~Read this in a magazine and it completely resonated with me. Words from the exceptionally talented and beautiful Rachel McAdams.

"WTF is quinoa?" A Texan's first year in LA.

I recently read a blog on BackStage West that was both hilarious and informative, a New Yorker's guide to Living in LA. Link here: http://www.backstage.com/bso/reviews-movie-tv-reviews/a-transplant-s-guide-to-los-angeles-1005295742.story and it inspired me to write about my first-year experience. I moved to the City of Angels last July from the best country in the world, Texas, to actualize my dream of becoming one of the greats in entertainment. I didn’t even visit LA before moving here, I just…moved. I figured, “Well, like it or not, I’m going to HAVE to live here if I want to do this.” So I had no idea of how anything or anybody worked except what I saw in movies and what I imagined in my head: “It’s going to be so glamorous! Someone is going to see me on the street and send me straight to NBC!”

Fast forward one year later and I’m smh-ing and lol-ing at myself. Oh, the naiveté!

I live in Hollywood and let me tell you, it’s NOTHING like you think it is.  Every day is filled with European, Middle America, and Chinese tourists walking around and taking pictures with the stars. And by stars I’m referring to either A. The wax figures at Madame Tussauds or B. The gritty, pissed on, concrete stars we like to call the “Walk of Fame.” The likelihood of you meeting an actual celebrity in Hollywood is less than -100 percent. That is, until the Kardashians 15 minutes finally end.Because no self-respecting celebrity would EVER put themselves in the middle of tourist madness unless they desperately needed attention. (See: Kardashian.) But you know what IS in Hollywood? A LOTTA CRAZY.

First, there are the starving actors who dress up in year-round Halloween costumes ranging from Hello Kitty to Iron Man. Once, I saw Ariel in a wheelchair. I had to give her credit for being so creative, I mean, mermaids can’t walk. Duh. Unless, she was indeed handicapped for which I apologize profusely. These lovable posers will take pictures with your kids in hopes you give them some change. And once you’re out of sight, they will huddle together for a smoke. On days I am feeling especially down, I know I can leave the gym and run into a Navi and Captain Jack smoking it up in the corner and feel much better about myself.

Second, there are the dealers on every corner trying to get you to go on a “star tour” to see stars’ homes. I personally have the BIGGEST gripe with this. Why would you spend money to see a star’s house? Do you think they are waiting in their front yard, ready to invite you in? How do you even know it’s their house, it’s not like they are ever going to come outside! These guys are geniuses! I’m in talks to buy a truck myself to drive oblivious tourists around Beverly Hills, pointing at houses and yelling random names. “Josh Brolin!” “Ryan Seacrest! “Yoda!”

Third, the most important part of Hollywood for any aspiring actor is the Kodak Theatre. Just seeing the sign for the first time gave me chills. That is, until I walked 10 feet to find an indoor shopping mall. You can’t even get in the theatre itself, unless of course, you buy a tour. It was the most disappointing, anti-climactic experience, but in retrospect, it was just setting me up for the many failures of years to come.

So, with all the Europeans shopping, the Chinese taking pictures of their hands inside Samuel L. Jackson’s, and Middle Americans buying tours up the wazoo, where does that leave people who actually live in Hollywood? Ah, fret not. There are other lovely things to see. If you walk further down the boulevard, you’ll come to see sex shops and homeless people (not in Halloween costumes) as the aroma of human waste fills the streets. As well as…yeah, that’s pretty much it. Sidenote: I strongly advise everyone to refrain from walking around after sunset. The phrase, “The freaks come out at night,” was coined on Hollywood and Wilcox. I’ve never met so many MadTV characters concentrated in one area! Just last week there was a full-fledged riot. I was in class down the street and for 3 hours I couldn’t hear my teacher above breaking bottles, police sirens, and helicopters. Ah, home sweet home.

