This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 1213, West Coast, Best Coast, Lindsay's Big Move.
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 123 million times.
We believe in connection, not perfection.
With your American host, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Boston and New York City today.
And to get weekly transcripts delivered to your email inbox, go to allearsenglish.com slash subscribe.
Today, Lindsay makes a big reveal.
Where will Lindsay be moving this fall?
And how can you make a statement when you do something you never imagined you would do?
Find out today.
Do you ever feel like your English is good but not quite where you want it to be?
Maybe you can have conversations, but you still hesitate when expressing complex ideas.
Maybe you know what you want to say. but you can't always say it naturally.
If that sounds familiar, our B2 English fluency course was designed for you.
You'll learn how to speak more naturally, express yourself with confidence and finally stop feeling stuck at the intermediate level.
This week, you can save $50 on our basic plan or save $100 on our personal coach plan.
Go to allearsenglish.com slash B2.
That's allearsenglish.com slash letter B number two.
Hey, Lindsay, how's it going?
Oh my gosh, Michelle, things are great.
There's some big changes happening in my life.
I know, I'm really excited to hear more about the big changes.
Can you tell us what is the big change?
Oh my gosh, so the big change is, guys, I am moving to the West Coast.
I am moving.
Wow.
Yes, I'm moving.
I'm leaving Boston.
I never thought I would.
Well, that's not true.
I definitely thought I would leave Boston, leave the East Coast, but it's a big deal moving across the US.
Yeah, that is a really big deal.
That's really cool because I feel like there's so much difference between the East and the West Coast and to get to experience both coasts.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm so excited to, you know, just this past weekend I was in New York.
Well, we're recording this in July, but guys, you're listening to this in August.
But I was in New York this weekend and New York is a special animal of its own, right?
There is no place in the world like New York.
And I think that will be the same for LA, right?
Because that is where we're going.
We're going to LA, guys.
I'm going to move to LA and try to make it work, right?
We're going to see if this city could be where I will spend my 40s.
You know what I mean?
Isn't that crazy to decide where you're going to be as you get a little bit older?
Oh my gosh.
That is crazy.
Well, I think it's interesting that you're going to LA.
I'm curious how you're going to find it.
Because I mean, I know it's more of like a driving place, right?
Like it's less walking of a walking city.
And so I'm...
I'm like.
That's like, I guess, the biggest thing that I wonder about like how it'll be for you, because you're so used to like walking around everywhere.
And that's how I am.
So like, that Yeah, how do you think that's gonna be?
Oh, and I love walking.
That's the problem.
See, that's the thing.
I that's the only thing I'm worried about.
I'm psyched about the sunshine.
I'm psyched about the creative culture of LA, but I'm dreading the traffic.
And they say though that, once you get to LA, you have to find a neighborhood that essentially, is walkable.
There are a few walkable neighborhoods.
They say, like West Hollywood is quite walkable, or Silver Lake or a couple of other neighborhoods, Santa Monica.
And those are the neighborhoods we're going to try to look to live in, if we can, because those are supposed to be walkable.
You have your coffee shop, you have your dentist, right?
You have all your things where you want them to be, but it's not going to be like Boston or New York is not going to.
So I don't know.
You know, to be honest, I never imagined that I would.
I would move to LA, especially when I lived in New York.
There are some serious LA haters in New York.
Oh, you know what I mean?
Yeah.
Oh no, the phone is ringing.
Oh no.
Okay.
All right, Michelle.
So, before we talk a little bit more about LA, New York and this crazy thing that I'm doing, I want to remind our listeners of something.
Is that okay?
Just take a second out here.
Let's do it.
Let's do it, guys.
I want to remind you that you must go ahead and hit subscribe on your podcast player and, If you want to keep watching, listening to All Ears English, because we put out bonus episodes.
We put out lots of episodes and you don't want to miss any of them.
So go ahead and hit subscribe right now on your podcast player.
I know this week we have a fun bonus coming out about our app.
So you don't want to miss those episodes, guys.
All right.
Very cool.
Awesome.
Yeah.
Michelle, have you ever made a change in your life that you never imagined you would make?
Hmm.
That's a really good question.
Well, you know what?
I guess it would have to be when I went into teaching.
Wow.
Because I you know before that I was working in radio and, like the media industry, and I didn't really see myself as becoming a teacher.
Although when I was a little girl, I wanted to be a teacher.
So, but I thought like, no way, I'm not going to be a teacher.
And then.
You know, it just kind of happened.
And here I am.
And, you know, it's a really, it's a really great thing to do.
Yeah.
Was there any one event that inspired you to go in that direction?
Or was it just like an original dream that kind of bubbled up once you hit a certain age?
It was the desire to help people that I started to like.
It started to like call to me, like okay, I want to do something like to really really help people.
And then I realized that I, you know, I thought, what can I do?
And...
I love communication and I love working with people and I love learning about other cultures and so and traveling.
Right.
And so it's kind of a mixture of all that where I was like, wait, this makes sense.
But I never thought that I was going to be a teacher.
Oh, that's so interesting.
I love that.
So that's how it goes, right?
