How I manifested my entire move to Los Angeles

MANIFESTING WORKS!

In September 2018 our friends Sarah and Liz moved to Los Angeles from New York. Sarah kept saying, you would really love it here — maybe you’ll move here. In November 2018, Stuart and I came for a visit from Minneapolis. We did love it here and were like, "Hmmmm maybe one day we will live here." I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but we just moved to LA and this is the story of how we manifested the entire move and moving process.

At the time Sarah and Liz lived in a very fancy, yet casual part of town near Larchmont Village on South Plymouth Blvd. They lived in a beautiful townhouse from the 1930’s with a totally old school Hollywood vibe. We took several strolls down Plymouth — You could see the Hollywood sign, so I took pics. The palm tree lined street felt right for a couples pic. We loved their townhouse and neighborhood, so I took more pics. We went to Santa Monica to see the beach and rent bikes. More photos. I catalogued everything. When it came time to leave, I didn't want to go.

In November 2018 I started a work project at Aveda where I met Rachael. We started following each other on IG and I noticed that she had been in LA at the same time before we knew each other. We got to talking about how much we loved the vibe. I said to her, "I really want to move there one day." The idea was there and the energy was building.

Two years later Stuart and I said, "Let's try to move to LA" but we had no idea how that would work. Would he have to leave his job and get a new one? I booked a trip for March 2020 to visit Sarah and Liz again and I set up a bunch of networking meetings and was planning to “try LA on”. The trip got cancelled 1 day before, due to Covid and the country shutting down. As a global pandemic set in I thought, “OK this kind of f*cks with my plans to move.”

In April 2020 a Departures Mag (now defunct) arrived and it was the California issue. Timing could not have been better. I went to an art store and bought a fancy blue poster board and told the woman I am going to build a vision board because I want to move to LA. She was like, "Good Luck". I built the board and put it where I could see it every day.

I kept telling everyone that we are moving to LA and still I had no idea how that would happen. In November 2020 Stuart's office closed permanently due to Covid and his work went 100% virtual. We thought, “We can live anywhere.” Also, the house in Minneapolis was a rental, we could totally leave when the lease ran out in May 2021 which was like 6 months away. That was the moment I felt like this manifestation is totally in motion and I’m not making this up.

In January 2021 I did GabbyBernstein's 21 day manifesting challenge and on Day 1 she said write a desire statement. I wrote a lot of it around wanting to move to LA. I read my statement almost every day for a month, then I did a voice recording of it and listened to that at least 5 times a week while I was getting ready. It was all about why I wanted to move to LA, how I wanted to feel, what I wanted our home to feel like, what I wanted new friendships to feel like. Each time I listened to it, I believed it was already unfolding. It was BIG LA ENERGY. And it kept unfolding.

By March 2021 the whole, “I’m moving to LA” didn’t seem as far fetched. If we were going to do it, we had to get rolling. Our lease was ending and we were required to give a 60 day notice. After I sent the email to my landlord it was like, “Ok, this is official.” That's when it gets real. I needed to manifest a moving company that was affordable and that I trust (definitely had issues in the past) and also someone to ship my car. We found movers I felt good about, I found someone to ship my car and we started boxing everything.

Around this time I needed to get more serious about manifesting a home. I knew we wouldn’t be looking until the summer, but I had to get more specific than, “I want to move to LA”. I wrote out a very extensive list of what I wanted our LA home and lifestyle to look like and feel like. I read it to Stuart and he's like, "You're asking a lot for that budget." I was like, nope, don't say that. Our home is already out there, we just need to put out the energy to attract it to us. Keep in mind I barely know LA or the areas. I had hardly been here (visited only 3 times before moving here), but also knew very clearly I wanted to live here.

I think I wrote this in March 2021. Wait until you see what this manifested for us.

I will be very transparent in saying that as excited as I was to find our home, I was also very anxious about it. The whole going from place to place and not always quite sure if it’s “the one” or you find one you love and then someone else gets it, it can just be overwhelming. In my manifestation list I put that we would instinctively know when we found our home and the process would be relaxed and easy. I was just waiting for our home to present itself to us.

Sarah said, when the time is right message our old building owner and see what listings she has because they own a bunch of buildings. In mid July 2021 I messaged Allegra and said I’m friends with Sarah and Liz and we’re moving to LA. She sent me some listings and we agreed to meet when we got to LA in early August. Within days she messaged me and said, "I think I have the townhouse you're looking for; I just got notice but it won't be ready until end of September." Sarah knew the townhouse because she’s friends with Chris and Elizabeth who live there now. I asked if it’s worth the wait and she said without a doubt, YES. You won’t do better than this at that price. We saw pictures and were like, "THIS MIGHT BE IT."