But enough about Hollyweird, although all the above statements are indeed true, there is so much good to come out of LA! You’re in the city where dreams are made every single day! And more importantly, THEY HAVE THE BEST FOOD IN THE COUNTRY! You name it, we got it. You want Thai food? Thai Town. Persian food? Glendale. Mexican food? Stay in Texas. BBQ? HA! Good one! In a year of living here, I have turned into a quasi-vegetarian and the nights of late night Whataburger runs are merely figments of my imagination. Every café you go to will be some combination of the vernacular: Organic, Vegan, Microbiotic, Raw, Soy, Gluten-Free. Feel free to Google those before moving here. And you will be introduced to the strangest foods: Quinoa, Tempeh, Kale, Almond Milk. MINDBLOWING! “But I just want some Tex-Mex and a burger!” Well, we’ve got stuff for you too! Chipotle and In and Out.

Besides the great selection of food, there are so many different parts of LA. If you’re a pretentious Dallas socialite, Beverly Hills is perfect for you. Free-loving Austin hipster? Venice Beach and Silverlake are your spots. Houston Suburbian? Burbank. As Texans, we can appreciate a good beach. Because the closest we have is Galveston, and that’s not close to good by any means. So thankfully, LA is home to some beautiful beaches. And luckily, you can pretty much go to the beach every single day. How’s that you ask? Because unlike the traffic gods who smite down on us, the weather gods are so kind. Los Angeleans enjoy sunny skies and 75 degree weather year round. IT IS AMAZING. To go from weather that suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder in Texas to having no seasons whatsoever is the only thing that keeps some people sane here. There are about 7 days in February where it rains, for that week you will be severely depressed and not want to leave your house. I contemplated suicide twice.

Which leads me to my next topic: TRAFFIC. 1-35 and Beltway 8 have absolutely nothing against the forces of the highways here. They have nothing against any STREET here. At all hours of the day, every single day, with the exception of 4:30 am on a Tuesday, there is traffic. You often wonder, “Where the hell is everyone going? Don’t they have jobs?!” That answer would be no, they are unemployed actors and writers, JUST LIKE YOU. Shocking. As Texans, we like to be slow and take our time, there isn’t a rush to be anywhere, we are super relaxed people. But if you have to be at an audition and your gps says 20 minutes, you better have left an hour ago. That is not an understatement. The rule of thumb is always to double whatever the ETA is, then leave time for finding street parking. Because there are no such things as free parking lots here. They are nonexistent. It sucks, I know, but I’m warning you, you will have to pay for parking at 97% of the places you go to. Because you will be spending so much time alone in your car, have good music or an audiobook to help time pass by. This is not, however, a time for distractions, such as texting or tweeting. BECAUSE LA DRIVERS ARE THE CRAZIEST BASTARDS ON THE PLANET. And rightfully so, the city is a clusterfuck! Within 2 months of me moving here, my car was totaled by a car who hit me from the opposite side of the street! There are no driving “rules” here, with the exception of being allowed to turn left <span class=" fbUnderline">during a red light</span>. Everyone pretty much thinks they have the right of way and are willing to fight you to the near-death to show you. The best way to handle it is to just let them win. Because you honking at the guy who just cut you off before a red light will distract you from seeing the guy who drove out of a side street without looking first. You must always be on your toes. And if you realized your destination is on the left side of the street and you’re in the right lane, good luck. The days of turning on your blinker and a friendly Texan stopping to let you in followed by your gracious “thank you” wave are long gone. No one will let you in. And if you try to inch into their lane, they will merely drive onto the median and around you. You’ll have better luck circling the block and trying for round two. In relation to driving, there are a lot of pedestrians here to watch out for. That’s a term most Texans don’t even know - If you’re not on a college campus or bar hopping, you’re not walking.

Because both the industry and the city can drive you batshit crazy, it’s good to have friends to depend on. But LA is known for its flakiness and phoniness, so if you find a good group of friends, hold on for dear life. And if they don’t live in an immediate surrounding area to you, count on seeing them twice a year. No one wants to leave their neighborhood to drive to the other side of the city, just to have “coffee and catch up.” That’s why facebook was invented. If your friend is willing to meet you halfway, they are a keeper. Of course, I’m not saying everyone is a flake, but because of schedules and inconvenience, be prepared to spend a lot of time alone…most likely in your car. And don't even consider dating an option. Everyone who hits on you will be pyscho or douchey and in turn when you finally find someone attractive they will be in a 5+ year relationship. Because like I mentioned, you find someone good in this city, you hold on for dear life. 

