#23 The Big Update, Back in LA

We're BACK babyyyy! In this catchup episode, Shayla opens up about her return to Los Angeles after living in London, sharing the challenges of adjusting to city life, financial struggles, the California Fires, being on set, and the importance of therapy. 

Shayla - @shaylatharp_
Having a Laugh - Instagram

https://shayla-tharp.carrd.co/

Chapters

• 0:00 Returning to Los Angeles: A New Chapter
• 5:12 Finances and Therapy
• 15:11 California Fires: A Personal Account
• 19:58 Work, Friends, and Life Updates
• 24:50 Dont mix your meds, kids

Transcript

Shayla Tharp (00:00.588)
Hey guys! Did you miss us? Because we missed you. LOL. I've been following a lot of memes lately. feeling very young. so today's little catch-up episode is basically just, what you been up to? Where did you go? What's happening? Kind of catch-up situation. so I recently moved back to Los Angeles and that's been a very-

whirlwind type situation, you know, it's always tough to move across the country or to another country. And I just been living in London and, you know, so it's just been a full year of moving and doing things. But we're back in Los Angeles, LA, baby, and feeling the sunshine.

And I've been really just focused on trying to get finances and work going and just reconnecting with people and just so much. I haven't had a chance to really set up any vocal work or do anything that I've been previously doing because it's just been kind of about survival.

So that's, guess, where we're at at the moment is just kind of trying to survive and do the bare minimum in the basics, which is why this podcast has kind of fallen to the wayside for the moment. But I finally, you know, got my own little sound booth in my room going. I've got all my stuff set up. I have some more time. A basic schedule kind of started and going. So I've got a little more time and effort to dedicate back into this.

At the moment, I didn't want to record myself on video because I just... It ain't the look right now. It ain't the look. Y'all don't want to even look at this right now. But yeah, so basically I moved back and it's been just hunting for work, applying for jobs. I have been wonderfully working again with someone I used to work for, Kristen Johnston, a wonderful actress.

Shayla Tharp (02:23.073)
human being in general. She has awesomely gotten a show that she's working on. I've been, so I've gotten a chance to kind of go with her to work and go to Warner Brothers and help out on set there, help her out. I've been focusing on helping, keeping her household stuff in check, taking care of the dogs, you know, just like basic personal assistant work.

which I absolutely love and I love to do it. I love to help people and I especially love to help her because we've been friends for so long and we just have a good connection. So yeah, she means a lot to me and I'm very grateful that I get to work with her, alongside her, just be there in general because she's the most gracious, wonderful, kind, selfless human being out there.

So yeah, I can't be more grateful for this wonderful experience and getting to do all that. With that being said, I make enough for rent and groceries, but that's about it. I've been quite struggling with finances because I'm used to living in a different way in England where I didn't pay health insurance. didn't...

pay car insurance. didn't pay, you know, like half of these things that I now have to pay for. And I'm like, my goodness, like I was not, I just completely forgot a lot of American type purchases that you've got to make. And that add so much. And you know, I'm paying, you know, like double the rent of what I used to pay in like London or the Midwest because it's LA, like.

It's just exorbitant. It's insane. So I'm just literally kind of just surviving the last five, six months I've been here. again, I can't really complain. I'm doing the best I can. I'm doing everything I can. I'm trying hard and I'm kind of letting the universe work.

Shayla Tharp (04:44.257)
it's ways and I'm just trying to listen and be there for opportunities and just keep doing the best I can but it's so stressful. Why is it so stressful? It's literally like one month I'll be doing okay like December I was like you know what we're okay we're all right we might live and then like January I was like we could be homeless so it's kind of it's kind of

that situation where it could be either or. Oh, another update. I'm still in therapy. We're always in therapy. I mean, like, I've been in therapy on and off since I was like 16. And I find it to be the most wonderful part of my week. I really love therapy. mean, like, you're giving me an hour to talk about myself. Yes, my favorite topic. I know my every move.

I just think that therapy should be like mandated for everybody. Am I alone in that? I feel like everyone should have a mandated therapy and if you don't go, you should be fine. You know, I feel like I have to go to therapy for people that don't go to therapy. I have to talk about it in my therapy. I'm not even sure why I got on this, but just a little update of what I've been up to. Lots of therapy.

