately took off. I never thought I’d be going through this program working two internships: one in Santa Monica and the other in Hermosa Beach.

I went to Hermosa Beach twice a week for my internship. I’d never seen the West Coast before, so I thought it was absolutely amazing to be able to see the Pacific Ocean every time I drove there in the mornings. The office was across the street from the beach, so during my lunch breaks, I’d take my lunch across the street and just sit on the sand in my slacks and blouse and watch the tide come in. One thing that always gave me butterflies was driving back to my apartment while the sun was setting, and seeing the Hollywood sign far out in the distance as I drove down La Brea Avenue or La Cienega Boulevard.

I wish I could have had more time to experience and put myself out there more. But I saw the Sony Entertainment Pictures lot, hung out with some cool people from various production companies and had some other networking experiences.

After seeing all of the beauty Southern California had to offer as well, such as the Joshua Tree National Park and the Pacific Coast Highway, I fell in love with L.A. and California in general. I’m eager to go back out as soon as I graduate in December.