I mean, life takes these twists and turns.
And in the same way, I never thought that I would relocate to California, right?
To L.A.
So guys, today not only do I want to reveal this news, I mean really, what's going on?
We're going to try California.
And if it doesn't suit our fancy, we're actually going to move to Colorado.
Okay.
All right.
So you have a backup plan.
But I think you'll like it.
Yeah, I think so.
I mean, I am concerned about the traffic because they do say that it's completely insane.
Yeah.
You'll get used to it though.
And like I think, as you were saying, you know you'll have like your area that you spend most of your time in and it's not going to like you don't?
You're not going to like go to all the neighborhoods in one day.
No way.
I mean, LA is quite spread out too, right?
And that's why the traffic is so crazy.
People drive because things are really spread out.
So I think I will just hunker down in my little neighborhood, wherever that is, hopefully near the beach, and just record podcasts all the time.
That sounds good.
That sounds like the life.
That sounds good.
Sounds good.
So, guys, today we want to share with you kind of an advanced connection skill.
Right, Michelle?
I mean, this is pretty advanced because I doubt you guys would find this in a textbook.
We want to show you how to say that you are doing something that you never thought you would do.
Right, Michelle?
Yeah.
Right, right, right.
Yeah, this is huge.
This is really huge.
Yeah, this is such a cool way to help people know you, know who you are, know what kind of person you are and how you are actually surprising yourself throughout your life.
I feel like it's good if we're surprising ourselves throughout life, because that means our life is taking interesting turns, I guess.
Oh, for sure.
Yeah, yeah, go ahead.
No, no, no, I just think that it is really important to not get too settled in your ways, right?
Not to just think like, oh, okay, this is like my new status quo.
And like, that's it.
And like, nothing's gonna change, or I'm not gonna change, right?
I think that that's kind of unhealthy, actually, and sad.
Yeah, no, that's true, Michelle.
I mean to be honest.
If I hadn't made this decision to move, I could have seen myself settling down in Cambridge and even living in this neighborhood for a long time, because it's great.
Like Cambridge is one of the best places in Massachusetts to live.
It's a good lifestyle.
There's lots of fun, young stuff going on.
But yeah, it's time for a change.
It's time for a change.
So Michelle, what are some of the ways that we could say that we're making that surprising change in our lives?
What's one way we can do it?
Today, I'd like to say a special thanks to our audio editor, Gaspar.
He does an amazing job to edit the episodes every week for you guys, so that you can count on the show four days a week.
Go ahead and tag hashtag all ears English on Instagram and say thank you to Gaspar.
Don't you hate it when you're trying to buy something online and when you finally make all of your selections and get ready to check out, your credit card is nowhere to be found.
When this happens, I love seeing the purple pay button at the top of the checkout, because I know I won't have to dig for my card.
This simple purple button is one of the best features in all of the online shopping world and can make a huge difference in sales for your online business.
Shopify is the e-commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10 of all e-commerce in the US.
From household names like Skims and Thrive Cosmetics to brands just getting started.
Get the word out like you have a marketing team behind you.
Easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling.
Best yet.
Shopify is your e-commerce expert, with world-class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping, to processing returns and beyond.
See fewer carts go abandoned and more sales go... with Shopify and their Shop Pay button.
Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at Shopify.com slash A-E-E.
Go to Shopify.com slash A-E-E.
That's S-H-O-P-I-F-Y.com slash A-E-E.
OK, well, you could say I never imagined I would move to California.
Exactly.
And guys, you can fill in the blank with your your phrase there.
I know I never imagined I would study Russian or something, for example.
I don't know.
Right, right, right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
That's a good one, Lindsay.
What's something else you could say?
Well, I love this one because it's got a chance for us to show our intonation and to sound interesting.
So I never in a million years thought I'd move to California.
That sounds very fun the way you said that.
I like it.
Do you like that?
I like that too.
And I feel like honestly, this weekend in New York I said goodbye to my friend Daniella, who was one of my original close friends in New York when I lived there.
And, you know, I hung out with her for just a few minutes to say goodbye.
And I said that I think I actually said this in a native conversation.
I never in a million years thought I would relocate to California, but it's happening.
Yeah oh, that's awesome.
Um, should i do another one?
Yeah, let's throw out a few more for our listeners.
I hope you guys are taking notes, all right?
I never would have pictured myself in california.
Yeah, i never would have pictures.
So to picture oneself is pretty self-explanatory right, michelle?
Yeah yeah yeah yeah, definitely.
Yeah.
Here's another.
I never thought I'd do this, but I'm moving to California.
And the key here with this phrase, guys, is a little bit of a of a break of a pause.
Right.
I never thought I'd do this, but I'm moving to California.
Right.
And especially how you say that, but that's kind of important.
Exactly.
And then there's one more that I like.
What is that, Michelle?
I can't believe I'm doing this, but yeah.
Yeah. but yeah and then you fill in the blank for what's happening for you i love it i love it exactly these are cool lindsay i like them yeah let's let's go ahead and give our listeners a little role play let's skip ahead because i think we've already talked a little bit about the differences between new york and la i mean just one thing that i always find i feel like i've When I was living in New York, I did have a lot of conversations about how horrible LA is with New Yorkers, though.