I've also been really obsessed with the traders. I feel like everyone's obsessed with the traders right now. Everyone's in their Gabby Wendy phase, which is totally fair. What a legend, what an icon. I love the UK traders the most because it's so fun. And I love watching the regular people go at it because it's just like another level.

The US version is fine, it's just I don't like watching like celebs in air quotes. I'm celebing in air quotes right now. Celebs play, cause it's just not as fun. Stakes aren't as high, they're just like, eh, whatever. Like I'm muddy. it's muddy in Scotland. Yeah, and of course it's muddy and windy. Bring a coat babes. That being said, this last USA season really annoyed me.

Shayla Tharp (07:05.473)
And it was mostly because of Danielle, I'm not gonna lie. The fashion choices from Danielle and the commentary from Danielle and her absolute hysterics. If you haven't watched it, please go watch it because it was, I, just thinking, I'm just thinking about when she had like the absolute shaking attack when she got out. I can't remember who she got out. Maybe it was Carolyn.

no, I'm giving spoilers. I'm so sorry, but spoiler alert. Okay, I know this update is all over the place, but I'm looking through my camera roll because I was like, what have I done the last five months? Like I need to give them an actual update. So I'm actually looking through my camera roll to see what I've been doing because I can't even remember at this rate. Basically a lot of dog care.

I am taking care of lots of lots of dogs. And I love that. I love not having to work with humans because dogs are just little precious little human beings that we should protect. I helped foster some dogs, like the sweet little pug baby. What were they? Pug-a-poos? And then we had some other type of poos that were...

like six weeks old and we had to give milk. Like, it's been an adventure. I learned a lot about puppy raising and all those things and that was just so absolutely precious. Like, my gosh, puppies. I forgot about that phase. But then, after we stopped fostering, we found Archie, the newest pup in the clan. I came up with the name Archie, I will say that.

Kristen luckily loved the name Archie, so that's what stuck. And he is just the most wonderful little bundle of joy that I've ever come across. I worry because I'm like, if Kristen ever moves out of LA again, I'm just going to have to move with her. I'm going to have to move wherever she moves because I need to be with Archie the rest of my life. No joke. I'm like, what am I going to do?

Shayla Tharp (09:27.395)
But overall, this little dog, I tell you, has been a lifesaver for me. I just love him. I love caring for him. I love seeing him grow. I love teaching him things. Like, he's from an abusive, I don't know, farm in Indiana. And I don't know how he ended up in California, but he's here. And when we found him at the vet or the pound, he was just so scared and like...

so timid and but so loving and I was like, my goodness, something is so special about this one. And, you know, lo and behold, we've had him now for, I don't know, over a month, maybe two months now. And I'm just so in love with him. It's disgusting. Why are dogs just the most absolute precious little beans? Now after the dog saga.

we have reached the California fire saga. And this was very overwhelming because I'm sure most of you heard about the California fires that were going on and happening. And I was visiting my mom in Iowa for the holidays. And the day I flew back to California was the day that the fires broke out.

And so like I didn't hear about any of that. Like I wasn't aware of it. So I get on the plane not knowing. I think I knew there was a storm. believe I remember there was like a storm or something that could, you know, delay my landing or something. And I was kind of worried about that. But I didn't know that there was an apocalypse literally happening. So we start flying. And as we near towards Los Angeles, I see

outside my window, I wish I could show you guys pictures. You know what, maybe I will make this a video. No way, I can't because I'm not recording video. I wish I could show you guys the photos. But basically, the fire from outside my window, I could see it below us. And it looks like this just apocalyptic, like everything's on fire. And I just mean like, it just looks like the whole of Los Angeles is on fire below my plane.

Shayla Tharp (11:51.723)
And I was like, my God. And of course the whole plane starts freaking out because it didn't look like just one little fire. It looked like the whole thing was on fire. And to make matters worse, the turbulence. that's what it was. It was a windstorm. I knew there was going to be heavy wind. I did not know about fire, but we knew wind was coming and that was going to cause a delay perhaps, but we were fine. So they let us go. We arrive in LA.

