I’ve tried to be more active in the communities I engage in—Hollywood & Burbank—because they haven’t felt like home and I want them to.

Most of this has resulted in me actually stopping to talk to people and engage in positive conversation; I admit the hustle of city life has changed how the Southern hospitality in me is shown. Two things happened that still make me smile,

There is a hot dog stand near my weekend job in Burbank. I started to go because I was sick of the fast food chains and wanted to support small businesses. When I started to go to the stand it was always quick and then I started to slow down. I sat down on one of the chairs in front of the stand one day and, just as I thought I should ask the cook and cashier’s names, the cashier came over to me. His words, “Hi. What is your name?” I murmured Rashad as I swallowed a bite of the veggie dog they gave me and he replied, “I’m Lawrence and that is Kay.” Since that day I’ve visited them during each of my weekend shifts.

One day recently, I managed to slip a bigger tip than normal into their tip can with a small note. A few weeks later I came back to see the note taped to their window. My heart smiled.

In that same area is a Jamba Juice that I frequent. One of the younger staff members knows the three drinks I rotate through and makes jokes about it. I hear “Oh, I see we’re changing it up today” and “Already know what you want today, Jay. I got you.” She—Fabi—started to leave notes on my cup and food containers. On those rough days, those little notes have been a nice pick me up.

I think this whole slowing down thing is working. It’s starting to make LA feel something like a home. Catch me at a Lakers game in a few weeks.