Hands

Sometimes people (myself included) do not take enough time to appreciate the simple things. One of the goals that I set for my summer in LA was to go on a double date with my beau, my forever best friend and her new husband. With time running out and no double date having happened yet we decided to have a best friends marathon that would conclude in the long anticipated double date. For the date we wanted to do something fun, different and memorable. I know it is crazy - but despite the nearly three years we have been with both of our significant others we had yet to go on a double date. My boy came up with Ethiopian in the nearby Little Ethiopia and it was quickly agreed upon and decided that it was the perfect double date.

The date was great. We spent all of our time appreciating the company and laughing loud at the simplest of jokes. Sitting in our tiny chars in a circle around the huge basket where our food would soon be placed we were not thinking about controversial topics but just about being together and happy. When everyone's food came it was all on one plate which was set in the basket which we sat around - we all took a piece of injera (the yummy squishy bread) and, with only our hands, all communally ate off of the same plate. The corresponding couples also partook in the Ethiopian tradition of feeding food to someone who you love.

It seems so simple, but sometimes the little things that you do not think about when they are happening are the things that can make you feel the most whole - like laughing with friends that live across the country as if there is not even a mile in between your friendship.

Ticket to Ride

I went to the Orange County Fair this summer and had quite a time taking pictures of the typical fair festivities. Since we went on discounted Thursdays we were there with the even more than creepy normal carnival going crowd.







At the end of the day my carnival experience was quite a good one. There is not a better day than riding kiddy rides with old friends, eating ridiculous amounts of fair food and then binging on some fatty desserts before a long ride home in the back of a tiny car with a huge stuffed dog named Poncho.

The Sound of Silence

This past week I spent a lot of time with friends. And as is expected we talked a lot. We talked about everything from relationships to Shakira's new wolf video and religion to the amount of cheese on a stick you can eat to be considered lunch. But just as we spent a great deal of our time talking we also spent a lot of time in silence.


I think friendship is the most true and honest when you can be with someone else and not feel forced to say anything at all. To just sit there in silence and be comfortable without any worries or awkwardness is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world. I encountered this multiple time with multiple people this week and am sincerely thankful for all of them. Whether it is sitting on a huge rock looking at the freezing cold lake and listening to waterfalls or just driving in the car together with nothing too important to say to ruin the quiet.

It is delightful to think about the friendship and times spent together without forcing conversation or wondering who will speak next. If silence comes the next time you are with people who you consider true friends, I encourage you to embrace it and feel an abundance of security in the absence of sound that can simply be thought of as a peaceful and cozy friendship.

You Drive Me Crazy

Los Angeles without a car. Don't try it.

I thought a summer in LA without a car would somehow just work itself out. I mean, I understand public transportation (thank you New York) and I love walking - so I figured if I really needed to be somewhere far from where I was that I could figure it out when the time came by bribing or begging my friends.

I am usually not one to fail when I set out to succeed. Now with a little more than a month until I leave this place to head back to The City, I have come to realize that on this assignment I have received a big - fat - below average - F.

Due to my lack of transportation I have failed to get a summer job (one of the initial reasons for returning to Los Angeles) and have not been able to attend any regular dance classes (therefore not being prepared to go back to school). My ideas of using a moped or a bike to get places were quickly discouraged by friends - so I aimed to find work in Westwood. Aparently the only people who work in Westwood are paralegals and people who rent out furniture (I know... creepy).

I always heard people say that Los Angeles is impossible to live in without a car, but since I spent over a year at UCLA without one and managed to survive quite well I thought they were all being a little over dramatic. I hate to say it, but I am now converted. If you are ever considering visiting Los Angeles for a few months and want to work at the same time - it is probably not going to happen unless you have a job set up ahead of time. It might be more likely if you are staying for a longer period of time.

I guess I should not be complaining. I really needed a good long rest. But I have to admit that I don't think I am doing much better sitting around with no job worrying about finances. I never thought I would say that I was so ready to get back to NY and get another job. Why would I want that stress either?

I wish there was a happy medium. Maybe I should move to Wyoming or something...

Carry This Picture

I simply love art. Whether it is performance, sculpture, live art, poetry - the list goes on and on - I want to know about and see as much of it as possible. I know that I will not always like or agree with every artists choices, but with all types of art there will always be someone to appreciate it, otherwise it would not exist.

Art is everywhere. Last night was my first live art exhibit and I learned a lot. Someone special told me, "There are no small actors, only small parts," and I found that very inspiring. I hope that I can carry that advice with me into this voyage I am starting out on in the entertainment industry. But for now I want to share some of my favorite photographs that I have taken in the last few months.





A llama at a petting zoo in Central Park on Easter day (left)







Across the lake, from the West to the East, and its cold (right)














Somebody really uses this bike to get around in Bermuda (left) and they use real gas lamps to light the streets in Boston (below)





















I think that every single person is an artist - you only have to believe in what you create.