And when I say arrive, we're just floating around because now we can't land in Burbank. All of a sudden, we just see the apocalypse below us. Flames and redness are down below. There's nowhere we can land. They're like, we can't land you in Burbank anymore because everything's on fire. We can't land there anymore. So we're going to have to go to LAX where we can at least land and get you guys out. So we had to pass over this fire patch.

our cabin starts filling with smoke from the fires below us. So it wasn't like a good kind of smoke. It was a bad kind of smoke. And I was like, my God, it smells like we're on fire. It smells like we're on fire. And then the plane is constant turbulence. And when I say turbulence, I mean, like I've flown over many a pond to go to Europe. know, I've flown over, you know, water to get to Hawaii.

I've flown over lots of turbulence, but nothing was like this. We were dropping fast, like we would just drop immediately. like, I remember when we eventually did land, I remember grabbing my stuff down from the bottom and my plastic water bottle was like gonna explode because there was so much air stuck in it.

because of all the up and down, up and down, up and down, and like I had never felt anything quite like that before. It was really scary, I'm not gonna lie. I was really, really scared and I was like, should I start texting people like, love you, I guess I'm going down in this plane. That was not how I thought I was going, but fine. I was really starting to think like, I probably should send some texts. And so I started, but.

Shayla Tharp (14:14.383)
the turbulence had distracted me so much that I just couldn't, I was just focused on like deep breathing and like the girl next to me goes, damn my edible wore off. And I was like, I was like, God, this is the worst. I was like, why is this happening to us when we're unfortunately so sober? And like, I don't really drink. don't, you know, do hard drugs. So like,

Being a little high would have at least been something nice. But no, we were just going through this terror perfectly sober and it was, it was a nightmare. But anyway, so we landed and the landing was obviously a bit rough, a bit scurry. But when he did, everyone crying, screaming, clapping, you know, the 2025 thing to do now is to clap when your plane lands and

I'd never done that before, but I did. I literally was like, yes, fuck. shit, I didn't mean to curse, sorry. But I was like, hell yes, we've landed safely. I was shaking. And I've gone through trauma before in my life. It's not like I haven't, but I never experienced anything like that. And I just, we got off and I was just trembling and shaking. And now I'm in LAX and I was like, I'm...

I was supposed to land 15 minutes from my house and now I'm like an hour away from my house and how am gonna get home because I don't have my car, I don't have anything, like where are the Ubers? And then of course we get in the Uber and I finally find my way to the Uber and we're driving all the way back up to Burbank where I live and everything's on fire. And I'm just like what is happening? What is happening? Like, I...

I just had no clue what was going on. I was just, it felt apoc, apoc, what? It felt apocalyptic. And I was just terrified. And so I get to my house and the power is out and it's like midnight or something. My power is out. The whole street is out of power. So my Uber drops me off and it's just pitch black out there. And he's like, you good? And I was like, I don't know anymore. Like, I'm just gonna go in.

Shayla Tharp (16:34.447)
So I'm using my little phone flashlight to navigate and carry my luggage up back to my room. I get in my house and I was just like, wow, this has been eventful. And like I haven't unpacked or anything because yeah, I'm just living out a suitcase now. So I was like, well, I'm not gonna unpack because if I need to evacuate, let me just take all this stuff I've already packed. You know, I'm already packed. So I left my suitcase and I went to bed.

Woke up the next morning and everything was still out of power. You know, we were no good and everything is smoky, covered in tons of smoke. And I was like, that probably ain't healthy. I don't know what to do because I need phone service. I need something. We didn't even have service, like cell service. So I couldn't even get on my phone. I couldn't do anything. And lo and behold, my little angel, Kristen Johnston steps in again.

and was like, you just come stay over here and hang out until everything goes away. So I went over there and that's the day when fire started breaking out even more around us. So there was a fire in Studio City, there was a fire Hollywood Hills, and we're real close to all those. And I was like, oh my God. There was at one point, I think at like 9 p.m., I'm in bed and Kristen's in her bed.

And one breaks out like two miles from us. And now I'm starting to shake again and freak out. Cause I was like, girl, it's smoky out there. Lights are flickering. I don't have power. Like I don't know what's happening. This is so scary. And now I'm going on like two days of just pure adrenaline. And one breaks out two miles from us. I had text her cause it's like 9pm. And I was like, should we leave maybe? And she's like, nah, I'm going to bed.

