The first month of 2017 comes to a close.  For me, specifically, there has been some good, some bad, and a whole lot of avoiding long statuses on Facebook.  I am getting settled in my first actual Los Angeles home(!!!), getting back into the audition game, and for the first time since moving here, it really feels like my life is starting to come together.  I know in the months to come I am going to be taking lots of photos of the views from my windows, but this was the first:

I am living in Silverlake now, which, for those unfamiliar with Los Angeles, is an area in East LA where I feel I very much so belong.  It reminds me so much of Brooklyn with its abundance of boutiques, vegan restaurants, artisanal cafes, small businesses, and hipsters.  The dream for the past 2+ years that I've been a California resident has been to find a home here, specifically in this neighborhood, and to have that come true is surreal. 

While waiting for my roommate to arrive, there were many days in my new apartment that felt less than comfortable, to say the least.  I couldn't get power, electricity, or gas for the first four days, so I was bouncing from hotel room to hotel room with O and Austin.  Once all services were finally turned on and I could finally start unpacking, O and Austin left and I was alone in an unfurnished and cluttered apartment that looked more like an episode of Hoarders than a home.  I also live across from a man who is getting evicted, and I'm pretty convinced the reason is because he smokes crack and maybe also possibly deals which I know is not what my mom wants to hear but also I kind of love it because it feels like I'm really roughing it and living on the edge and I think that makes me cool.  Anywho, sleeping alone in here was starting to make me just a little nervous, and my wonderful friends Cat and Tom opened their home to me while they were on vacation, and I can't express my gratitude to them enough.  They let me sleep in their guest bedroom, left a bottle of wine chilling in the fridge, and freshly baked breakfast bars in the freezer.  That's friendship. 

January has proven to be a slow month as far as photography goes, which I hope is understandable, being I had a huge life change and all, but I was able to get out once with my Pami (that's Pam to you) and photograph her all over Echo Park for a little while in between errands and ramen. 

Pam is a newer friend of mine who I work with, and I just love this little cherub so much.  I am definitely the mom in this relationship, but she is such a delight and I tell her all the time how she keeps me young.  Taking photos of friends is always the simplest thing, because I feel like I can get to their comfort level so much easier, and we can have so much fun while shooting, but it wasn't until after this shoot that I finally started to feel like I was ready to photograph anyone!

Here's to hoping January 2017 brought about the end of California's drought! It rained for what felt like two weeks straight, but in reality was probably, oh I don't know, about three days?  I'm talking like, April in New Jersey rain.  I'm talking like, all day, every day, big ass raindrops kind of rain.  Ya know, the kind of rain no one in Los Angeles knows how to deal with? So for those days, I did my absolute best to stay indoors and off the roads.  Olena and Austin had come back for just a few days to gather up the rest of their stuff and start their gypsy life on the road, and when they left, the weight of my all-by-myself-ness really set in.  I spent most of January really just waiting for Lianne to get here.

Cat and Tom are also fairly new friends of mine who I've come to know through my serving job, and they've quickly become part of my framily (if you're new here, that's my coined term for friends who feel like family and family who feel like friends).  The pair of them are easily two of the most thoughtful, loving, and welcoming people I've met here, but more than that, they are goofy and a shit-ton of fun to be around, and I feel so lucky that they think of me as a friend.

Probably the most fun I've had so far in 2017 is the night that Cat, Tom, our friend Alex, and I had tickets to see The Chainsmokers at Universal Studios.  With one low ticket price, we got access into the entire park, free booze, free food, and 4 hours of amusement park exploration.  Guys.  Free alcoholic butterbeer in Harry Potter World after hours.....does it get better?  
No.  The answer is no.

More than anything, the nights I remember most actually have nothing to do with where and when.  My favorite nights are those spent with good-hearted people that make you happy, and this night was among the best.  I truly felt like I had an emotional hangover the next day because of how happy I was the previous night.  Genuine people are hard to find in this town, so I'm holding on to these guys whether they like it or not. 

The specific dates are escaping me, because this month has really been a bit of a blur, but Lianne finally got here and I am so excited!  Every day we've been trying to do at least one big productive task, and honestly our home is really starting to come together!
 
We just hosted a dear friend of ours, Gab, a fellow Rider Bronc, who came to visit from Chicago!  It was so good to spend time with her.  Life post-graduation is weird, but it's really cool when all your friends start making moves and doing shit with their lives and you get to be really proud and happy for them.  It's an exciting thing to witness.  Having her here was the perfect christening for Lianne's and my home (which we are still accepting name suggestions for), and the only photo I have of proof is us at the Farmer's Market with no makeup but the biggest smiles we could make.

Just three little Jersey meatballs who love each other.

The other day Li and I headed downtown to check out a moving sale, and while we didn't buy anything, I took so many photos of the views from the roof.  I felt like I dreamt it up.  Downtown LA, regardless of how dangerous it can be, is seriously a fever dream backdrop for me.  If, for some reason, I had to pick one setting to take photos of/in for the rest of my life, it would without hesitation be a bustling urban city with high rise buildings and people from all walks of life.  

February is here, and it is the shortest month of the year so I am challenging myself to get as much done as is humanly possible!  I have a few photoshoots in the works, lots of breakdowns to submit my headshot and resume to, and a home to finish furnishing! 

La La Land is still with me, and while the film ripped my heart open, I was also affected in a way I've never been from a piece of art.  I am recharged, I am motivated, I am validated, and I am ready.  

I am so excited for this year.

xo