A Brief Breakdown of Ella - AKA an Introduction

Writing about myself always makes me uncomfortable, I write all day for a living and seem to have no problem churning out articles, but for some reason a short story about my life makes me clam up...anyway, here goes nothing.

The Background

I was born in England, in a city in the southwest called Plymouth. It's where the pilgrims set sail from when they left for the United States, the Mayflower steps are one of Plymouths most popular tourist attractions. Apart from that its a pretty grey coastal town with not too much else to offer.

The First Big Move

When I was 4 years old my parents won American green cards in a green card lottery, yes its a real thing, and they moved us (mom, dad, big sister and me) to a quiet city in Southern California called Laguna Beach. At the time Laguna Beach was a small beautiful, hippy, artsy fartsy, town. It was later destroyed by an MTV reality TV show called "Laguna Beach, The Real OC". If you haven't seen it don’t bother.
For the next 20 years we lived happily ever after in Orange County, California. I went to school in Laguna Beach, all my friends were in Laguna Beach, my first job was in Laguna Beach....it was home.
But you know when people say they don’t fit in, and you're like thats such a cliche, and they're like no its true!
I finally get those people. I made myself fit in, I told myself that I would be happy working towards a decent career, making lots of money, working to buy a new car or a better phone or to upgrade something else I didn't need. I told myself I loved being so self conscious about my body and my looks, I loved spending hundreds to look like all the other California girls....Turns out I didn't like much of it at all

The Realization

Somewhere between a breakup and a career move gone wrong I realized that I was horribly unhappy in Southern California, the only thing I loved about it was the Mexican food (for the record I still miss Mexican food on a daily basis) I knew I wanted a change, I knew that I needed to make myself happy and find what made my life mine and what made it enjoyable to me.

When I was 23 I had traveled around Europe for 6 weeks on my own. It was such an eye opening experience for me, something I will never forget and will cherish forever. It was on that trip that I realized that I needed to leave Orange County and it was also on that trip that I started to gain some confidence in myself and discover who I was on my own, without my family or a boyfriend around to influence me. So I went back to California and I started planning my escape.

The Second Big Move

After my trip I went back to California and began to make the changes to leave behind Orange County for good. I got a job, one that I knew I'd have no problem leaving. I rented a cheap apartment and started selling or getting rid of all the things I didn't need. I saved every penny I could, and then when I couldn't put up with it anymore I quit my job and bought a ticket. I moved to Barcelona with enough savings to last 3 months. I knew no one here, I had no place to stay and I had no set source of income. And somehow it all worked out. Within those three months I found a job, got a room to rent, and met some of the most amazing people I've ever known.

The Present

I still life in Barcelona, I have been here 2 years now. I work freelance, I write articles all day everyday, but never about myself or for myself. I write copy for various websites and companies all around the world. Its a fascinating job, and it allows me to travel and work from home and to live the life I’ve always dreamed of. So basically it's awesome. I have a great circle of friends, an adorable puppy, and the freedom to travel, what more could I ask for?
I found my true happiness, I found a place where I fit in, where I can be my true self and where I thrive.

We'll see what happens next