Los Angeles

I made it, well kind of. I got in to LA on Wednesday, which seems weird because it is already Monday so in two days I will have been in LA for a week and in three days I will have been out of Chicago for two weeks.

Thursday we went to Universal Studios. It was fun, but a little weird to be doing the touristy part of the film industry. I know how film sets work and am not that impressed by little showy stunts they put on, but overall it was a very fun day.

Friday we went and took a look at the outside of my apartment. We drove around Hollywood and took a look at some of the things that will be by me. There is a Target so I am super excited for that! That night we went out to West Hollywood because...well I needed too. We were at Girlbar and there were supposed to be Go-Go Dancers...but instead there were 2 Go-Go Dancers and one stripper. Unfortunately none of them were that attractive and seeing people throw themselves at the girls (particularly the stripper) was kind of gross. I never want to have to tip for attention, it's a new life goal (I now want to be happy AND not have to pay for attention). Ashely and I were walking around the strip pole toward the dance floor, when the stripper does some kind of leg, split thing and kicks me right in the face with her boot. Brilliant. Just brilliant. I'm not sure if I am cut out for this LA bar scene. I'm used to talking with the bartenders and knowing the ropes. Here I just felt awkward and I missed my Chicago bar buddies so much. I fear going out to bars will not be on my list of fun things to do for a while.

Saturday was Valentine's Day. If anyone wants to be my valentine next year, I will take you out to Denny's twice also. No joke. This was mainly because in LA you HAVE to drive everwhere and there was a Denny's right next to our hotel. We got up and ate Denny's. Then we went and walked around Hollywood Blvd and did some touristy stuff. It was fun. We then went back to the hotel and were so lazy that we didn't want to get back in the car to get food. So we just walked back over to Denny's. I'm a classy date...what can I say?

Sunday I put Ashley on a plane. It hadn't felt like Chicago was really gone until that moment. This last nine days has felt like a strange vacation, not a move. Most likely because Ashley has become a big part of Chicago for me and she has been right here with me, so I hadn't lost all of Chicago just yet. But then she walked into the airport and I thought, "There goes my last piece of home." Chicago was gone...I don't live there anymore.

This move was different then when I moved to Chicago. I remember that when I said goodbye to my mom and Sarah when they dropped me off in Chicago, I was very emotional. It was going to be my first night alone in Chicago and all I wanted to do was curl up in my bed and wait for it to be over. I thought it would be the same here in LA, so I packed sleeping pills. It was different though. I am clearly just as nervous and scared as I was, and this place is newer to me then Chicago ever was. And I am so much further away from everyone I love then I was before but yet I haven't felt that pain. I'm sitting in LA writing this, after spending my first night alone and I'm not devistated. I miss people like crazy. I miss Ashley like crazy. But I'm not on the floor unable to get up. I'm still standing. I'm still me. And I think I am ready to do a little fighting...