TODAY August 4th...I have been living in LA 1 YEAR!

Hey Blog Readers, 

TODAY August 4th marks my 1 YEAR anniversary since my move to Los Angeles!!! 

A year ago I wondered what life would be like today! would I still be here in the city of angels and how would the past 365 days have gone! So I thought I would reflect!

I did write about my move to LA with a post that was very popular back in March! So click here to give that a read if you missed it because I'll try not to repeat myself in this blog post! 

I don't really know where to begin... what a year! in one way it feels like I've done so much and been living here for so long but in another way it still feels so new and like I've only been here for a month or 2 max!!! I remember when I first arrived seriously questioning if I could in fact stay & live in this scary place??! I'd been in LA before so I had a very rose tinted view on it but now suddenly I was jumping when someone would walk up behind me on the street... Now with the prospect of living here it was a much more dangerous, big & scary place than I had remembered!! But somehow I overcame my fear & I did it! I've been here 1 year!!

I've definitely learnt an awful lot about life and I'm proud of myself! you don't even realise all the new information that's about to be thrown on you when you move country! every little thing is different! you have to get your social security card, your id, your new driving license(learn to drive automatic and on the other side of the road as well as navigating scary freeways), find somewhere to live without having credit history (extremely difficult), learn about doing your taxes and the new currency! as a budding actress learn all about SAG(screen actors guild) what it is, how to become eligible and how to join(had no clue coming from Ireland), buy furniture (every rental is unfurnished in LA=crazy!), move, decorate, buy/sell cars, deal with mechanics on your own! as well as the simple things...learn to cook(I'm getting there), do your laundry, find your way around!, socialize, meet new people every day, earn a living, learn the new culture(there is a difference!) and most importantly stay safe! It's all been a challenge!

 

With all that said it has been the best year of my life!!! However it hasn't been without it's difficulties so I would be lying if I didn't share them...

The hardest part.. 

• Buying my first car here: having had a second hand car for years at home I didn't think getting one in LA would be too difficult (they say "everyone" in LA drives (hence the traffic!) so there must be millions of good second hand cars right?).. how wrong I was! I brought a 2008 Chrysler (yup everyone told me not to buy an American brand car and to go with something Japanese but I didn't listen). I paid for it out rightly in cash from a dodgy dealer and immediately there were electrical problems with it (immediately as in the first day I drove it off the lot!) within a week the car started to break down and that led to months of constant car trouble! I was so afraid to drive it as it would cut out even on the freeway! luckily in January I managed to get myself a brand new car-which is beautiful and safe! but thousands of $$$ were wasted on that stupid Chrysler both between the purchase of the car and the money shoved into it for various repairs that didn't work! Lesson learned! 
• A bad roommate situation for a period of time: I won't delve into it because frankly it's not worth it and I don't want to dwell on such negativity! It was a difficult time: I would go to work happy and find myself in floods of tears on the way home. Never the less I got out of the situation, learnt some harsh lessons from it and things are now better than ever! 
• Home sickness! Being that all I wanted since my very first visit (2012) and my 3 month visit (in 2013) was to be living and working in LA it was a shock to me that homesickness hit me at all! It was very tough at the beginning and it can still be tough from time to time! anyone who know's me knows that me, my sister and mum are incredibly close and I've spoken on here numerous times about how much it physically pains me to be away from them! I also miss my pets and wish they were here with me but it would simply be too difficult for me to have them in LA at this point... maybe in the future.. you never know! 

• Loneliness at times: the majority of the time I'm incredibly busy with work but at times it can be lonely here! while I have met some great people here everyone is still a relatively new friend! It's not really the same as people you've known for years or have a million mutual friends in common if they're a new friend like it would be at home in Ireland. Also 99.9% of people I make friends with here live the #setlife and with that comes a difficulty to plan as you have to be able to drop everything at a moments notice for a booking or an audition-at least there's a mutual understanding but it can be hard to keep in touch! 

The good side! 

