For those of you who were surprised by this decision, you are in good company. I was one of you. Honestly, I never thought I would move out of my Woodstock apartment, even though I threatened to for years. Yet, 14 years in GA and 4 years in my cozy apartment with THE BEST VIEW and a full life attached to several communities near me...I made the jump.
Let's back track.
Since coming back from Mile 22 in March of 2018, life became complicated. I'm not sure why or what or when but jobs stopped coming up as regularly for me. Sure, I could be mad or skeptic of why but WHY put in that negative energy. Truthfully, I found it to be a very...VERY..challenging season that God worked strongly on my heart and soul.
August of 2018, I got this random, one week commercial with a group of ACs from Nashville. At this point, I had already looked into moving to Los Angeles, moving to New York, looking into Charlotte, NC and even traveled back and forth to Tampa hoping to land a show in FL for a while. By the end of this particular work week, this team SWORE I would work non-stop in Nashville if I made the move. I laughed and pushed it to the side. I was ready for another union show and was stuck in my "YALLYWOOD"; a life I truly loved but couldn't seem to get a footing back into since bumping up to a 2nd AC.
Thankfully, a few months later, the show The Banker came up. This was after a TON of praying and living off of Mile 22's checks. Things were getting tight but I knew I would make it out. I had no choice, I had to.
Side Note: When I moved to Atlanta, originally, to pursue the film industry, I had $200 in my account and told God that if Atlanta was ever to be a place I was supposed to leave, He needed to stop providing and make it abundantly clear I needed to step away.
Fast Forward...I am stubborn at clues but He had been telling me my time in Atlanta was done way before I even realized it. One clue would have been the fact that I kept not clicking with 1st AC's like most 2nd's did. I couldn't find THAT relationship that I watched form so often near and around me with so many ICG members. A true magic I constantly hoping for...yet, for some reason, it never settled to back to back shows.
The Banker came at the perfect time. I was able to get back on track with bills and got into future savings. That set had my heart. I don't think I have laughed that hard or enjoyed working with an entire crew and cast for almost a year. It felt amazing. I looked forward to work, no matter the hours or drive. I WANTED to hang out with my PA's and work on more shows with my camera team. It was great!
The show ended in October. My thought was, wellllll let's roll into the next. I was READY to go.
However, within 6 weeks, my accounts were back to being minimal (might have placed too much into retirement, lol) and after almost a year of constant rain...my mood was well beyond agitated and annoyed with borderline depression. So I packed up about a month of supplies, my fur child and drove to Tampa for the rest of the year.
As I was driving, I was in this constant state of anger with God. I had tried getting secondary jobs, applying for part time and full time work elsewhere and my frustration had reached an all time high as I was budgeting gas and food money. I had been able to afford to climb in almost four months and I had to end all gym memberships...GOD BLESS P90X and Running.
For some reason, when I got to Tampa, I walked inside the house and told my parents I was done with Atlanta and I wanted to move to Nashville. Truthfully, Nashville had been on my mind for a few weeks but not for any other reason than interest in getting away from Atlanta for a bit...even just a day trip or two. Yet, when I told my parents that...I felt truth in it. Sure, I disbelieved I would do it because, well, I had been interested in moving before and somehow Atlanta always stood firm. Maybe I was hoping if I actually said I would move then I would actually get a show. Cause life.
Two days later, my Dad got a call offering him a job in Nashville.
Well, there was my answer.
The next four months was nothing but stress and deep faith.
I started working as a Social Media Specialist for two companies...those were joyful experiences...
I took the day playing jobs I was offered, maybe only letting one or two pass by due to already being at an office when the call came in.
Over four months, I spent about 10 days on set. JUST enough to pay the bills every month with the other social media jobs attached to it.
My faith was being stretched. I started to detach my mood from my money. Every month, by miracle, I would get JUST enough set life work to make life sustainable as the office job drained my soul dry. I would find activities to do with friends like kayak or hike...and then would buy snacks in bulk in advance so I would have an excuse to dip out before meals were offered.
But if you KNEW my friends and "family" inside Woodstock, you would know that every moment I was more than taken care of. From church to five year friendships, nothing was ever over. Truth, I HATE people paying for me and THANKFULLY I had people I was able to be honest with about what I was going through but it took a lot of strength to get over my pride.
My parents have also been such a support in everything. After SEVERAL expressive talks, they made it clear that my pride was no match to what they were willing to do to help me where I was and where I needed to be.
Come May...no show had arrived to jump onto. No offers. Money was tighter than I had had it since college.
