My first year in California: a look back at 2007
January
My first full month in California. I was terribly homesick, stayed in bed most weekends and cried. I was worried I was too old for such a huge life change and that my brave days were over. Living in a rundown, "bohemian" sublet in Venice, I didn't know how to make friends, and the California people that I met confused and depressed me. They were SO different than the up-front, honest people I knew back home.
February
After Casey decided she wasn't quite ready to move out here for another month, I scrambled to find yet another one-month sublet. I ended up in Playa del Rey, which was one of the towns we were considering moving to anyway. I immediately fell in love with the town and its gorgeous ocean views. And little did I know I would be living with what would be the majority of my new social circle. I started to venture out a little bit more, reaching out to all of my extended friends that had relocated here over the years. By the end of the month, I felt much more at home in California and knew I wanted to stay near my new friends.
March
In a fortunate turn of events which I can only assume was fate, I managed to find an apartment almost directly across the street from my sublet. Finally my job seemed to be settling in, I had a full circle of friends, and also a very beautiful apartment with a pool. Then came St. Patrick's Day. I got insanely drunk and ended up making out at the bar with one of the guys from my new group of friends. To my extreme surprise, he actually called me the next day. Before I knew it, I was actually dating someone. Also, in March, I had my first visitor, Amanda. Poor Amanda, my apartment was barely furnished and I knew about 5 places in all of LA to take a visitor, but we managed to have a good time anyway (I hope!).
April
April started off with an Easter road trip to Arizona to see the aunt, uncle, cousin and wife and pick up mom. By the end of the roadtrip, I was passed-out sick, and spent my mom's only 2 days here in my new apartment unconscious on the couch. The new guy was great, put a big care package of medicine together for me and *GASP* wanted to meet my mom. Things seemed to really be falling into place for me in all aspects of my life. The end of April brought a holiday for music fans: Coachella! My first experience was a sensory overload. Amazing music and extreme temperatures made for very fond memories.
May
The first week of May, I made my first trip back east since the big move. I was nervous the entire week before the trip because I could sense things were about to change. I had a wonderful but frenzied trip home and to New York where I got to spend approximately 15 minutes at each place that I visited. The night that I returned home from the trip, the guy picked me up from the airport, we had an insignificant fight about something stupid, and I pretty much never heard from him again. So THIS is what dating in California is like. Well, sign me up! The month ended on an upswing, when my Musician friend played a show out here at Hotel Cafe, which I booked and promoted for him. It was a huge success and was even reviewed by the LAist.com.
June
The beginning of a crazy summer. The weather was finally warm enough to lie out at the beach. We had been playing volleyball on the beach in shorts since about April, but June finally brought bikini weather. I spent just about every spare weekend moment either at the beach or by the pool, reading books, listening to music, and generally being happy. I had a falling out with Casey, that, over time would see our friendship dissolve and morph our relationship into a strict roommate one. At the end of the month, a pub crawl for Dana's birthday led to a thorough introduction to the fine gentlemen of Playa. I apparently made out with the town drug dealer, and then gave my number to a guy who, despite calling me the next day and inviting me to a party, wouldn't make another appearance until Labor Day.
July
On the work front, I started burning the midnight oil because of a huge litigation project, trying to prove that I was ready for more responsibility. Fortunately, the weekends were filled with lots of drinking and hanging out at the beach, a 4th of July party, fireworks on the beach. July was everything summer should be. Oh, I did start that little dalliance with the older guy, but he hardly counts, except that during July I did get really good at salsa dancing. So, thanks, Older Guy.
August
August started off with a visit from my mom, in which I finally was well enough to take her sightseeing, and a car accident. I spent the majority of August dealing with the fallout from the accident, driving an ugly green Ford Focus, and deciding that yes, I really do need a better job. Staci J. closed out the month with her first (yes, FIRST) visit out here. How did I make it 8 months out here without her??? We had a great long weekend shaking it all over town in my ugly Ford Focus, and then, much too soon, she was on a flight back to NYC.
September
Labor Day started off the month with a bang: The day before I ran into the ex at a gas station in town and when I waved, he ran away. Brilliant. The next day, I was forced to spend the entire Labor Day party awkwardly pretending that I didn't care that he had run away from me the day before. However, I did spend a good portion of the day with the guy I had given my number to back in June (this would be F). We walked up and down the beach together, arm-in-arm talking and flirting and I thought, FINALLY! And then, as we were preparing to head back up to the apartments, he disappeared into a house, and after calling out to me to wait for him twice, I gave up and left. Two weeks later, he decided to call me and ask me out...for later that night. I was busy, he was discouraged (or flaky, you make the call), and I didn't hear from him again until much later. Meanwhile, I started interviewing for a new job that would offer me a HUGE raise and much more responsibility, essentially the exact job I had been working towards since graduating from law school.