A few other dos and donts:

-Do go to WEHO upon arrival, the fabulous GL neighborhood. If you’re afraid of “catching the gay,” then you probably shouldn’t live in Los Angeles. Actually, you probably shouldn’t be in show business.

-Do dress your best at all times, even when checking your mail. I once went grocery shopping and got hit on by a woman. I was so confused as to why until I looked around to see every other female in heels and the latest trend, while I wore a plaid shirt and Vans. And no, I was not in WEHO.

-Don’t go clubbing on the weekends. Weekend clubs are for people who have 9-5 jobs. Aka lameos not in the industry. Mon-Wed are your best bet if you’re into that schmoozy “networking” shit.

-Do ALWAYS read the parking signs when you street park. Read them 4 times and have a passer-by check to make sure. It might say “Parking Mon-Fri” but in fine print it will say “Except Mon-Fri.” And you will get towed. I am telling you this from experience.

Los Angeles is a wonderful place to live amongst all the weird shit that goes on. There is a reason this city draws in creative artists from around the world. It is the Mecca. I learned so much within this first year and encourage any actor (especially fellow Texans) to make the move. And if you live in LA, make friends with a Texan! We are friendly, courteous, and we've got that Southern charm. See: Sandra Bullock, Matthew Mccaunahay, ME. Just don't mess with our football (Hook Em!) or our political affiliation (mostly right-wing Conservative with the exception of the superior city of Austin) and we will quickly become great friends. 

That is, unless you live on the other side of town.

You might wonder why I gave no tips on how to go about actually working in the industry. If I knew that, I’d be way more successful than I am right now, and I certainly wouldn’t tell you my secrets. Every man for himself! Just like driving the streets.

~Sir Winston Churchill 

Poetry

Flowers, bending in the summer wind

Clear the path for the almost unnoticed

Moving, speeding past with tunnel vision

Leaving behind only faint wisps of its trail.

No one dare interrupt the hummingbird

on its unrelenting focus forward

Equally gift and curse 

Consumed in thought

Does not see the beauty surrounding. 

Does not stop pursuit for pleasure.

Its strength a mere illusion not realized by admirers

The stillness it portrays...

a shield harboring internal chaos. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Butterfly

Flutters without worry

The world is its sanctuary.

Time at a standstill

as it waltzes with sunbeams

Easing my hummingbird mind.

The first is how I am, the second is how I'd like to be. I have always been my own worst enemy, overly critical of myself. I tend to live for my career instead of allowing my career to be one aspect of my multi-faceted life. I am trying to learn to enjoy the journey rather than only envisioning the destination. 

Experience is what we get when we don't get what we want. ~Randy Pausch

*Second poem dedicated to my Nich. Thank you for reminding me to live. 

~~~Paulo Coelho 

~~ Joseph Kahn 

~~Personal motto. 

Roots

I have grown accustomed to watching primarily films and TV. But recently, I've been watching a lot of live shows, which I hadn't done in a long time. And every time I stepped foot into each theater, I got the same overwhelming rush of emotions. 

Nostalgia. 

There is no feeling like being on stage. It is indescribable yet universal.

Even for a film actor. Most film actors began their craft on stage. Many continue to work both in film and on stage, as I aspire to do.

Theatre is the root of all performance...acting, dancing, singing. 

Walking onto a lit stage in front of an empty house, minutes away from giving your heart to a live audience...the power and inspiration in that moment is incomparable.

Whether it is a movie theater or a live theater..the Kodak or a hole in the wall playhouse, the theater is where I feel most at home.

(via ) I like this song/video. It has a powerful message. 

Wilferd Peterson. (This was on a card my best friend Britt sent to me) :)

Annie Leibovitz photographed some celebrities as Disney characters!! SOOO awesome! :)

A scene from Rachel Getting Married. We shot this a few weeks ago but decided to reshoot and make it much more raw, real, and natural. I attempted a subtle performance by a complex character, and I am happy with the results. Full acknowledgement and appreciation goes to Nathan Haugaard. And watch the incredible Tiffany Gray!! 

I keep going back to this video, love her version!!!