Born in 1987 (barely), I’m a Millennial. I grew up on a steady diet of TV shows and movies that centered around a girl, living in a big city, chasing a creative dream (usually fashion or writing) with just enough dating or drama to keep it interesting. Sex and the City. The Hills. Project Runway.
I didn’t know it at the time, but those storylines quietly shaped how I imagined adulthood. I thought that if I got into the right city, worked in the right industry, and looked the part, life would fall into place like a well-edited montage.
And for a while, I chased it. I went to makeup school in Chicago, moved to New York, worked in fashion and beauty. But what I eventually realized was this: I could afford to exist in those cities — I just couldn’t afford to actually live.
The plays, the museums, the taxis, the dinners, the energy — all the things that made those cities look magical in the shows? They were out of reach on a creative’s paycheck. I was scraping by to say I was there.
But I kept chasing the next “cool” gig. Something for the bragging rights. Something that sounded impressive, even if it paid less (and later) than what I make now working in my small town. It was all smoke and mirrors.
What surprised me:
Even now, in my late 30s, after living that life, I still find myself watching shows like Emily in Paris or Glamorous and feeling that same pull. The styling and ambition, those city shots with bright lights, and the creative highs. They still seduce me.
That’s what finally hit me: even when we’ve lived through the reality, the fantasy still works. That’s how deeply it’s wired into us. It’s less about pursuing the job or the city and more about chasing the feeling those stories promised.
Looking back, I think a lot of us weren’t chasing a career — we were chasing the chase. We pursued the hustle, identity and fantasy.
Now, things are different. I’m not chasing anymore. I’ve built something grounded.
I run a beauty business where regular people come to me. My pricing is listed online — it’s not up for negotiation. I specialize in what I do, and I do it well. That clarity has given me more freedom than any fashion week gig ever did.
This past weekend, I asked a client what inspired her to become a lawyer. Without missing a beat, she said: Legally Blonde.
And it clicked. I felt seen. Because that’s what it is! No matter what the job is, we absorb the stories we watch. We don’t just want the title; we want the feeling we saw onscreen.
Maybe the fantasy isn’t always real. But the paths it inspires can still lead us somewhere honest.
Photo: Imagine Images Photo