October
A great start to perhaps my greatest month all year. I agreed to accompany PJ to the Notre Dame/UCLA game at the Rose Bowl. Someone has a sense of humor, because we ran into my ex and his new girl-of-the-minute sitting 8 rows in front of us in a stadium with 100,000 seats. It was significant, though, because I finally realized I was ready to put that painful situation behind me. Later that night, I ran into F at a party and he told me that he liked me, and then we spent the rest of the night acting like high school kids. It wouldn't end well, but I will still look fondly on that night. A few weeks later, I found out that I got the new job! Better yet, they were re-writing the job description to tailor it specifically to me. Finally! I got what I moved here for! October was the month of romance, as I periodically got phone calls from F that made me feel special and desired and just precious. I had a new potential romance and a new job and I thought, what a great recovery from my mopey summer! Nikki visited at the end of the month and even though she was pregnant, we managed to have a very active weekend. On her last day in town, F finally asked me out on a date. 4 days later, I'd have my date with him, and then promptly never hear from him again. I should have remembered the lesson I learned in May.
November
I was mopey at the beginning of the month over the romance that never happened, but fortunately my new job was keeping me very very busy. Also, the second week of November brought Staci J back to town for Jon and Corrinne's wedding. Hooray! We had a crazy 4 days of wandering around LA and being stupid. Thanksgiving a few weeks later ended up much better than I could ever have hoped when I originally realized I would be away from home for the first Thanksgiving ever. I cooked here in my apartment and hosted a crowd of 10 holiday orphans. It was almost the Thanksgiving I would have had back home, minus my brother and I having our annual contest to see who could pass out drunk first. Ah, family traditions. The month ended on a total high, with my 30th birthday. It just happened to also be my Golden Birthday, and my friends proved why they are the most awesome people in the entire world by throwing me the best party and making me feel really loved.
December
It's coming up on a year now that I've lived in LA, and I still don't feel like a real Angelino. I still kind of feel like I'm a stranger in a strange land, but my wealth of experiences would tell me otherwise. I wonder if I'll ever be able to call this place home and believe it. I'm trying really hard: I spent a lot of time and money decorating my apartment, and I really do love it. But when I'm inside, it's still easy to pretend that I live in New York City.
The year has certainly had more ups and downs than any I can remember, but I've also learned more about myself and grown so much. Most importantly, I've learned that life isn't a puzzle. It's not static, waiting for you to find each piece to make a whole. Or, if it is a puzzle, it's one that keeps changing shape. The perfect piece that fits this year may not have fit even a year ago.
2007 was a great year, but I know that 2008 will be even better.
My first full month in California. I was terribly homesick, stayed in bed most weekends and cried. I was worried I was too old for such a huge life change and that my brave days were over. Living in a rundown, "bohemian" sublet in Venice, I didn't know how to make friends, and the California people that I met confused and depressed me. They were SO different than the up-front, honest people I knew back home.
February
After Casey decided she wasn't quite ready to move out here for another month, I scrambled to find yet another one-month sublet. I ended up in Playa del Rey, which was one of the towns we were considering moving to anyway. I immediately fell in love with the town and its gorgeous ocean views. And little did I know I would be living with what would be the majority of my new social circle. I started to venture out a little bit more, reaching out to all of my extended friends that had relocated here over the years. By the end of the month, I felt much more at home in California and knew I wanted to stay near my new friends.
March
In a fortunate turn of events which I can only assume was fate, I managed to find an apartment almost directly across the street from my sublet. Finally my job seemed to be settling in, I had a full circle of friends, and also a very beautiful apartment with a pool. Then came St. Patrick's Day. I got insanely drunk and ended up making out at the bar with one of the guys from my new group of friends. To my extreme surprise, he actually called me the next day. Before I knew it, I was actually dating someone. Also, in March, I had my first visitor, Amanda. Poor Amanda, my apartment was barely furnished and I knew about 5 places in all of LA to take a visitor, but we managed to have a good time anyway (I hope!).
April
April started off with an Easter road trip to Arizona to see the aunt, uncle, cousin and wife and pick up mom. By the end of the roadtrip, I was passed-out sick, and spent my mom's only 2 days here in my new apartment unconscious on the couch. The new guy was great, put a big care package of medicine together for me and *GASP* wanted to meet my mom. Things seemed to really be falling into place for me in all aspects of my life. The end of April brought a holiday for music fans: Coachella! My first experience was a sensory overload. Amazing music and extreme temperatures made for very fond memories.
May
The first week of May, I made my first trip back east since the big move. I was nervous the entire week before the trip because I could sense things were about to change. I had a wonderful but frenzied trip home and to New York where I got to spend approximately 15 minutes at each place that I visited. The night that I returned home from the trip, the guy picked me up from the airport, we had an insignificant fight about something stupid, and I pretty much never heard from him again. So THIS is what dating in California is like. Well, sign me up! The month ended on an upswing, when my Musician friend played a show out here at Hotel Cafe, which I booked and promoted for him. It was a huge success and was even reviewed by the LAist.com.
