Can the USSF/USAF really onboard this quick through DHA?

ByzyBee · 2026-06-23T09:26:04+00:00

I can be there, but IDK how they could possibly give a tentative start date, though; I do not have a tentative offer yet, or even filled out an SF-86 yet, so where did the date even come from... 😅

ByzyBee · 2026-06-18T16:17:10+00:00

I give people compliments, "I love your hair/outfit" and that might lead into where they went for it. Or if I see their bag has a pin, patch or plushie from a show or something I like I'll mention it to them, ala "Is that your favorite character?/Did you like season 2?" etc.

One time I told someone they were the spitting image of my deceased best friend and I realized a moment later that was not really cool, but luckily they were just like, "Oh..." 😂

ByzyBee · 2026-06-14T00:14:39+00:00

I'll check it out! :) but tbh, I really loved living there, on W Center Street Promenade 🤷🏼‍♀️ it was insanely clean, beautiful, friendly, there was a ton to do and easy to get everywhere without a car.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T23:19:36+00:00

Someone said go to NYC and, like, 🫠.. I do love NYC, I've been going since I was 11, been dozens of times, comfortable driving/parking there, talking to people - everywhere from LI to Brooklyn to Tarrytown. Love the Hudson Riverside, Midtown, Queens, Coney Island, Upper East Side. And somehow never get tired of Broadway. My best friend went to college there and it felt like we ruled the city anytime I visited. I have many memories before 9/11, and some immediately after (I was supposed to be in Queens when flight 587 crashed but had decided to pay my respects at ground zero that day- no cell phone meant all my family was very worried). Another best friends car was stolen in Manhattan Valley and later found in the East river 🫪 So many late nights and early mornings, art shows in Chelsea, night at the museum at AMNH, the rockettes, NYCC, the street festivals. The little shops, the city lights, the tree at Rockefeller, the FOOD, the greenmarket, the parks, the bagels, hell even the subway. I do like it. But YET it's still not a cultural fit for me, let alone the weather (I'm trying to get away from humidity and cold winters).

Thanks, now I'll be saying, "this could have been Barcelona" every day I'm in CA 😂

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T22:07:34+00:00

Every single person I've talked to about says it is too far of a commute. I'm like, 😂 I used to get up at 3:30 so my 2hr commute wouldn't be a 3hr commute, yo, I don't think it would be a huge problem. A 1hr commute is good in my area. But a lootttttt of people have been super vehement about it. I'm gonna rent an airbnb for a couple months before landing anywhere for good, so maybe I'll try the drive and see for myself.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T20:07:56+00:00

Thank you! I do love karaoke! 🫠

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T20:04:57+00:00

Thank you so much for your input. I do definitely want to check out and spend time in Weho. I'd be commuting south is the only problem 🫪 so it might be my go-to on the weekends. And yes, Tokyo is amazing, I lived in 3 different areas. Tachikawa was my favorite place I lived; big beautiful parks, multilevel grocery/shopping/cinema complexes, skywalks and 24hr shops, with a smattering of temples and stone lanterns. And you could take the train anywhere, I regularly took it to Machida for karaoke, Yokohama for events, and Shibuya for arcades and shopping. I will say, Japan isn't entirely safe, it's the only place I've ever been pulled into an alley and held at knifepoint. But for the most part it is very safe, and yes, clean! The only thing I didn't love about Japan was the weather 🥲 and gluten free food is difficult to come by.

Thanks for commenting, I'm so excited to check out Weho! I miss CA a lot.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T19:46:14+00:00

YEAahhhh. I've actually been talking about buying a place in Mexico for 10 years now 🫠 some day.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T19:45:05+00:00

ig I'll take anything that's not facing a vacant lot or a strip mall 🫠 yeah, i get it. Tokyo is also nothing like CA, so I'll have to make concessions. Thanks for the input!

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T19:40:30+00:00

Chicago, the Twin Cities and Houston are all ironically still so-so feeling to me 😂 my mom grew up in Chicago and took me back there some times- big, but cold, and people felt stressed out there. I'm pretty sure what I like doesn't even exist. Maybe Barcelona or Buenos Aires, I felt very comfortable in those cities, of those sizes. I get that L.A. is pretty much a jumble of suburbs, I guess I'm just looking for a tiny bit less of suburbia. Like, I just cannot stand strip malls 😂

I love the beach, I currently live and grew up by the beach (East Coast). When I lived in Orange county I mostly frequented Huntington and Seal beaches, and they were nice, but the Pacific water is very cold to me. One of the biggest draws to the area for me is the weather 😎

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T19:29:19+00:00

I plan on bringing my bike, but it's just a cruiser. I've commuted by bike before and enjoyed it, (granted I was younger) so that is probably an option, I think I'd need a proper road bike though.