And I was like, okay. But she tends to not be scared of many things. She's kind of just a brave little warrior and I'm a little worrywart. I'm brave. So I was like, all right, fine. I'll stick it out. But like, I'm a, I'm a stay awake the whole night just to make sure we're okay. She fell right asleep. And I was like, how are you doing that?

Shayla Tharp (19:00.623)
How are you doing that? I was up the whole night checking the Watch Duty app, which shout out to the Watch Duty app people, because you all were saving my bacon. Yeah, that was just so stressful. So I stayed at Kristen's for like two and a half days because we couldn't get power or anything at my house. Well, luckily everything started to die down.

and calmed down. I got power back at my house. know, me and Kristen had like an escape plan if need be, like an evacuation plan. We were gonna go down to Palm Springs. Like we had a plan. We had a plan of a plan. And you know, another moment I was just so grateful to have someone like that in my life because I was like, I don't know where I would have gone, what I would have done. I just...

so grateful for her in so many ways, but that was a huge moment in the last few months for me. After the fires, things started to get back to normal a bit. I could tell that really took a toll on me emotionally and anxiety-wise. I struggled to kind of get back into being calm for a minute.

for a good long while actually. For a good week, I was really shaken and just like, is something gonna happen next? Do I need to just keep living out of this suitcase for the rest of my life? And I didn't unpack my suitcase for two weeks, because I was just ready to run at any moment. And that's no good for your brain, but that's how it was. But after those two weeks, I calmed down. I was able to talk to my therapist.

and everything kind of went back to normal. We went back to taping the show at Warner Brothers and I think that really helped because everyone, it's a community. Everyone's there, you can talk to everyone and go through it together. Sorry, I had to cut and go close the door, it was very loud. But yeah, it was nice to be just back and talking to other people and seeing other people and just being a part of a community.

Shayla Tharp (21:27.297)
I love being on set. love being there and the magic of it. You know, it's just, it's such a great, wonderful place. After that, just more of the same, I did some background work. I worked on the show Hacks, which I love. I love Hacks. So I was like, yeah, of course I'll work that because I want to see what's going on. love that show. And I had a good experience. That was a great time.

My friends have had babies and all those good things and always send me photos of those and I'm kind of obsessed with that right now. My friend had a baby girl named Betty and she's just the most perfect little angel I've ever seen. So I send onesies and you know, because I want to be a part of it. It's really hard to be a friend when you live across the country. So I try to do what I can while everybody...

is having children. Because I don't think that's ever gonna be something I do. Like I don't want kids, I've never wanted kids. Never had an inkling for that. just don't, it's not that I don't care. I just don't ever want to do that. I don't want to do that. And I don't think I should have to. Because who's that gonna be good for? If I ever had kids? Like that's no good for them. it's just making people

have children that don't want to have children is just a recipe for disaster in my opinion so you know that's just where I stand on that. I'm very happy for my friends to have kids and I'm very happy to spoil their kids and if my brother ever has a child I will be the most bomb spoiling aunt to ever aunt. I will be all up in there but I don't want my own. I don't want my own and that should be that.

I've been doing some freelance work for some other people, just trying to help assist them. And all in all, that is kind of where we're at right now. I'm still just scrolling through my photos trying to figure. I have to always look through my photos to see what I've been up to. I had an anaphylactic experience on Friday. It's Sunday right now, but I had an anaphylactic experience. This will be the last thing I talk about, an update.

Shayla Tharp (23:52.218)
Apparently, so get this, when they say don't mix your medications, they mean it. You know, I've experimented with drugs, can I say that? I've experimented with other substances and nothing's ever clashed for me. So I was like, that's a lie. That's just a warning they give people for funsies. But get this, right?

That isn't just a warning they do for funsies. They actually mean it. So I took, because I'm really trying to better myself and be healthy, right? So I wanted these, what is it, supplements that's from like Nature's Health or something. It was like adrenal supplements, Adrenatone for like just calming your adrenals down. Like Ashwagandha, like all very natural herbal supplements and stuff like that.