June
The beginning of a crazy summer. The weather was finally warm enough to lie out at the beach. We had been playing volleyball on the beach in shorts since about April, but June finally brought bikini weather. I spent just about every spare weekend moment either at the beach or by the pool, reading books, listening to music, and generally being happy. I had a falling out with Casey, that, over time would see our friendship dissolve and morph our relationship into a strict roommate one. At the end of the month, a pub crawl for Dana's birthday led to a thorough introduction to the fine gentlemen of Playa. I apparently made out with the town drug dealer, and then gave my number to a guy who, despite calling me the next day and inviting me to a party, wouldn't make another appearance until Labor Day.
July
On the work front, I started burning the midnight oil because of a huge litigation project, trying to prove that I was ready for more responsibility. Fortunately, the weekends were filled with lots of drinking and hanging out at the beach, a 4th of July party, fireworks on the beach. July was everything summer should be. Oh, I did start that little dalliance with the older guy, but he hardly counts, except that during July I did get really good at salsa dancing. So, thanks, Older Guy.
August
August started off with a visit from my mom, in which I finally was well enough to take her sightseeing, and a car accident. I spent the majority of August dealing with the fallout from the accident, driving an ugly green Ford Focus, and deciding that yes, I really do need a better job. Staci J. closed out the month with her first (yes, FIRST) visit out here. How did I make it 8 months out here without her??? We had a great long weekend shaking it all over town in my ugly Ford Focus, and then, much too soon, she was on a flight back to NYC.
September
Labor Day started off the month with a bang: The day before I ran into the ex at a gas station in town and when I waved, he ran away. Brilliant. The next day, I was forced to spend the entire Labor Day party awkwardly pretending that I didn't care that he had run away from me the day before. However, I did spend a good portion of the day with the guy I had given my number to back in June (this would be F). We walked up and down the beach together, arm-in-arm talking and flirting and I thought, FINALLY! And then, as we were preparing to head back up to the apartments, he disappeared into a house, and after calling out to me to wait for him twice, I gave up and left. Two weeks later, he decided to call me and ask me out...for later that night. I was busy, he was discouraged (or flaky, you make the call), and I didn't hear from him again until much later. Meanwhile, I started interviewing for a new job that would offer me a HUGE raise and much more responsibility, essentially the exact job I had been working towards since graduating from law school.
October
A great start to perhaps my greatest month all year. I agreed to accompany PJ to the Notre Dame/UCLA game at the Rose Bowl. Someone has a sense of humor, because we ran into my ex and his new girl-of-the-minute sitting 8 rows in front of us in a stadium with 100,000 seats. It was significant, though, because I finally realized I was ready to put that painful situation behind me. Later that night, I ran into F at a party and he told me that he liked me, and then we spent the rest of the night acting like high school kids. It wouldn't end well, but I will still look fondly on that night. A few weeks later, I found out that I got the new job! Better yet, they were re-writing the job description to tailor it specifically to me. Finally! I got what I moved here for! October was the month of romance, as I periodically got phone calls from F that made me feel special and desired and just precious. I had a new potential romance and a new job and I thought, what a great recovery from my mopey summer! Nikki visited at the end of the month and even though she was pregnant, we managed to have a very active weekend. On her last day in town, F finally asked me out on a date. 4 days later, I'd have my date with him, and then promptly never hear from him again. I should have remembered the lesson I learned in May.
November
I was mopey at the beginning of the month over the romance that never happened, but fortunately my new job was keeping me very very busy. Also, the second week of November brought Staci J back to town for Jon and Corrinne's wedding. Hooray! We had a crazy 4 days of wandering around LA and being stupid. Thanksgiving a few weeks later ended up much better than I could ever have hoped when I originally realized I would be away from home for the first Thanksgiving ever. I cooked here in my apartment and hosted a crowd of 10 holiday orphans. It was almost the Thanksgiving I would have had back home, minus my brother and I having our annual contest to see who could pass out drunk first. Ah, family traditions. The month ended on a total high, with my 30th birthday. It just happened to also be my Golden Birthday, and my friends proved why they are the most awesome people in the entire world by throwing me the best party and making me feel really loved.
December
It's coming up on a year now that I've lived in LA, and I still don't feel like a real Angelino. I still kind of feel like I'm a stranger in a strange land, but my wealth of experiences would tell me otherwise. I wonder if I'll ever be able to call this place home and believe it. I'm trying really hard: I spent a lot of time and money decorating my apartment, and I really do love it. But when I'm inside, it's still easy to pretend that I live in New York City.
The year has certainly had more ups and downs than any I can remember, but I've also learned more about myself and grown so much. Most importantly, I've learned that life isn't a puzzle. It's not static, waiting for you to find each piece to make a whole. Or, if it is a puzzle, it's one that keeps changing shape. The perfect piece that fits this year may not have fit even a year ago.
2007 was a great year, but I know that 2008 will be even better.