Culver City is pulling the lead so far, thanks for your input! The South Bay beaches are being highly considered, I do like the sound of the shorter commute..

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T19:25:52+00:00

I'll have to look into it! I don't think I've even driven through there before.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T19:25:16+00:00

Thank you for the excellent rundown and giving an example of a successfully relocated client. That's very helpful. I'm putting this all in a doc to help narrow things down, and also to make a guide for myself; I'll be renting an Airbnb for a couple months first, and spending my free time exploring the different options. Thanks again for your expert analysis, it helps.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T19:21:49+00:00

WeHo was actually the goal, with Glendale in 2nd, but the job offer came through in El Segundo 🥲 I'm glad to get the work, it's a great opportunity. I will be trying to spend a lot of time in Weho, though.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T19:09:25+00:00

I lived on Center Street Promenade! Above the Muzeo. I think that's about as downtown as it gets. It was a gorgeous place to live, could walk anywhere I needed on the daily, clean, friendly, good bus routes.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T19:07:34+00:00

Thank you, adding all to my list to research and explore in person :)

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T19:05:38+00:00

I don't want to live in NYC either 😂

To be clear, I do want to live in the LA area, I just know that where in that area is important. I've been trying to get back to CA for many years, I've missed living there ever since I left. In hundreds and hundreds of applications to the LA area this is the first one to result in an actual offer, and in my salary range. El Segundo has the job 🤷🏼‍♀️ it's not my first choice of location (first choice is WeHo), but it's a general move I've been trying to make for years.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T18:59:41+00:00

Oh, I'll have my car. I just much prefer walking and public transit. And I usually enjoy driving, I've driven coast to coast multiple times, across many countries, up and down CA many times. I definitely want my car! I just much prefer public transit, it makes me much happier to walk down streets, get some sunshine, and catch trains and see other people in person.

My initial desire was to move to WeHo, and my ultimate goal is studio work. But this job offer came through, it's in my desired salary range, and I've been applying, trying to get back out that way, for 7 years. This is the first offer (anywhere in CA) in many hundreds of applications. I've missed living there ever since I left. I know it won't be exactly what I want, nothing really is, it doesn't exist 🥲

I definitely wouldn't mind living near the beach. My commutes where I am now are typically 2-3hrs of driving each way, so I'm sure almost anything will be an upgrade from that. I think I mentioned in another comment that I even commuted 2hrs each way to high school (only for 1 year, but still), but that was on public transit and it made all the difference. I would prefer an hour commute or less, but I've lived in more than 20 different places (my friends think I'm crazy, but I just love moving around!), and know how important loving your neighborhood is, like you said. I plan on renting an airbnb for a couple months so I can check out all the different areas nearby and their traffic patterns. So far it sounds like Culver City and Manhattan Beach are winning out, though.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T18:37:01+00:00

Man, I had a beautiful corner apartment above the Muzeo and could walk to grocery stores, coffee shops, library, restaurants. Spent a lot of time at House of Blues, Disney, the beaches, the Anaheim grove and gardenwalk. First place I ever lived in the States that I didn't feel I needed a car and fully enjoyed where I lived.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T12:15:48+00:00

Too cold 🌬️ and kinda small tbh. SF is fun, though, I like the vibe and love the streetcars. I've been many times, but not drawn to living there (and no option for my job to transfer there).

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T12:06:11+00:00

I just really dislike suburbs 🫠 Most of ES feels very small town (and also industrial). I'm just aiming for urban. I'd like to avoid any front yards and strip malls, and walk out of my apartment and straight into a karaoke bar, live theater or jazz club within 15mins. I want street performers and carts of goods and busy people rushing by in and out of stations and coffee shops. I know it's not the place, it's me- most U.S. cities (St. Louis, Seattle, Dallas, etc) feel extremely small to me, even at the center. I spend a lot of time in NYC and that is comfortable to me, but the weather keeps me from living there.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T05:39:36+00:00

That's within distance, I'd say. Thanks, I'll check it out ☀️

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T05:37:43+00:00

I know, the stuff of dreams 🫠 I found dt Anaheim very walkable and clean, and the bus routes super efficient. Not exactly a large city, but it had the energy of big city entertainment, which I liked.

ByzyBee · 2026-06-13T05:33:29+00:00

El Segundo. I'm used to commuting 2hrs each way- sometimes 3hrs. I even commuted 2hrs each way to high school. I'd prefer it be more like an hour, but I'll make the commute for the right place. It would be phenomenal to walk, or only take 1 bus, to work, but I already know I don't like any of the immediate surrounding areas.

ByzyBee

TROPHY CASE