• I feel my career and dreams are going in the right direction! after all that's what I came here for and I have had a ridiculous amount of highs and been incredibly lucky so far! Sometimes I literally feel magic (I know that sounds silly) but the life I live today is chalk and cheese compared to the life I came from. Not that there was anything particularly wrong with my life at home in Ireland but sometimes I pinch myself at the amazing experiences I have had so far! I simply can't believe I'm experiencing them, if that makes sense! I'm not where I want to be just yet I haven't landed "the big role" or reached my goals but I definitely feel I am on the right track! This year has been about learning the ropes and I'm excited to see what this next year will bring!
• I became SAG eligible really fast-which was amazing as I worked very hard and even today I meet people all the time who have been here longer than me but haven't managed to become eligible yet so I definitely got lucky with that one which is great considering I didn't even know what it was when I arrived this time last year.
• The sunshine! though I haven't gotten to enjoy it as much as you might think (I spend a lot of my time inside freezing studios... why they feel a need to keep studios ice bucket cold I'll never know!). It's true it makes a difference to your mood waking up and there being good weather all the time! I've also developed a little beauty mark on my cheek that I don't think I had before.. if I did it's more noticeable now! Anyway developing a mark on your skin can be dangerous and I don't want anymore but I've always thought that they're cute! lol! so I don't mind it! 
• The house parties are incredible and on another level! From student accommodation at home to mansions up to the value of $85million here!! I feel so lucky just being there and it definitely makes you set higher ambitions for your own life! There's something to be said for seeing success with your own eyes! you become inspired!
• I'm definitely an outdoorsy person at heart and the weather here makes that very easy - along with the beautiful hikes, beaches and so much more to explore! 
• There's an endless amount of things to do here! 
• Living the set life can have its lows but it's also full of Adrenalin.. you never know what call is going to change your day or your life for that matter!

So to conclude this dramatic change of scenery hasn't been without it's challenges and I have certainly had days when I've thought "what the frig'am I doing!! where is my life going!!". It can be difficult getting on your feet: not only in the entertainment industry but also in your personal life and discovering both a new city and a new country! It can knock you down time and time again! However, when I realise that this time last year I prayed and wished for everything I have right now! and when I see proof that I am making progress and getting somewhere, when I meet people who I once could only look up to and realise success is attainable for me as well then it makes any of the bad times 100% worth it!! 

In 365 days I have accomplished things I once only dreamed! and I am confident in the fact that I am a much stronger, capable, happy and a more driven person than I ever realised! 

Fear of regret always outweighs fear of failure so if you're thinking of moving abroad or starting fresh with something - I say go for it! Chase your dreams whatever they may be!x! 

I am 1 year living in LA TODAY!!✨ just posted a blog on my experience so far! Check it out at www.shahirabarry.com (blog section) 😘🇺🇸🎉

A video posted by Shahira (@shahirabarry) on Aug 4, 2015 at 1:15am PDT

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Lots of Love, 

Shahira Xo

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6 months out on my own - living in LA!

Hey Blog Readers!

So March 4th marks 6 months that I have lived on my own (I do have a house mate and I did go to college for three years in Limerick) but what I mean is away from Ireland, Galway, my friends at home, my family and my pets! all the way on the other side of the world! I moved on August 4th so it is actually 7 months since I was last in Ireland but my beautiful mum came with me for the month of August to help me settle in (she left on September 4th) SO really it's 6 months that I've been out in the big bad world on my own! & I thought I'd reflect on that here...

Where to start.. 
I think a lot of people didn't believe me when I said I was going to move to LA on my own and I understand that there were plenty of reasons to doubt! for one it took me awhile to get everything organised so it seemed as if I was talking about it forever! and secondly I am not really an "on my own" type of girl! In Galway I would barely walk down a street on my own (I always had someone with me!) It began with a slight fear and anxiety: When I was a child one of the strongest memories is my sister (who was 9 years older than me) being attacked as she walked in what would have been a relatively nice area! It really effected me and I bought it with me into my teenage years! I would always ask a friend to walk me home or have someone come to collect me! Anyway, my point is moving across the world all alone, without a friend or someone else in tow, is actually fairly out of character for me and I can definitely see that! However, I am also extremely stubborn and if I set my mind on something I am going to do it! I always had a dream of living in Hollywood and after my first visit in 2012 I fell in love with it just like I always knew I would! I found somewhere where I felt I belonged.. a place where I fitted in! Sure..I could have tried to convince someone to move with me so that it wouldn't be as scary but I am a strong believer that everyone has their own path in life therefore convincing someone to give living in LA a go may have been the easier option but in the long run I would have perhaps thought I wasn't capable of doing it on my own and become reliant on that other person - whereas now I have learnt that I am an incredibly strong person and I feel I have grown a million times more than I would have if I convinced a friend to move with me for the wrong reasons!

