Los Angeles To Small Town, Kentucky: Carving My Own Path To Happiness.

It’s official. I have been a Kentucky resident for 3 months now. Most faces contort into sheer confusion when they learn that I’m fresh off the plane from Los Angeles. “Why on God’s green Earth would you move here?”  The answer is simple: I wasn’t happy. I had spent my 3 years in the so-called “city of dreams” + the previous 3 years in Hawaii. Truth be told, I was presented with almost every opportunity I left Georgia to find. Sadly, what I found was a saddening truth that Kurt Cobain screamed to us in the 90’s: the entertainment industry is sick. That discovery alone led me to one realization: I want to be self-employed.

Working on important films, writing my own stories, meeting celebrities, it’s all something I just knew I wanted, but when these fantasies were demystified, I wasn’t fulfilled the way I thought I would be. I only had a badge to now say that this happened— worth so much, huh? I needed to be more cut-throat to move up the ladder, I needed to write monumentally better to get myself noticed, I needed a tougher skin in order to truly “make it”. It’s a constant battle. A battle that you must fight everyday against every other busy body in the city. There are rare peaceful days spent in Los Angeles. Exciting? Yes. Beautiful? Yes. Thriving? Yes. However, if you plan to commute ANYWHERE that day, you must encounter the rudest, scummiest, anarchist drivers in all of the land. You adapt, but you don’t exactly envelop a zen state of mind when this is a part of your everyday life.

I finally reached the point where I knew quality of life is far more important to me than chasing a dream I once had. The environment just wasn’t conducive for my life anymore.

THE BIG QUESTION: AM I HAPPIER NOW? Yes, Yes, Yes, 1000 times yes. In these 3 months, I have allowed myself to feel my own creativity with no pollution of noise. I have realized that family is a gift + seeing them twice a year is simply not enough. I have been able to let Ares, my sweet Pitbull, run free in the backyard for however long he wants to. I can go on hikes without running into a single soul. I can park in my own driveway. I can see the stars. I can hear the bugs. I have learned that these things are essential to me. These little things can not be sacrificed for any reason.

Kentucky wasn’t a place I ever thought that I would live. However, my parents moved here for my dad’s work + offered us a place to live for awhile so that we can save our money + redefine our life’s game plan. I am incredibly fortunate to have been blessed with all of these opportunities + fall backs that undoubtedly summarize this entire post into #firstworldproblems ; however, I want it to be stated to anyone who may need the reminder: you are not confined to any path that you know is not right for you. Keep exploring. Keep growing. Keep defining your own happiness. It’s okay to run into dead ends. It’s the only way to live a life that’s true to you. The right opportunities will present themselves + YOUR path will finally reveal itself, illuminating every crack in your spirit. Don’t give up. Don’t settle. Bust out your metaphorical machete + hack your way through the jungle of life (I didn’t mean for that to sound so violent, but you get it).

I will not be in Kentucky forever. Trevor + I have already been discussing places that will best suit us. Places that make so much sense now, but only after crossing certain places + experiences off of our list. Perhaps, the most satisfying + exciting thing to come of this move.. We will soon be launching our website to officially announce the opening of our wedding + portrait photography business. This is something that we would have never thought possible in the sea of LA. We have combined our creative interests + technical knowledge + decided to create our own opportunities by taking a career path that is totally dependent on our very own hard work + passion. We are creating from a genuine, raw, inspired, + peaceful place only because we were brave enough to admit we needed a change. I will continue to follow my heart + have faith + patience in the path I’m being called to; for that is the journey of happiness.

-Naturally inspired. Locally Aware. Universally beautiful. With love, Whitney.