So I'm a really bad blogger...

I've been neglecting this blog for months. My bad. Let's see... what in my life is interesting enough to share? I guess I can start with work. When I first moved out here and started my position at Dr. Sandy's Home Veterinary Care, I had NO idea what I was in for. Little did I know, my position as receptionist and Dr.'s Assistant would lead me to celebrity homes. First I went to Rick Springfield's (Jessy's girl) house to do acupuncture on his dog Scoobie. Then I went to Steven Seagal's house to do a exam and heartworm test in his German Shepherd Hamlet. Just an FYI- Rick Springfield was much nicer and gave me a hug goodbye, but Seagal only nodded his head in acknowledgment. I've also spoken to Bob Fogerty on the phone. Our clients let us into their homes and into their lives. Some are ordinary people, others are directors, editors, and actors. Others require our services because they have physical limitations. The one thing I really like about my position is that I get to develop real relationships with our clients. I know what's going on in their lives, and they genuinely care about what's going on in mine. Since there are only four employees they all know us by name and it feels good knowing we make their day better. Don't get me wrong- I absolutely LOATHED my job for awhile, but there's no point in rehashing that now. So, that's where I stand at work.

So, my mom would be proud because I'm making new friends. Haha. Our apartment complex is pretty much a dorm. The kids from Video Symphony (an editing school), the Mud (make up design school) girls, and the hairdresser school girls (and guys) all live in our building. We met one girl- Shannon who's originally from Rochester, and she is amazing. She's super funny and outgoing. She's made a lot of friends in the building and then introduced them to me. She's also an Eagles fan, which means I don't have to go to the bar alone anymore to watch the games! We also made friends with a group of guys who went to video symphony. One of their friends tried to pick Melanie up at a bar, then we later realized they lived in the same building as us on the first floor. Jude, Nick, and Owen live downstairs- but they've also introduced us to their other friends and hence the circle grows. So, we've made a lot of new friends from lots of different places with lots of different stories. Then there's Kelly and that group of people. Again- lots of new friends from lots of different places with lots of interesting stories to tell.

Today Jackie and I went to the Brewery Artwalk. I was expecting it to be expo style. I thought I'd enter a big open room with booths displaying local artist's work. What it really is is artists opening up their studios/homes to the public. It's a huge community of hundreds of artists living together. The studios are absolutely breathtaking. Most are lofts with views of downtown. Jackie has decided she's going to live in one one day. The most refreshing thing was how down to earth and friendly even the most established artists were. They were just happy to be able to share their gifts and talents with anyone who wanted to see it. It's this type of thing that you can only see in LA. It's this type of thing that makes me sure I made the right decision in picking up and leaving everything I know behind me.

I'm learning a lot about myself and the person I want to be. I'm also learning about the person I don't necessarily want to be. I didn't apply to vet school this fall. In a lot of ways I feel like I've failed myself and my mom because of that. At the same time I feel like California and Los Angeles has a lot to teach me- about myself and life in general. I really value the time I've spent out here. I'm doing things I never imagined I'd do. It's a completely different lifestyle. A lifestyle I'm glad I'm getting a chance to experience. People ask if I miss home, and my answer is- EVERYDAY, but I know that this was the right choice for me. I miss my family and I miss my friends, but I was stifled in New Jersey. Here I have the freedom to do what I want and be who I want to be. I have no idea when I'll return to the east coast. I have no idea where this journey is going to take me. All I can do is hold on and enjoy the ride.