I knew that moving to Los Angeles would make or break my relationship.
Rena Goldman
I was content living in Washington, DC, but my boyfriend wasn't.He'd moved there with me in 2012 when I secured my first full-time writing job, but DC wasn't really where he wanted to be. He was an actor with dreams of making it in Los Angeles — and although he was getting some acting work, it wasn't enough to quit the day job he didn't love.Things weren't going as well in the relationship as either of us had hoped. I had built a strong social circle in our neighborhood and with coworkers, and he seemed to feel left out.Then, two years into our time in DC, I was impacted by layoffs at my company. I got by on freelance work and temporary gigs for a while, but with a job no longer keeping me on the East Coast, I suggested we start thinking about moving to LA.I knew I'd miss friends and family, but I was excited for a new start, and I liked the prospect of my boyfriend getting to do what he loved.After we agreed that a move to California was worth trying, I applied for and got a job in the LA office of a media company where I was freelancing.In 2016, we packed up our things, I said some tearful goodbyes, and we drove across the country.Our relationship ended a few years after we movedFrom the beginning, I knew it was a move that would make or break us. Our location was no longer an obstacle to his acting career.I would also have to rely on him to get around, since our only car was his. Back in DC, I'd been able to walk more places and rely on the bus and metro.