It's a perfect 2 bedroom townhouse with huge outdoor space (total commodity in LA), in the same courtyard/building where Sarah lived. Allegra said she would hold it until we saw it a week later if we filled out an application. We practically took it before seeing it. We got to LA last week and I read over my manifestation list before we went to see it. I'd say it has 90% of what we wanted BUT it was less than our max budget - so happy medium.

If you look at my above manifestation list, look what I said about the garden/neighborhood and what the home looks like. It’s not unattached but it’s an end unit with only one shared wall and 3 sides for window exposures and a huge side yard.

Here's what it doesn't have:

-A dishwasher
-We have to buy our own washer/dryer
-A third bedroom - I wanted a 3rd bedroom to turn into a home office.
-I wanted 2 car garage, there's only 1. NBD.

Here's what it has:

-Based on my manifestation list: I wanted a lot of windows, tall ceilings, crown moldings, fire place, character/charm, two floors (so no neighbors above/below), outdoor space + garden that felt private and serene, like an oasis. I wanted the outside to be a space for entertaining and for Kelly to hang out in. I wanted the building to look and feel abundant (it looks like a castle, duh). I wanted the neighborhood to feel safe, clean and quiet. It's all of that.

We signed the lease. And guess what, based on measurements, our dining room table is TOO BIG to fit in the dining room, but we are going to put it in the garden and the dining room will be an office. So, didn't need the 3rd bedroom on my manifestation list. The outdoor space is so much bigger/better than I expected and let's face it, Stuart and I never use our dining room unless it's a special occasion.

Full circle moments that prove manifestation works:

Exactly 3 years after coming to visit Sarah and Liz, we will be living on the same street where we took these pictures, there are palm trees just like on my vision board that line the street. We are living in the same building where Sarah and Liz began their LA journey and they are friends with some of the neighbors, including the people who live in the townhouse we're taking.

Whenever I manifest a place to live I want it to come from good people who loved living there, and the people who live there totally have that energy. I've made friends with the guy who currently lives in the townhouse and he's given me so many tips on the house, the yard and echoed how awesome and polite the neighbors are, who have become friends. That was also on my manifestation list - quiet, kind respectful neighbors who become friends. He's leaving the dog fence he put up in the yard for his beagle (I mean, we both have beagles - another sign), he's also leaving us the umbrella and their air conditioners. I asked what I could pay him for them and he said, "We are trying to reduce clutter in our lives, we are not taking what we don’t need and if you can use it, consider it our gift." It doesn't get much better than that.

When I shared a pic of me in front of the townhouse after we signed the lease, a friend in New York was like, "My friend lived in that building." I reached out to the friend and she was like, "It's the most magical place to live, you will love it." It confirmed that all of this was meant to be. I told her the only bummer is that we have to buy a washer and dryer. She gave me the name/number of a person who sells used washers and dryers and he bought them back from her when she moved. Again, it doesn't get better than that.

I also put on my list that the landlord was fair, easy and a pleasure to work with and that the approval process would be simple. Within 12 hours of applying she said she'd love to have us. Not only is she all of those things I hoped for on my list, we talked a bit about meditation and visualization and I told her that her property had everything I was looking for. She said the minute she got notice from current tenants that they were leaving, "It felt like the clouds parted and the sun was shining and I emailed you immediately because I felt this was meant for you." Her words exactly. I told her about my manifestation list and how I do daily visualizations. She said she was going to try that. A few days later she messaged me that she's been doing daily visualizations and she feels calmer and happier. It's just a vortex of good energy.

Everything is unfolding beautifully. It doesn't look 100% like I envisioned, some things will take getting used to, the townhouse isn't ready until September so it changed our timeline, but there are other things that are even better than I could have asked for. So basically we haven’t moved in yet, that story is still unfolding!

There were so many times when I told people I was moving to LA before I even know how it would be possible. I think that energy of wanting and expressing it built on the mustard seed of a dream that turned into IT'S HAPPENING. I went back to that art store a few weeks before we moved from Minneapolis to let the person know that vision board worked and she was like, "OMG, I need to do a vision board."

I mean it's not all about the vision board. It’s all about all the pieces! Putting it out there works, doing research works, writing out a list of what you want works. Believing it's possible works.

I picked up my car on Sunday from the shipping depot after we went to the beach in Santa Monica - I manifested the best car shipper that was not only affordable but professional and my car was delivered without a scratch. It was an hour outside of LA. Getting reunited with my car in a new city felt real. As I blasted the music, driving toward the city during golden hour, seeing palm trees waving in the pink sky, with the hills and mountains in the background - it was enchanting. I was driving on a 6 lane highway thinking, "I FUCKING MANIFESTED THIS." Then I saw it for the first time close up, since getting here. The LA city skyline against an orange sky at dusk. I got the chills and teared up. THIS IS NOW MY HOME. I’ve always believed in manifesting. Now I know, anything is possible.

More to come! Stay with me on my journey as I share it on Instagram @TheWorldofDoug.