err... awkward question for other escorts

[Aaron]

Okay, so right now I'm in Portland, Oregon. I'm being evicted from my apartment because I lost my job, etc. I haven't worked as an escort for almost 5 years... I'm 28 now. I have a bus ticket to LA that I bought last October which is basically my only option. I refuse to sleep on the streets in Portland -- I know way too many people here and it would be too humiliating. So... where would be a relatively safe area to hang out for a few weeks until I get a proper job again? Preferably, where I might find other guys, escorts, etc. my age/similar situations. There has to be some out there still, right? I've never been to LA before and I only know a few people there casually -- no one that I would feel comfortable asking for a place to stay.

 

Strange first post, I know. But I would appreciate any help or pointers anyone can give? Thanks!

[Aaron]

And what does that black dot under my name mean?

[MsGuy]

The dot just indicates that you are a new poster, Aaron. Daddy (site owner) color codes us like the DHS.

[Aaron]

ohh.

 

does black mean i'm low-risk or high-risk?

[Aaron]

^ that was a joke, btw.

 

okay, another question (just tell me if i'm posting this in the wrong place): i'm looking at studio apartments on craigslist in the koreatown area. most of them are between 600-700 per month? i thought it would be more expensive? or are those fake ads? and... is koreatown an ok place to live?

 

ps. maybe this thread belongs in the general discussion area? maybe there's a moderator who could move it... or not. i don't really care. thanks again.

[+ azdr0710]

can you crash with one of those good friends in PDX for now??....28 is a great age.....assess where you are and what you have to do.....can you find another job in PDX for now?.....

 

and, uh, you thinking about escorting again??!!......

 

the tone/style of your posts seems to suggest you're a savvy and smart guy (not a moron).....keep us updated.....

[Guest Spanker01]

Since I live in the midwest I am the last person who should be offering the advise you need. That having been said a couple of thoughts. The old timers question is a valid one, "you thinking about escorting again?" You need to answer that question to yourself. His other questions are also valid. If you really want to live in LA, try contacting some of the working guys in the LA area, and see if any of them can put you up for a while. You might try Dave at Man to Man, and see what he can suggest.

 

Good luck, and I really wish I could help!!!

 

Spanker

[Aaron]

Lol, are you saying only morons escort?

 

I do actually feel like i should be hiring them at this point, not working as one. Not because I have money, but because my personality has shifted quite a bit in the past few years.

 

But I'll do what I need to do. For the ones asking "you're thinking about escorting again!?" -- do you mean because of my age? I think 28 is pushing it, yes, but it may be the absolute oldest that I could still get away w/ doing it. I'm sure there are older escorts, but I'm not in that league.

 

Um, to answer the other questions, I know a lot of people in Portland but I don't feel comfortable asking them for a place to stay? For some reason it's always been easier for me to ask favors of complete strangers rather than friends. I'm sure there's some rich psychology behind that.

[Aaron]

can you crash with one of those good friends in PDX for now??....28 is a great age.....assess where you are and what you have to do.....can you find another job in PDX for now?.....

 

and, uh, you thinking about escorting again??!!......

 

the tone/style of your posts seems to suggest you're a savvy and smart guy (not a moron).....keep us updated.....

 

and as far as finding another job, let me give the timeline:

 

- I moved to Portland from the Midwest in April of 2008. I went to work for a local business here, doing mostly clerical work, some customer service stuff, answering phones, etc. I worked there for 2 1/2 years.

 

- In September of 2010, I was let go due to some personal issues I was having that were affecting work. My landlord was cool and told me not to worry about rent again until December.

 

- So December rolls around, still no job. I decide to enroll in school again (I went for one semester right after high school), thinking a degree will eventually help land a decent job not making photocopies all day, and the financial aid can be used to both pay tuition and cover rent while I continue to look for a job. Those same problems that resulted in me losing my job back in September are still present and I fail enough of the Winter term to lose my financial aid.

 

- I panicked for a second but found another job quickly and contacted my landlord again, letting him know I would be a few weeks late w/ rent. He was okay with that. The job is going fine until those same problems kick in again and then: I end up hospitalized, I don't follow proper procedures for letting my employer know that I am in the hospital, and by the time I am released my final paycheck is already in my mailbox.