As I was crunching the numbers to make the move to Nashville, I made it very clear to everyone that I was going to be able to do this. It was no ones job to bail me out...I COULD DO THIS.
That might be what I said out loud but truthfully, I just kept repeating to God that He promised to be a provider and I needed Him to not only keep that promise but do it miraculously...and the sooner would be better.
And He did.
My Nana and Papa came to Tampa to move my Parents up to Nashville. As I drove to help them with the house and the Nashville set up, we decided to drive back down to Atlanta a few days later to pack up all of my apartment (SHOUT OUT TO JACK FOR THE EXTRA HANDS). I do miss that complex...the staff there were so amazing to me and my family. We all hugged and cried when I left ;P.
After a month, Mom and I drove back down to clean up the apartment and then...officially...claim TN OUR new home.
It's been two months since we officially moved The Hahn's to a new southern state.
Now, don't get me wrong, it has had its moments of struggle...every move does. Trying to find a new community, church, friends and activities is always a time element...and Hahn's aren't known for patients. Yet, I can truthfully say this has been the best move I have ever had in my life.
I have worked more here than I have ever imagined I would. Especially as quickly as I have. I've worked more here in the past two months than I have in Atlanta in 7 months. Which warms my heart to levels that are unmeasurable.
Before moving, in my head I thought that to be successful in my industry, I would have to choose between the things I loved. Like film and family couldn't be combined. I can't count the amount of times I have had to bail out of a mission trip or volunteering gig at church because I needed to say yes to a film job (like that time I somehow ended up on a show that worked every sunday for two months).
There were so many times in this past year and a half that I thought I would have to get a teaching job or go back to school to become an RN. I was coming up with INSANE ideas of what I should do to get an income because OBVIOUSLY this wasn't working. I was in love with an industry that took me away from family and friends. Yet, without film, my heart would still be broken into pieces. How do you learn to juggle...by practice.
I'm not saying Atlanta hurt me because that's not true. It did just the opposite. I will ALWAYS adore every single person I met, worked with, hung out with and spent time there with. The Union life there has had my back for so long and I have truly enjoyed being apart of so many stories for the past five years. From advice to laughter and tough days in the sun...my journey in Yallywood was THE BEST. I look back with so much gratitude and thankfulness. I would have never become the 2nd AC I am without everyone there. I am beyond blessed by which shows I got to be on, who I have been able to work with and the mentors that believed in me from the young age of 21, fresh out of college with such small view of the world...yet dreams bigger than life itself.
However, as much as it surprised everyone when I did move...including me, I can say now that it was the correct choice.
Nashville has been AMAZING. The film industry here encompasses some of the most welcoming and encouraging human beings I have ever met. (I think that is just a Nashville thing in general!) I have worked more in the past two months than I had in the past seven months in ATL. I thought I would have this weird, awkward stage of trying to connect with people when moving here...turns out, I feel like I am back with The Banker and Mile 22. My heart is full, the laughter is strong, the work is hard and the people are incredible. I haven't found one rude person...in Nashville, let alone on set. NASH People are on some other level when it comes to Southern Hospitality...and I LOVE IT.
On top of that, I am with my family. Something I haven't had in 8 years. It makes all the difference...coming home to familiar faces, an active house, home cooked meals and a cat who is worn out from socializing so sleep is possible. I NOW understand how people in ATL were doing film life. It is a world of a difference when you have family near you. It gives you this extra energy and motivation to keep going. You have a sense of purpose and feeling of importance outside of set. It is so crazy how much that can change everything!
Honestly, this move came down to not being able to pay bills in Atlanta anymore. Let's just say the number 72 will always be in my memory and my new life goal is to never see anything get close to that number ever again.
And, well, I really wanted to be near family so that helped make the process easier. Yet, I do apologize. Atlanta is amazing and I am so glad most everyone I know is working and fighting to keep the industry in the south. If you have too many union shows, Nash could always use a few more...the people here deserve it.
Thank you for everything, everyone, from both states; friends and family alike.
Everything, from church, community, finances and NOW GARDENING, is all looking up. Many prayers have been said and many walks in faith have been made. Here's to what Nash has to offer and to the Hahn's taking on yet another state that was NO WHERE in their views.
God is good...and He has, again, kept His word abundantly better than I even could have imagined Him to.
AND I am not sure I mentioned this enough...THANK YOU, SERIOUSLY, TO MY PARENTS, MY WOODSTOCK FRIENDS/COMMUNITY, FREEDOM CHURCH, ATLANTA FILM INDUSTRY and NASHVILLE FILM INDUSTRY.
I would not be as happy or as determined to walk this new stretch of road without out these past few months of love, support, encouragement and honesty.
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