How has the move been so far...

It's had it's ups and it's downs! I've taken off my rose-tinted glasses! I've learnt a few harsh lessons: such as people are people & there are some good and some bad wherever you go! That seems so simple and obvious but before officially moving here my experience had always been that people in LA are happy, positive, amazing people who want the best for everyone and live a life of chasing their dreams.. (and there are plenty of people like that here who I've had the absolute pleasure to meet!) but the flip side also exists: people who are extremely competitive and bithchy! I guess you could say it's a part of the entertainment industry but it's actually just a part of life in general! and it's difficult when I truly do not see myself as a competitive or cut-throat person at all! sometimes you are given the image that you need to be in order to succeed! I hope that this is not the case as that is simply not me! I hope that being hard working and genuine will stand for me in the end!
I have had a couple of down days since my move (such as feeling home sick etc..) but in general I would say that moving to LA has been the best thing I have ever done and the best thing that has ever happened to me! I feel like I have grown so much and done so much in quite a short amount of time and I am proud of myself for the things I've learnt and experiences I've had so far!!

Believe it or not it's helped with my anxiety... 
You would think that moving to a MASSIVE new city and a MASSIVE new country at that would make me more anxious but in fact I feel it has had the opposite effect! I feel perhaps I was suffering from "small town syndrome" when I lived at home because what you may or may not know about me (I've mentioned it on my blog before) is over the past 5 years or so I became a nervous, anxious wreck about many things! I went from being a relatively laid back person to an A1-Stresser! so much so that I truly believe it effected my personality! I suffered from full on Panic attacks among other issues! It got to a stage where I could barely walk down shop street in Galway without feeling anxious and like I just wanted to run and not see anybody! whereas before I may have been able to hide I feel that moving to LA has made me face many fears head-on and either over come them or deal with them! and although it hasn't been without it's stresses I feel that I am less anxious and a lot more capable since the move! Obviously it's individual but I genuinely feel throwing yourself into a new environment and leaving behind old baggage is a great way to find yourself again if you're feeling a little lost! It has been tough but so far it's been SO worth it and I wouldn't change a thing!x!

Some questions answered... 

Why did I move from Ireland? 
I love Ireland, it will always be my home! I love Irish people and I appreciate them a lot more since my move - Meeting Irish people over here is the best thing ever! I feel like they instantly become my friend. Irish people, abroad especially, are so united.. I feel we just instantly understand eachother and the humor is the same! I left because I believe there are far more opportunities over here in the areas I am interested in: the Entertainment industry and Modelling! I could have chosen London but my gut told me London wasn't for me right now..something was pulling me toward LA (maybe it was the idea of the weather and lifestyle, lol).

What's LA like... 
LA is amazing! The sun is shining every day which I feel makes a huge difference to your mood! It's probably only rained maybe 3/4 times since I've lived here and because it's so uncommon it almost makes you appreciate when it does rain..it's Cosy! the weather is definitely a huge plus but I also love the positivity and I feel the healthy lifestyle in terms of everyone hiking etc.. really suites me! (I used to hike all the time in Ireland to!Try Diamond Hill if you're in the West Coast of Ireland-it's great!). My apartment building has a roof top pool, Jacuzzi, bbq, sauna, gym and it's right by runyon canyon for hiking and free yoga which is held x3 a day! Life is unpredictable here - you never know what the day will bring, who you'll meet or what opportunity will present itself and I love that about it! one phone call can change the ball game so it's full of excitement! there's also some great parties here and I love hiphop which is blasting everywhere! Life is good! I am very happy here!x!