 

- Which brings us to the present. And I'm completely burned out on Portland -- I've been here for 3 years and the weather is horrible and I hate the people. I need new stimuli. "The problems" if you couldn't tell are basically: drinking, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Mostly drinking. But combined w/ the other two it makes for some pretty brutal consequences. Anyway: no longer drinking but I still have to be out of my apartment by 5pm on Friday. I can leave voluntarily and have the last two months rent I owe forgiven, or I can challenge it and be evicted and have the $1350.00 sent through collections, etc. And I don't want that.

 

- So. That's my story.

 

And it's totally TMI, but I don't care. :/

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

That's a lot to deal with, Aaron -- and you're smart to reach out for help. Since you've got a ticket to LA, I would suggest you get in contact with a place called the Van Ness House, which is a recovery center for gay men dealing with drinking and substance abuse problems. I got sober 10 years ago in LA, and although I didn't go to the Van Ness house, I know TONS of people who went through there and it's an amazing place. You will get an instant sense of community and you won't be lost in the shuffle. It's a very cool place. It may be totally free, too, and would give you a place to really get yourself together. Here's their website: http://www.vannessrecovery.org/contact.html. Their phone number is (323) 463-4266. Call them. Even if they don't have any rooms right now, they might be able to help you in some other way. Good luck!

[Decatur Guy]

You have a very kind-hearted landlord.

 

If you ever get things together in L.A., you should pay him back the rent he's forgiven. Part of getting your life back on track will be being responsible to others and making good on your commitments. If you leave that landlord hanging if things get better for you down the road, that says a lot about where your life will be headed, and not in a good way. On the other hand, eventually paying the landlord back says a whole lot about you and the better future you'll find for yourself.

 

I'm a landlord, and I don't make a dime on the place I rent. I lose $$$ every month. Rent doesn't cover mortage, taxes and dues. (Used to live in it, couldn't sell it). So when I get stiffed, I'm that much deeper in the hole on the place. Don't assume because the landlord has been nice to you that it was easy to afford this rental hit he or she has incurred.

 

Good luck to you.

[+ beethoven]

I'm not advising you to escort or not to, but 28 is not too old to do ANYTHING!

[Aaron]

Thank you guys for all the advice and just for reading! Decatur guy, that's excellent advice. It looks like I'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon.

 

I'll post updates later! Thanks, guys!

[ChiTown]

Best of luck, Aaron! I truly hope that you'll be able to get things back on track.

[fanman]

^ that was a joke, btw.

 

okay, another question (just tell me if i'm posting this in the wrong place): i'm looking at studio apartments on craigslist in the koreatown area. most of them are between 600-700 per month? i thought it would be more expensive? or are those fake ads? and... is koreatown an ok place to live?

 

ps. maybe this thread belongs in the general discussion area? maybe there's a moderator who could move it... or not. i don't really care. thanks again.

 

I would generally advise against living in Koreatown. I'm sure there are some okay places, but overall, it's not the safest area. I'd check out Silver Lake or Los Feliz. I've lived in Hollywood and Downtown and liked it there as well.

[+ Axiom2001]

Best of luck, Aaron! I truly hope that you'll be able to get things back on track.

 

Aaron, since you asked some escorts for advice (Others chimed in too.)--I'd appreciate your writing back once settled to let us who read about your dilemma know that everything is well for you!

[JoeyBryant]

I say follow your heart, but personally I'm not an advocate of going to big cities when things aren't going so great. There's so many other people in the same boat, competition is fierce, things cost more...but LA may just have more resources. I never been to Portland but seems like a relatively mid-sized place, doesn't seem too saturated with other escorts...do you think you may have some leverage there to put an ad up somewhere and stay with friends until you have enough to get things settled down? Maybe try staying at extended stay hotels and such and pay by the day or week?

 

I refuse to sleep on the streets in Portland -- I know way too many people here and it would be too humiliating.

 

Well knowing that amount of people, I'm sure someone is willing to open their doors at least temporary?

 

I've never been to LA before and I only know a few people there casually -- no one that I would feel comfortable asking for a place to stay.

 

Well you want to make sure where you're going is not going to be worst than where you're at. Sounds like Portland is more of a safe haven than going to a crowded city not knowing anyone.