I thought I was doing something good, right? I'm like, we need to de-stress within me. I want my cortisol down. I would just like to, you help my body. So I get this supplement and I take it and within the first 15 minutes I threw up. And I was like, that's weird. Maybe I just swallowed the pill wrong, right?

I was like, maybe it's just a random Shayla incident because I am always, I'm always, I feel like I always have some sort of reaction, IBS related, skin related, something. I'm always like, eh, whatever, it's just me being me. But I let it go and then a few days later I took the medicine again and all of a sudden within 15 minutes,

I was like, something's wrong. I'm not feeling good. Like, I felt like I instantly had to throw up again or the other way around. I was like, something's wrong. my God. And my face started to get very hot, like on fire. And I was like, what's happening? I feel very hot. And it was like, I was like, maybe I'm anxious because I'm going to set later. Like, you know, and.

Shayla Tharp (26:13.758)
to be on set is kind of anxiety inducing if you're lower on the totem pole is what I will say. It's just very anxiety inducing. so I was like, it's just me being anxious about nothing. Like Shayla, it's fine. You've been there a million times. You know everybody, it's fine. And so like I calmed myself down and I was like, no, my face is still on fire. Like I'm not feeling good. And I go into FedEx to make a return.

because I'm still going about my day. And I was like, man, this isn't good. And I looked down at my arms and my arms were becoming red and blotchy and patchy and raised bumps, almost hive-like. And I was like, my God. Because it was all over, it was everywhere. And then I looked at my hands and it was all over my hands.

And I was like, my God, something's happening. Something's happening. So I did my FedEx return because I'm a trooper. But then I ran back to my car and was like, what's happening? And I called my doctor friend and they were like, so you've had all the symptoms of anaphylactic shock except for my throat wasn't closing, which I thought was, you know, like that's why I didn't even think about it because that's what I've always heard if you go into like an anaphylactic.

thing is you quit breathing and your throat closes. And that was the only symptom I didn't have. So I didn't even put two and two together. But my friend was like, No, you're you're absolutely having an anaphylactic situation. And I was like, my God. Luckily, I carry a Benadryl with me everywhere because I'm always having some type of reaction or whatever. So I took a Benadryl. Within 30 minutes, I was back to

Looking normal, but I did not feel normal I felt like I had taken like a dose of mushrooms because I felt so like My head was so fuzzy. My body was fuzzy. Everything felt so weird. Like I can't even describe it I just it felt kind of like I took a drug and I was just like my insides felt warm Everything was tingly. Like it was just like whoa. It's horrible. so

Shayla Tharp (28:37.638)
Long story short, don't mix adrenal supplements with antidepressants. I really, really never thought medication like that, especially that would get mixed up or have a bad reaction as it did, but it certainly did. So prepare yourselves and be aware that that stuff does happen because...

I really just thought that they were just warning everybody for shits and giggles. I thought that was just covering their asses, but no, it really can mix. Other than that, that has been it for the last five, six months. I'm hoping to continue putting out new content, new interviews. I would love to be able to get one of those places where you can...

rent a little studio and do like your podcast recording there and they do everything for you because I'm just overdoing all the work. It's, you know, I was able to do this a bit more when I lived at home with my mom and I didn't have to pay rent and bills and have to work a full-time job and all those things. And now that I am back to working and all that, it's really hard to do content creation on top of it because

It takes time to edit and takes time to make the art. It takes time to make the videos and it's just a lot. to be honest, like I just struggle with my mental health. And when I come home, you know, from working, I like to just sit on my butt and play a power wash simulator. I guess I will say that as my last thing. If you've never played the power wash simulator on steam,

That has changed my life. I've probably logged like 80 hours of power washing in the last like week. I kid you not. Like I just love it. It's so calming. It's so, I just get home from work and I just am like, I just want to power wash so bad. I just want to power wash. It's so calming. And I think it helps my ADHD. think, you know, I think there's something to it. I don't know what it is, but I highly recommend it.

Shayla Tharp (30:59.078)
But yeah, all that to say is it's hard to do this on top of other jobs and other work and I'm doing the best I can and I will continue to do the best I can and I'm hoping for even better for the future. So this was just a little update. I hope to talk to you guys soon. And again, if you have any recommendations or advice, leave it down below. Let me know. I will chat with you guys soon.

Alright, bye.