Coming Attractions

Currently, I'm on campus here:

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(Minus the green, since we've now entered the rainy season the Pacific Northwest is famous for.)

In June I will be here:

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And in September I will (most likely) be right around here:

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Currently, I'm taking lots of artificial sunshine (vitamin D), trying to fit in, running to stay sane, and doing lots of homework.

In June, I'll be a rockstar intern, eating my fair share of In-n-Out and Pinkberry, reuniting with friends, and back in my favorite place ever. (And complaining about traffic, freaking out about earthquakes and wildfires, and wondering why I decided to work in the entertainment industry.)

In September, I'll be all alone (not really) in a foreign country, attempting to learn Italian, eating LOTS of pasta, and riding Vespas with cute Italian boys named Paolo (come on, I know you saw the Lizzie McGuire movie!).

It's gray and rainy, and we've entered our second to last week of classes for the fall quarter. I have a ton of work due this week as well as the next, and most of it is part of a group project I've been working on all quarter with eight other people. I've learned that I work really well in groups -- as long as I'm the one in charge. We've really struggled from day one with working together rather than individuals, and there have been a lot of issues. I'm so grateful we're almost done!

Thinking about what's coming up in the future has really been helpful to keep me motivated lately. I can't wait for sunny days in LA and eating amazing food in Rome!

Do you have any summer plans yet? Where have you always wanted to visit? I love hearing all the exciting things people do during the summer, as well as travel stories!

PS: Ran in my new shoes for the first time yesterday! I absolutely loved it. I had very little pain in my arch, and absolutely no other problems. It seriously felt like I was running barefoot! I ran 1.75 miles on the treadmill.

True, true love.

As I mentioned in this post, I worked on a music video shoot in Portland a few weeks ago.

Now that it's premiered I can talk about it and you all can see it! The song is called True Love 1980, and it was done by this awesome band called Ash. They've been around for the past 20 years or so, and though I had never heard of them I really like their music.

It's totally catchy, even after hearing it a million times during the shoot, so consider yourself warned! It makes me want to have a John Hughes marathon, too.



They're doing an A to Z series of singles and concerts, which you can check out here.

And on a completely, totally different subject, I'm now at school! The endless summer has finally…ended. I'm all moved in, unpacked, and decorated and now I've got a week to kill before classes start. This place feels like an entirely different world, the people are waaaaay different than what I'm used to, and it's been super cold, but I like it.

Back In Front Of The Camera

Happy Wednesday! We're halfway through the week -- FINALLY!

Well, I want you all to know that I decided to break out of my shell and do something a liiiiiiittle bit different today.

I made a video blog! Mmmhhm! I'm very proud of this sucker, I edited it and everything. Okay, I used Photobooth to record it and it drove me insane so I HAD to edit it, but still! I feel quite accomplished.

Okay, so here it is!




Have you ever done a video blog or made a movie? I'd love to see everyone else's!

Hope you all are having a great week!

California, a place they say glistens gold.

(The view from our apartment right outside of Beverly Hills)

I think I finally have a plan. If you know me, you know I love to make lists and plan for anything and everything. Sometimes I get so caught up in the planning and the daydreaming that I end up not doing anything. Instead of getting out there and working towards something, I focus on what I should be doing or what needs to be done first.

Okay, back to the plan. I've spent a good chunk of time over the last few weeks reading about jobs and careers that interest me. I have a big stack of career books from the library sitting on my desk, and I've been going through them one by one.

For a while I was really focused on teaching. I wanted to participate in Teach for America or TeachNOLA and really make a difference in children's lives. I still want to make a difference, but I'm not sure if those routes are best for me. If I were to teach, I would do it as a career, not a pit stop on my way to something else. Some teachers stay in the profession after their time as a corps member, but most move on to other things. I have an interest in making changes in the educational system, as well as finding solutions which will allow the arts to be included in more areas of curriculum.

That all being said, I'm starting to gravitate to something very different. I spent a large portion of my life (7 years!) involved in the entertainment industry. Most of that time was in front of the camera, but some of it was behind the scenes too.

My favorite part of being on set was watching the crew. At auditions I always kept an eye on the casting director and their assistants to see what was going on. I worked in a talent agency for a year which allowed me to take a closer look at what goes on 'behind the scenes'.

I was able to see firsthand everything that happens in a busy agency day in and day out. It was crazy, and sometimes I felt like a chicken with it's head cut off. But you know what? I loved it.

I've been reading about all of the different types of behind the scenes jobs in the industry, and I think I want to explore them more first hand.

Okay, this is getting long-winded.

So what's the plan? In two sentences: Los Angeles. Start at the bottom, work your way up.

It's all about soaking in as much as you can. I don't care if I have to make copies for 6 hours a day. I've done it before, I'll do it again. I LIKE making copies. I like shredding things too. Am I crazy? Yes. But I like to think I've got a pretty good idea of what it's going to be like. It won't be pretty, and there will probably be yelling. That's how it works though, and if you're lucky enough you'll find someone that's willing to help you out.

And until then? I need to find the entertainment industry in Portland. It seems to be hiding, but I'm sure it exists somewhere in this city. They film Leverage here! I have a few more months of summer still, maybe it's not too late to get an internship. You never know unless you try.

At least this time I'm not competing for auditions or roles. Does that mean there's any less pressure? Probably not. I doubt it's any easier to get a job, either. But hey, I can always retire early and work towards becoming a teacher. I'd probably be able to put some of the things I learn to use in a classroom!

Thanks for sticking around while I try to sort out my brain.