Meet Rachel Weil from Dallas, Texas, who moved to LA around 17 years ago to pursue an adventure.
Was there a particular reason you chose LA?
I had lived in Texas most of my life and was ready for something new. (And of course, the amazing weather had absolutely nothing to do with my decision). I didn’t know anyone when I moved to Los Angeles, but I was excited to explore the city and start a new chapter of my life.
What do you miss most from home?
I used to say I missed the Mexican food and barbecue the most… but I can’t quite say that any longer. Living in LA changed me, in a way that was completely unexpected. For some reason I kept finding stray dogs on the street and before I knew it, I had an entire setup in my car… leashes, dog treats, bowls, water. And then I became heavily involved in animal welfare causes too, representing some international nonprofits through my PR company. As a result, I stopped eating meat and dairy. So, I guess now my answer is different. I suppose what I miss most now is good old-fashioned southern hospitality. I miss people saying hi as they walk past me. I miss people going out of their way to help one another, just because.
What was your first impression of LA and has it changed since?
Ha, not sure I should answer this…When I first came to LA, I remember thinking WOW, what a beautiful place. And while I still think there are many beautiful areas in the city, sadly I now see mostly trash on the ground and homeless people… probably because I live near the beach… but because of this I seem to spend more time bringing food to the homeless than I do enjoying the view.
What do you find the biggest difference is living here versus Dallas?
Oh, there’s so many! I think the biggest difference is how easy it is eating healthy here in LA. There are organic and vegan/vegetarian restaurants all over. It’s easy to have a healthy lifestyle. And you can walk everywhere, which is great because I love to walk.
Do you have a hidden gem in LA that you want to share with us?
I think all my hidden gems are out of the country. I probably need to explore more in LA so I can have a better answer for this question, but for now I’ll have to say the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. While it’s not so much a “hidden” gem, it is one of my favorite evening spots because they have live music on Saturday nights (and great food). I also love Vegetable restaurant in Studio City, this is a little bit of a hidden gem, and it’s my favorite go-to place for yummy, comfort food.
What would you suggest to others who are thinking about making the move here?
Don’t? Kidding. I would say follow your heart. Stay strong. LA is a tough place and you’ll be thrown a lot of curve balls, but you can always hit ‘em out of the park if you believe in yourself and don’t let anyone try and stop you.
Lots of our members join our group Brits in LA seeking out words of wisdom – what is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
One of my favorite things that a good friend always says: you can do anything you set your mind to.
Lastly, how can we find out more about you? Are you working on anything at the moment?
I started my PR company when I first moved to LA, so I’m pretty much always working on something interesting. What I didn’t expect however, is for my creative pitching to lead to a part-time writing career, resulting in an abundance of exciting trips across the globe. But the animal causes have always been close to my heart, so about three years ago I started producing a documentary about captive orcas, “Long Gone Wild,” which released on VOD in July. My next project is an unscripted show that I’m excited to start pitching. Thank you for this opportunity to share my story.