What have I been up to since the move... 
I feel like the question really is what haven't I been doing! because it's been an absolutely whirlwind! I've been on sets of Movies/TV Shows/Music Videos and Commercials! The only thing I haven't been doing as much as I would like is modelling with regards to photoshoots etc.. as I have been pulled a lot more towards acting, Tv, videos and film! I am constantly working! sometimes 6-7 days of the week! The cost of living is a lot higher here so I have to keep working anyway but I feel I'm incredibly blessed to have the opportunities I've had and to be as busy as I am as it's doing what I love! I believe busy is a great thing!! and I genuinely feel I am doing a good job at chasing my dreams and being on the right path, going in the right direction!

The Hardest Part...
The Hardest part is missing my family and pets! After-all I've lived with them (or at least seen them every weekend when I was in college) my whole life! I would happily live in LA for the rest of my life if I could bring my family and my animals! With animals it's particularly hard because I can't explain why I've left them or where I've gone! My cat, Kushka, died since my move and this absolutely broke my heart!! I've had her since I was 4 years old (my first day of school) and I love her like family!

11 Random Facts About LA:

• Everyone tells you to try 'In N Out'... It is nice but it's not as good as they say! although it would be hard to be AS good as they say because "they" really hype it up! with that said it is good so try it and make your own mind up ;)
• LA is SO big each different area is referred to as a "city" of it's own.. e.g. "The City of Santa Monica"
• Its sprawling and there are millions of people yet you still run into the same ones all the time if you're living the #SetLife :p
• I've never seen a city with so many trees! parts of the city are totally immaculate (cough Beverly Hills and the likes) while other parts are pretty dirty (I thank the not having lids on bins so rubbish can fly out..I don't get it!) but regardless of where you are every street is lined with trees, bushes and flowers giving a lovely spring time smell all year round!
• LA is in a drought... The LA river is a sight for sore eyes! it's literally an empty dry basin... so everyone is delighted when it rains! As I mentioned it's only rained less than a handful of times in the 7 months I've been here but when it has I've secretly liked it! lol! Feels like home! :)
• DownTown is a bit scary... some people rave about downtown and how it's the new happening place for good night life and restaurants! the sky scrappers do give an energetic city vibe but personally I find it a bit dodgy.. I'm never too thrilled when I have to street park and walk to wherever I'm going downtown! I carry a pepper spray that was given to me by a friend on set who insisted I need to take it with me wherever I go alone!
• The public transport is really not great! some people swear by it but if you compare it to London it's pretty non-existent or at least a lot unsafer! So get used to being in your car and getting stuck in traffic because everyone drives! Luckily playing loud music and driving around Cali makes me happy :)
• What you definitely should try is frozen yogurt! it's the best thing since sliced bread! and a healthier option than ice cream... although not so healthy when you included all the delicious toppings you can add to it!
• LA has some of the best hikes I've ever been on! on a clear day you can see the whole city plus snow peaked mountains to the east and the Pacific ocean to the west!
• If you wanted to you could go skiing and to the beach in the same day! There are an endless amount of things to do and stuff to see!
• Although a big city that is certainly hustling and bustling with millions of people LA has a beachy, relaxed, and true "cali" vibe that I believe is unique and unlike other cities of the same size- even though city life is fast paced wherever you go in LA it's almost like fast pace in slow motion if that makes any sense! I find it surprising how quiet and calm it can be.. plus there's always birds singing :)

A special mention
The 4th is also my dear friend's birthday. She would have been 24 today. 5 years have passed and it doesn't matter where in the world I am or what I'm doing my heart was shattered and my world as I knew it was destroyed when she left us and every day since I have felt the pain! Grief is a strange thing - everyone deals with it differently: it brings people together and it separates people, it causes arguments and it causes unions, it makes you appreciate life and it ruins your life; it's a never ending journey and one thing's for certain it changes your life forever! She is with me in my heart every day but today I wish my beautiful special friend a happy birthday

 

 

Apologies for the sudden turn in tone during this blog I simply didn't feel that I could write a blog on this date and not give my beautiful kind and special friend's birthday a mention!x!

Do yourself a favour =seize the day! life is short! tell your loved ones you love them! let go of anger or anything weighing you down, don't sweat the small stuff! take advantage of the life you're given! Live it to the full!, chase your dreams and do what makes you happy!x!

I'll end this blog with this happier toned video of some of my personal highlights during my time in LA so far!x!

Post by Shahira (Barry).

Lots of Love, 

Shahira Xo