Los Angeles Dreams
Rupert Holmes released his hit, “Escape (The Pina Colada Song),” nearly three years before I answered a personal ad and left everything in Mt. Morris, Michigan, behind for Los Angeles, CA. It was the summer of 1982. The man from the ad sent me cash and a credit card to facilitate my travel. I informed my landlord I was moving out and immediately hit the road.
When I got to St. Louis, Missouri, I finally mustered enough courage to call Mt. Morris and tell them I would not be returning. It was just three weeks before the school year started. I felt horrible moving without much explanation, but I had to leave. My life was in danger. But that’s a story I’ll share in chapter eleven.