LA people are not fake.
When I moved across the country everyone had the same warning:
Be careful. People in LA are fake.
I grew up in New Jersey and my move to California was a crazy idea to most of my family and friends. I couldn’t wait for the sunshine and warm weather and friendly people, but to my surprise, no one told me I was going to love it. They told me to watch out for all the fake people.
After five years in Los Angeles, I had my own opinion. People in LA are not fake. In fact, Northeasterners are the fake ones.
LA Vibes
People in LA are nice. They hold eye contact during conversations. They welcome people with open arms.
My friends in LA talk about real things. We talk about our mental health and struggles and we listen without judgment.
When my sisters came out to visit me in LA, they said I had changed. They said I was calmer.
It’s true, I was calmer. That’s because I felt safe. I had no reason to be my usual defensive self because I never felt like I was being attacked.
LA allowed me to grow into a new person. I wasn’t as high strung. I didn’t constantly have my guard up. Yes, it coincided with when I started to see a therapist, but when everyone around you is being kind and speaking honestly about their feelings, it tends to rub off on you.
Of course some people are fake, but that’s everywhere. It’s not exclusively LA folks.
If I had any gripes about LA people, it’s that they said yes to everything. Where I saw yes as a commitment, they saw it as a good intention. There was a little extra follow-up that sometimes needed to occur, but I got used to it.
And I’ll certainly take that over what I get from people in the Northeast.
Northeastern Bite
Northeasterners are sarcastic and abrasive. That doesn’t make them real. It makes them assholes.
They judge other people and disagree with everyone who doesn’t share the same opinion as them. They’re not able to be vulnerable and say how they really feel. They use a tough exterior to appear strong and in charge.
If my friends in Jersey aren’t complaining, we’re talking about everything that sucks and why we’re stressed out. We’re also big on future calendar events like vacation and Christmas. Because life sucks so much in the present moment that we can only dream about future holidays.
That’s not to say I don’t love Northeasterners or the fact that I’m from New Jersey. I take it as a compliment when people guess I’m from Jersey or aren’t surprised when they learn that I am. Usually, it’s my feisty attitude that gives me away. It gives me a sense of pride that I say what I think, sometimes without concern of the consequences.
But I will never move back to the Northeast. I’ll visit and I’ll enjoy it and I’ll proudly tell everyone my roots. But I can’t be constantly surrounded by people who have their guards up and don’t communicate their feelings. Also, the weather sucks.
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People are different everywhere you go, but generally, LA people are not fake. They’re just happy. Northeasterners could take a page out of their book.
Disagree? Come at me. I’m from Jersey. I can handle it.
