Jessica Lancaster’s L.A.
Our L.A. series
Y’all I have a new friend and her name is Jessica Lancaster. I first met Jessica in January of this year. We both were new to a mastermind group and she was not shy to introduce herself to me. For that I was glad, I can tend to be a wallflower in new places with new people. She was so warm and felt like a friend immediately. She is an actress, producer, writer and social media specialist. And we were partnered up for the first quarter of this year to support each other with our goals. A wonderful start to the year. And to add icing to the cake, we both live on the east side of Los Angeles county. The hard part about Los Angeles is because it is so big and spread out you tend to stay in your bubble. And here she was already in my bubble. But still this close to home there are places I haven’t explored.
I picked her up at 8 a.m. She grew up all over the county before settling in the L.A. area. She started off on the west side then she and her Irish husband moved to north Pasadena. A cool house. They are building a speakeasy in their living room. Like a legit with a stage and everything speakeasy. She is also rewilding the yard. Something I definitely want to learn more about. California has so many incredible native plants. Restoring the ecosystem in this way just seems like a no brainer.
We headed out and Jessica directed me toward JPL in Altadena. We weren’t going there exactly but I was happy to be near it in any case. I’ve only seen the Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory from a distance. We took a small back road joining a line of cars, JPL employees, headed to work. She casually talked about her bad ass sister in law who is an astrophysicist (no big deal) and works there. Jessica has luckily been on a tour. Public tours are available but not often. Reminded me to make that happen at some point. The Eaton fire came close to JPL in January of 2025 but the firefighters saved this place.
We parked outside the guarded JPL gates and walked up to the nondescript Gabrielino trailhead and began our hike. What a great spot. Shaded and flat. We talked about so many things. Art, the state of our world, religion, and dessert recipes that we can feel good about eating (sweet potato brownies). I probed her about social media strategy secrets. She knows her stuff.
After a beautiful hike, we headed back into Altadena and grabbed coffee at her favorite spot, Stump town. We rewarded ourselves with muffins.
On the way back to her house, we talked about the Eaton fire. A scary time for both of us. She had to evacuate and was out of her house for 3 days not knowing if her house was still standing. Luckily she did have a home to come back to. We both have friends that did not have that outcome.
It’s a good feeling having a new friend. I turned 50 this month and making new friends is not as easy for me as I get older.
I took the long way home after I dropped Jessica off, down Altadena drive. Evidence of the fire is still everywhere. Altadena Strong and We Will Rebuild signs. One after one of burnt out lots. It’s of course a risk living in the foothills. But a beautiful place to live none the less.
Jessica, how long have you lived in L.A.? I’ve lived in L.A. for 24 years.
Where have you lived in the city? I’ve lived in Venice, Santa Monica, and Pasadena.
What do you love about L.A.? I love the creative community, diversity and the fact you hike in the mountains and go to the beach on the same day.
What do you think is a misconception about L.A.? A misconception is that the people are shallow and that it’s a concrete jungle. I’ve never met so many layered inspiring humans , and I basically live in an oak tree forest.
How would you encapsulate your L.A. experience in just a couple sentences? L.A. is where I met the love of my life, found my passion, my forever chosen family and am part of a community that is diverse , brilliant and supportive. I get the big city perks but feel like I’m living in a small town.