Celebrity Hairstylist Jen Atkin Says She Is Moving to Seattle After Losing Her Home in L.A. Wildfires
The OUAI founder explained that she is "finding gratitude in this unplanned pivot"
Hairstylist Jen Atkin shared that she and her family will be moving to Seattle after losing their home in the Los Angeles wildfires.
Atkin, her husband Mike Rosenthal and their son River have been staying in Seattle since evacuating L.A.
The OUAI founder said she is "finding gratitude in this unplanned pivot."
Jen Atkin is making a big life change after losing her home in the Los Angeles wildfires.
In a series of Instagram Stories posts on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the celebrity hairstylist, 44, announced that she and her family are moving to Seattle, where they have been staying since evacuating L.A.
"So we've decided Seattle is home," she shared in a text post. "We're going to slowly find dr's, schools, and build community here. We've been coming for 3 yrs and have so many special spots we love and are finding gratitude in this unplanned pivot."
The OUAI founder went on to explain that she plans to commute to L.A. for her business and "continue to use my platform to help rebuild and heal the great city of Los Angeles."
In a separate post, Atkin said she's been battling "survivor's guilt" after "leaving our city we love and not being on the ground to help."
The hairstylist also said she was "bombarded with insurance questions" and faced pressure to find architects and rebuild her home quickly, which ultimately led to the decision to relocate to Seattle.
"It's all so manic and you can't think straight," she recalled.
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Atkin began sharing emotional updates on her evacuation with her family (including her husband, Mike Rosenthal, and their dog) on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
"This is weird to post but our house is gone," she wrote on Instagram Stories along with a photo of herself crying. "We just got confirmation. Our whole area demolished. So many are displaced and feeling scared right now it's almost too much to comprehend."
Atkin and Rosenthal also shared before and after photos of their now-demolished home.
"The last 48 hours have been such an intense rollercoaster, alternating between robotic and crushing emotions," Rosenthal wrote on his own Instagram Stories. "Our house is gone. Everything in our house is gone beyond what we packed in the car. I know they are just things, and in many cases replaceable, but those things turned the house into a home."
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On Wednesday, Jan. 15, Atkin shared an update on Instagram including snapshots of her family's experience one week after evacuating. The cover photo showed Atkin, Rosenthal, and their son River embracing and later in the post, the stylist is pictured crying.
In the caption, the hairstylist reflected: "After now losing our home we worked so hard for, and decades of belongings, I can now warn others to prepare for disaster. Have a plan. Get to really know and care for your neighbors, as ours are all holding one another up rn."
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