Hollywood Hang-Ups.

You are John Doe. You might be from a small town on the East Coast, but you have always dreamed about the lights and the people of California, and, more specifically, Hollywood. You'd grown up rather removed from your small-town living situation, finding that most of the people of {hometown) generally didn't agree with your views on life, love, and, most importantly, what you saw as your dream in life.

From a very young age, you'd always dreamed of being a Hollywood actor. Indeed, from a very young age, you'd religiously watched old movies, current television, and noted the performances of those you grew to admire and love. You'd collected the names and careers of your favorite actors in the same way that most boys your age had collected baseball cards, and the moment you could participate in theatre, you did.

You'd been treated rather fairly in your home, getting decent rolls in local theatres, and especially, larger roles in High School productions... but never the lead, and never anything of true substance, like those that you'd grown up idolizing. Very quickly, you realized that one day, once graduation had passed, you'd have to leave EastCoastville and adventure out into the world at large in order to make your dreams of movie sets and episodic television a reality... and, in your heart, you knew Hollywood was the only possible place you could ever end up being.

So, throughout your high school education, you spent your every waking moment trying to improve your ability to act, throwing anything and everything else, whether it being advancing your middle-of-the-road grades or your non-existent love life, to the side in an attempt to further your future career. And by the time you reached graduation, you felt a sigh of relief, rather than any sadness whatsoever.

It had taken about a year of working various odd-jobs around the area in order to build up what money you could for the trip. It wasn't enough to get anything nice, such as a decent apartment or a U-Haul truck, but it was certainly enough to get you there, and last you about a month of looking for a job to support yourself while you sought out your dreams and aspirations.

So, very nearly in the night, you left your home, assuring that only your parents knew that you were leaving. You booked a trip on a tour bus, the cheapest mode of transportation you could afford, and spent two entire days traveling with your rather meager two sets of suitcases and backpack being your only true traveling companion.

Once or twice, you regretted your decision. Perhaps it would have been smarter to go to a school in New York, in order to further yourself as an actor, or perhaps you should have tried to move somewhere where you could simply focus on theatre... but, never did you doubt your lot in life, even as you spent your nights alone, in a nearly-empty bus, with more and more of your compatriots leaving each night.

But, none of that mattered once you saw the familiar lights of Los Angeles, the same lights you'd googled a thousand times to keep you on your path. Excitedly, you stood and looked out the window, jabbering off the ear of the old couple who had seen you the entire way here, while they politely kept quiet and listened.

But it didn't matter. To you, this meant you'd made it.

Soon, the bus was in the area of town where you'd be living. Excitedly, you grabbed your stuff and stepped into the street, taking in the seaside air of California. For a moment, you took in the view, the widest, goofiest smile possible on your face.

Then, finally, you started the sixteen block walk to your apartment. You'd managed to work out a deal where you'd be living with a friend of yours that you'd made on an aspiring actor's board years ago, and his roommate. Neal was his name, and you'd been told hers was Destiny. Hopefully, you'd be able to get along with them in person...

But even if you didn't, you'd stick it out.

Because, finally, after nineteen years... you'd made it.