 

 

...Oh I just seen that you already left. Good Luck!

[+ azdr0710]

Aaron...I wasn't equating being a moron with being an escort back in that other post....maybe you already realize that!...they were separate thoughts I was making

 

and 28 definitely is not too old for anything....I know you may think differently because that's the oldest you've ever been!!!

 

tell your landlord you'll pay him back some day, as decatur said....it'll make you feel better and it's a good way to depart...

 

old cliche, but take it one day at a time....stay safe....watch out for yourself....don't get used.....(and don't lose your wallet!!)

 

yes, keep us updated......

[nate_sf]

That's a lot to deal with, Aaron -- and you're smart to reach out for help. Since you've got a ticket to LA, I would suggest you get in contact with a place called the Van Ness House, which is a recovery center for gay men dealing with drinking and substance abuse problems. I got sober 10 years ago in LA, and although I didn't go to the Van Ness house, I know TONS of people who went through there and it's an amazing place. You will get an instant sense of community and you won't be lost in the shuffle. It's a very cool place. It may be totally free, too, and would give you a place to really get yourself together. Here's their website: http://www.vannessrecovery.org/contact.html. Their phone number is (323) 463-4266. Call them. Even if they don't have any rooms right now, they might be able to help you in some other way. Good luck!

 

This is good advice. Before I finished reading your chronology it was already adding up to substance abuse before you said it. It's a classic pattern. You owe it to yourself to get into recovery and get your life back on track. I think you should check out this Van Ness House and/or go to an AA meeting the minute you get into town. Go to a meeting before you even try to find a place to stay, it needs to be your top priority.

[happyguy2]

I know you asked escorts, but some of us who hire escorts replied. I think many of us would consider 28 to be an ideal age for escorting. Your posts reveal that you are dealing with many issues right now. I wish you nothing but the very best of success in working everything out. You sound like someone that many people would be glad to call a friend. Keep us informed of your progress. All the best!

[MiamiLooker]

- Which brings us to the present. And I'm completely burned out on Portland -- I've been here for 3 years and the weather is horrible and I hate the people. I need new stimuli. "The problems" if you couldn't tell are basically: drinking, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Mostly drinking. But combined w/ the other two it makes for some pretty brutal consequences. Anyway: no longer drinking but I still have to be out of my apartment by 5pm on Friday. I can leave voluntarily and have the last two months rent I owe forgiven, or I can challenge it and be evicted and have the $1350.00 sent through collections, etc. And I don't want that.

 

- So. That's my story.

 

And it's totally TMI, but I don't care. :/

 

Do you think escorting is the right direction for someone with problems of "drinking, depression, and suicidal thoughts"? You say you're "no longer drinking". Unless I'm misunderstanding your timelines, you can't have not been drinking for more than just a few weeks. You need to get serious about wanting and getting help. Whether you're going to find that in LA or not is up to you, but moving isn't going to make your problems go away. Good luck.

[Aaron]

i never said moving was going to make my problems go away.

[William]

Please Consider AA

 

My two cents, for what it is worth:

 

If you have a drinking problem, and even though you are no longer drinking, my advice is to seek out Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) wherever you end up, whether it is LA or elsewhere. Alcoholism or dependency on drink is a big problem for many people, and dealing with it is best done with the assistance of others. Get a sponsor to help you cope. AA might also provide links to other institutions that can help you survive in LA or wherever.

[raulgmanzo]

...i'm looking at studio apartments on craigslist in the koreatown area. most of them are between 600-700 per month? i thought it would be more expensive? or are those fake ads? and... is koreatown an ok place to live?

 

Koreatown could be a great place to live though there is quite a bit of variability in the area.

 

With the purple and red line subway and express and 24 hour bus service Koreatown is easy to live without a car and easy to get to most of the city relatively quickly.

 

A variety of restaurants and shops, not just Korean. Lots of cafes, and a lot of 24 hour businesses make it a pretty convenient place.

 

Lots of Koreatown is very walkable and inhabited by quite a diverse mix of ages, ethnicities and income levels making much of it quite pleasant and interesting.

[orbital sander]

 

For some reason it's always been easier for me to ask favors of complete strangers rather than friends.

 

This sounds a bit dangerous to me