Lacey Brown looks back on her time in ‘La-La Land’

For "American Idol" contestants past and present, "going to Hollywood" means moving to Los Angeles for at least a few weeks and familiarizing themselves with the sights, smells and congested streets of our fair city. Of course, what's culture shock to some is enthralling to others, and in an attempt to tap into some of that emotional newness, we've come up with a handy exit questionnaire for each eliminated contestant to fill out.

We're calling it "La-La Land," which really is a perfect name since these "American Idol" hopefuls are both pursuing their career fantasies and singing their hearts out to get there. We'll present the questions to every Season 9er, starting with… Lacey Brown, who was the first to leave the Top 12 on March 17.

(A note: These answers are typed exactly as the contestant wrote them. We had originally intended to post them in the finalists' own handwriting — that's been a bit problematic, but we still hope to in the future.)

– Shirley Halperin

Name: Lacey Brown

Season:   9  

Age:   24  

"Idol" roommate(s):    Paige, Siobhan  

First impression of L.A. in three words:   Loud, Colorful, Beautiful  

Name a celebrity you’ve seen since arriving in Hollywood:    Matthew McConaughey, Taye Diggs, “Glee” cast members   

Best way to kill time at the Grove/Farmers Market?   Why would you kill time there? Embrace the time and try to make your time there longer!

Best Burger in L.A.:   A $35 black angus burger I had from my hotel room service.  

Best after-hours bite:   Mac 'n' Cheese. It was gourmet with 4 cheeses!  

Best L.A. shopping experience:   Shopping with the designers for the show. (They are pros.)  

What did you buy and how much did you spend?    $400 on a pair of David Charles shoes and a Bebe belt. 

Hollywood landmark you wish you had visited?   The Hollywood Sign  

Favorite movie of all-time?   Roman Holiday 

Favorite actor / actress:   Johnny Depp & Audrey Hepburn 

If you were to move to L.A., where would you want to live and why?   I would love to live in Beverly Hills because it’s BEVERLY HILLS, but right now I probably can only afford an appt in West Hollywood.  

What’s amazed you most — good or bad — about L.A.?   It’s amazing to me how many performers and actors you see at just normal places being normal.  

What’s something you’ll miss about California when you go back home?   The honking you hear 24/7. 

Which fellow "Idol" finalist(s) will you miss most?   Paige and Lee. They are such good friends of mine now. But I don’t think this is the end of our friendship and I’ll see them soon!  

What did you find most surprising about…

Simon Cowell:   He winks a lot more than the average person. 

Ryan Seacrest:   He’s so smart. He can look at a paragraph once and from memory say the whole thing on live cameras flawlessly.  

Kara DioGuardi:   She is beautiful in person. It’s like looking at royalty.  

Randy Jackson:   He says "dawg" off camera more than on camera. 

Ellen Degeneres:   She is the only woman I’ve ever approved of wearing a tie. (No really, she asked me if she could and I said, "Yes.") 

What did you do on Wednesday night after your elimination?   Packed. Watched Katie do the "All the Single Ladies" dance in nerd glasses and sweatpants pulled up to her chest. Played shuffleboard and danced outside to rave music with Paige and Siobhan, then packed more. Then slept for 15 minutes and then left. 

If you could do it all again, would you do anything differently? If so, what?  No, I never regret anything and I'm very proud of what I've accomplished!

What’s the first thing you want to do when you get home?   Eat some good Mexican food and rent a bunch of movies and watch them with my friends and family!  

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Photo: Lacey Brown poses at the Top 12 party on March 11. Credit: Mark Davis / Fox

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