Los Angeles… City of Angels… my ass. Getting off that bus downtown, I was immediately thrown in the middle of anything but an angelic city. Filth, derogation, poverty, homelessness, hustlers and tricks turning on corners, gangs, drugs, and a thriving nightlife that was captivating to a new arrival. All of this is what welcomed me to LA. It was almost nightfall when I arrived. I remember the first thing I did was figure out how to get to the Chinese Theatre. Walked around looking at hands and feet in the cement. Sat in awe of this glowing shrine to Hollywood’s greatest. Then spent several hours following stars on the pavement, not recognising the majority of the names, but still impressed that this city remembers its greats in style. Wandered around for many more hours, ending up on Santa Monica. Me, this scrawny kid with a small bag that contained anything and everything of value to me, sitting on some steps on the corner of a street that I would soon learn very well.

First lesson in LA, I didn’t want to be me. Just sitting there for the first 20 minutes, I got cat-called, harassed, and threatened. But after years of silent observance in foster care, I quickly figured out that this street was all about blending, being seen without being noticed, and that being a girl was not going to help my situation. I wandered off the street and found a shelter a few blocks over. One thing that will always be the same in life: a homeless shelter anywhere in the world is the same as the rest of them. I crammed into the corner of a bed, curled up, and tried to get some sleep.

The next morning before we all got kicked out for the day, I stole a pair of scissors from the front office and went into the bathroom. All the hair came off as short as I could get it. Looking through my bag, leaving behind anything that looked girly in any way, shape, or colour. Blending in, that’s what it was all about. Looking at myself in the mirror when I was done, impressed how easy it was for me to look like another young boy on the street. I could do this, I could survive. Hell, I made it this far.