You know what I mean?
And that's the key piece is that I feel like those conversations were always with people who had always lived in New York.
You know what I mean?
Not with people in LA.
Right, right, right.
Exactly.
That's really funny.
And now look at you.
Well, now I'll be able to tell the truth.
Like I'll be able to really know, is it really, you know, what is the truth?
Because I feel like sometimes half we don't experience something we can't actually know.
But let's dive into a role play here, Michelle.
So what's going on in this role play?
All right.
So in this role play, I have decided to relocate and I am breaking the news to you.
Yes.
Okay, let's do it.
Go for it.
All right.
All right.
So, Lindsay, I have some big news.
Want to hear it?
Yeah, what's up, Michelle?
Well, Dan and I have decided to try something new.
Yeah?
I can't believe we're doing this, but yeah, we're moving to Miami, Florida.
Can you believe it?
Wow.
No, I seriously can't believe that.
Wow.
I know.
I never in a million years thought I'd live in Florida, but it's happening.
That is, I also never would have pictured it, but it does sound amazing, Michelle.
I'm coming to visit.
Awesome.
See you soon.
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
Could you imagine moving to Florida or no?
Sometimes I think about it because I'm so cold, as you know.
Yeah, that's true.
So sometimes I would like to at least maybe do the winters in a warm place.
Yeah, that would be cool.
I'm trying to get my parents to relocate down there for the winter, but I don't think they will.
They are born and bred New England.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
Oh yeah, um yeah well this, this is a good role play.
Lindsey, i think you know i really got everything across here.
So so what did we say?
Um yeah, so well, this is kind of fun for me to imagine actually, um yeah.
So i said i can't believe we're doing this, but yeah, we are moving to miami, florida.
That sounded so natural, michelle.
I I can't believe we're doing this, but yeah.
Right, guys?
I mean, this is fun because this is such a native episode, right?
It's so natural.
It's so native.
So just mimic our voices.
Get the transcripts from today inside the app or somewhere else, right?
Whether you get them by email or the app.
Make sure you have those transcripts so that you can mimic us.
And there's another one we used here.
I said no.
You said I know I never in a million years thought I'd live in Florida, but it's happening.
Nice, nice, nice, nice.
Yeah.
And then you actually you said at the end yeah, I never would have pictured it, but it sounds amazing.
So you're saying you never would have pictured it about me.
Yeah, for sure.
And that could happen too, right?
I mean, if I know you, like I could make comments, right?
I could say certain things.
So these phrases could be used by either side, right?
Right, right, right.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Yeah, Lindsay, this is good stuff.
I'm so excited for your move and I'm excited to hear all about it.
Yeah, guys, this is going to be great.
I mean, nothing's going to change with the podcast.
It's going to continue to be released on the same schedule.
Don't worry about that because we take our laptops with us, which is...
That is the coolest thing.
Right, Michelle?
But you know, guys, I'm going to be able to introduce you to a new city.
So we'll be able to have some commentary on life in LA.
And it is still to be determined whether I will stay there or whether I will go to my backup plan, which is Colorado.
So two really good options.
But yeah, life is changing and it's crazy.
You know, it was kind of sad though.
I got to say, I went and said goodbye to my niece last Saturday.
She had a...
Oh, she had a dance recital and she was amazing.
She was awesome.
She was so cute.
And then we went and we had a barbecue with the family.
And then I was pulling away and she ran back out.
She ran to my car.
She came up.
She's like, wait, wait, wait.
I just I just want to tell you that I'm really going to miss you.
Oh.
And I have to tell you, that really put like a stinging dagger in my heart.
That put it in my heart and she's not even my niece.
Yeah, it was really hard.
So now I'm thinking, how can I send her postcards all the time?
How can I...
Make sure we do FaceTime.
It is sad, you know what I mean?
Because we're going to be on different coasts now.
I can't just drive up there to see her.
But I don't know.
I mean, it's life, right?
So yeah, still struggling with that.
And you guys will visit and it'll be fun for her to come visit you.
That'll be awesome.
Yeah, that'll be cool.
If I stay there for a long time, she can visit her cool aunt in California.
That's right.
Exactly.
That'll be fun for her.
Yeah, it'll be fun.
So anyways, guys, so reinvention.
We're going to discover this topic a little bit more later in the fall on the podcast.
But my question for you guys is, in what ways are you reinventing yourself and your life?
How are you pushing yourself?
How are you changing your life?
And what's happening? you know, let us know on the blog.
Come back to allearsenglish.com forward slash episodes and type in 1213 in the search bar.
Tell us what's going on, what changes are happening in your life.
Okay, awesome.
Lindsay, this has been so much fun and good luck.
We can't wait to hear about it.
Yeah, it's gonna be good.
All right, Michelle, I'll talk to you soon.
Take care.
All right, bye.
Bye.
Thanks for listening to all ears English.
If you are taking IELTS this year, get your estimated band score with our two minute quiz.
Go to allearsenglish.com slash my score.
And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything.
See you next time.
