Hi! How are you? How was your September?
I spent most of mine packing up my apartment in New York City and saying goodbye to the people and places that have been my home for the past almost five years.
I’m back in Seattle now and will be staying at my dad’s for a few weeks before I officially make my way to my new home — Los Angeles, California!
When I came out here back in June, I had no plans to uproot my life and move across the country again. At the time I thought I just needed to do something to shift the depressive, negative energy I felt after being alone in my apartment for three months (and realizing we were all going to be sheltering in place for the foreseeable future). I thought I’d spend a couple of weeks out here. Maybe a month at max.
But months passed and the idea of getting on a flight and returning to my apartment still made me feel anxious. I didn’t want to go back. My body didn’t want to go back.
And then, like all the big decisions I’ve made in my life, deciding to move to LA happened gradually and all at once. It popped into my head one day and something about it just felt right. The more I thought about it, the more right it felt.
I moved to New York in 2016 because I wanted to dance Salsa professionally. I knew I needed to be in the biggest and most vibrant On2 Salsa community to train and gain access to the kinds of opportunities to teach and perform I wanted, so I packed my bags and moved across the country, even though I’d spent time in the city during college and knew in many ways it was not the best fit for me.
Nature is good for me. Sun is good for me. Being able to get in a car and drive to a beach is good for me. All of those things were harder for me to access living in New York.
Still, I quickly found my dance family, my favorite coffee shop, roommates that became close friends and trusted confidants. I debuted as a professional dancer. Performed at iconic venues like the Dream Hotel and Stonewall Inn. Taught at the city’s biggest Salsa socials. Danced in music videos for Latin and Reggaeton artists. Made the finals of the professional On2 division at the World Salsa Summit.
My dance dreams came true.
And now that they have, New York is no longer the right place for me.
I think 2020 has forced us all to slow down, look inward, and re-evaluate so many things. But even without the pandemic and everything else that has happened this year, my New York chapter was coming to a close. I just wasn’t quite ready to admit it before the world erupted and we were all forced to stay in one place.
I don’t really know anyone in LA and I’ve never spent more than a few days there. But I love the idea of warm weather, more sunlight, and being able to get in a car and drive to the beach.
Most of all, I’m excited about TV and film opportunities and believe they are possible and available to me in a way I didn’t believe dance was when I first moved to New York. I’m looking for an agent, taking voice lessons (I see myself writing my own songs and producing an album one day), exploring the acting and unscripted side of entertainment, and enjoying it all.
At 25, I was dedicated, focused, and hard-working, willing to sacrifice anything to bring my dreams to life. But I didn’t 100% believe those dreams would actually come true for me. I’d built a wall around myself of what I couldn’t and shouldn’t do, and was living my life carefully within those limits.
At 30, I’ve done things 13-year-old me thought I’d never be good enough to do. I’ve seen the way my body has changed, experienced how meetings and connections translate into new opportunities, and witnessed firsthand the way believing in myself, being honest about what I really want, and giving myself permission to do those things changes everything.
I’m excited for what’s next. open to the unexpected, and very grateful for everything living in New York taught me.
What kinds of new dreams and new adventures are you looking forward to in October? Hit reply and let me know.
with love,
Brielle
A Few Other Things…
🗳️ How to vote this fall (in every state)
💖 A powerful podcast for anyone wondering if art is still a viable career
🕯️ Beautiful, hand-poured, eco-friendly candles
🎧 Another brave & vulnerable podcast about addiction
🎬 A finally watched this movie and it was really good.