Happy Birthday to Me

I turned 26 today, which really isn't in and of itself much of an event but it's what's going on in my life and clearly you don't have much better going on or you wouldn't be reading this so sit back and listen.. or read.. or, whatever.

I'll be honest, sometimes I question my choices. I wonder if maybe there's a better version of me living in some alternate universe. I could've gone to a better school, chosen a better career, given more to my community yada yada yada. And for some reason, my birthday always seems to be the occasion I choose for this masochistic vision into another world. Which inevitably leads me to get really angry at alternate universe Lea. She went to Columbia. She works at the consulate in Barcelona. She's a published a novelist. She competes in triathlons. She speaks three languages and builds irrigation systems in third world countries I can't find on a map. God, I hate her. And then today, on the inauguration of my 26th year on this planet I call home, it hit me. If there's alternate universe hate-her-cause-she's-too-damn-perfect Lea, than the laws of physics can only insist there is also underachieving-going nowhere-lifetime makes movies where she's the bad-guy Lea. What goes up must come down right? And THEN let me tell you, life just got a hell of a lot better. Suddenly I'm walking on air. You see, alternate-alternate universe Lea, we-he-hell. SHE thinks twinkies for breakfast are fabooo. College is for suckers, and that 4 pack-a-day habit is nothing to worry about. Who needs two lungs anyway, right? She doesn't vote, she never exercises and she pronounces library "libary".

I'm not saying somewhere in the middle is good enough for me, but I do think the gift of perspective is an exceptional present to give myself this year. Happy Birthday to me!

No I Didn't Join a Commune and Fall Off the Grid

There's been a little moaning and groaning about my lack of postings lately. Apparently a few of you actually give a rat's patootie about what I've been up to out here. (I'll admit, I'm flattered by both of you) So, guess what I did this last month. Get ready for it, here it comes, it's a big deal. I bought a couch. No seriously, about the only momentous thing I've done in the last month was buy a couch. What do you want from me people? I'm not made of adventure and sparkle ok? How many times can I blog about how sunny and wonderful and great California is? I'm void of ranting, this place has nothing to complain about. That's all I got. We're down to blogging about avocados and organic cotton. Ok Lea, breathe, you can do this. Block out the sunshine and channel your inner-bitter. Alright, here we go. Today, I'll start with things I already miss about the East Coast: Autumn. I miss the leaves shuffling and the smell of the air and the brisk breezes. I miss pumpkin carving with friends (the prospect of carving via skype was suggested but ultimately vetoed at the idea of pumpkin guts all over my brand new mac). I miss being able to hail a cab, having a guaranteed good time place to go on a Thursday night and the Friday morning camaraderie with my fellow Thursday-is-the-new-Friday philosophers. I miss pizza... a lot. I miss bosses that don't say "dude". I miss booking the Cape Air puddle jumper that cost forty nine bucks to fly home for Christmas. And of course I miss all the people. Making new friends is hard work, mostly because good friends are hard to find. But, I'm working on it, I'm getting there.

The apartment is almost completely furnished. A few more deep dips into my checking account and it will really look like a grown-up lives there. There is no grown-up, it's just me, but if you install a wine rack and actually try to make your furniture match, people will think you're an adult. It's an easy enough scam to pull off. I'll post pics as soon as I finish decorating (and by decorating I mean buying a coffee table and vacuuming the carpet)

Settling In

There's a single suitcase sitting in my living room. It's maybe one quarter full. I pass it every day thinking "I should really take care of that"... and then I don't... Ok you know what, I was gonna try to incorporate this into a more eloquent story line, but it's late and I'm lazy. I'll make it easy on everyone. The suitcase is me. It's an analogy... about how I'm mostly settled into this new life but a small part of me is still missing everything back east blah blah well phrased and eloquently spoken blah. I'll work from that angle some other time. I don't have it in me right now. Let me just give you a run down of what's going on.

I've managed to find Trader Joe's, a Peet's Coffee, Costco, and an awesome hairstylist, so I've got the essentials in life, but ask me how to get to gas station and I'll have to pull out the GPS (which we named "Jeeps" during the drive cross country, which is just GPS pronounced phonetically and subsidized with vowels, but I like it, and it makes me think of Jeeves, which almost makes me think someone else is driving around my base-model, purchased-used hatchback, and that makes me feel good).

The Purge of 2010 left Goodwill with literal carloads of my old crap. The great migration out of Boston left my parents with half the crap that didn't get lost in the purge, leaving only a carload of possessions to haul west. Logic, then, may only deduce that the proper course of action, after unloading what I already had, was to go out and get all new crap. Ten days and miles worth of receipts later, the new digs look almost livable.

"Bloggle" is the coolest craziest place on earth. It's like college only the food is much much better and they pay you to be there. There will be time to elaborate later but I should at least say that I've spent the last two weeks in shock, awe and utter bewilderment that I managed to land such a sweet gig before even reaching California. I'm so grateful to have employment especially with this country's current economic climate. I shudder to think what the last few days would have been like had I been wading in the uncertainty of unemployment.

The never-ending sunshine, marathon shopping and sweet, sweet kick-ass job have mostly kept me preoccupied but in all sincerity I hope all of you back east know I miss you and I can't wait until the next time we're on the same coast, whichever one that may be.

First Days

I used to love first day of school. Of course it was sad to see summer end but if truth be told it was getting a bit boring. By Labor Day the weather started to turn, Nickelodeon programming went back to the preschool shows and my brothers were wearing thin on my nerves. The night before I'd line up my school supplies and lay out that first day outfit. Counting the number 2 pencils and 3 ring binders I reveled in the newness awaiting. I can still feel the weight of one hundred sheets of wide-ruled loose-leaf paper wrapped tight in shiny plastic. A fresh new start in a brand new classroom. A new desk. A new teacher. A new me. Of course the first day came and went and it was mostly the same as the year before but the possibilities were there, and seemingly endless.

Tomorrow starts the new job at "Bloggle" (yep, we're still calling it that). I'm excited about all the perks and the cool gadgets. The health insurance and the paycheck will be welcome as well. But, more than anything I'm looking forward to a fresh start and new possibilities.

Are We There Yet?

So, in the last month I have gone through: 4 planes, 2 trains, 3 automobiles, 6 time zones, 5 houses, 6 hotel rooms, 3500 miles (driven) and countless pit stops. And still, I am not at my final destination though I'm hoping to sign a lease in the next few days. I'm exhausted. I'm sick of living out of a suitcase, and I am so glad I put myself through the whirlwind. Really excited to start the new J-O-B next week (as is my bank account) and I can't wait to settle back into a reliable routine.

PS, I'll be back tracking and blogging about the 2 weeks in Europe and the trio cross-country just as soon as I unpack and find the chord to upload photos from my camera. Words won't do the pictures justice!

Quick Like a Band-Aid

I have vivid memories of myself as a child pulling slowly at the sticky mess formerly known as a Band-Aid, my mother assuring me it was time for it to come off. And I remember how much it hurt with each tug pulling just one teeny bit at a time. "Just pull it fast. It'll hurt less". First one brother and then the other insisting that quick was better, but my mind couldn't fathom how all those little pulls together could hurt less than one at a time. Of course eventually I learned. The mind doesn't have time to process each sting, nor anticipate the next. So has it been with the move west. It took over a month to say goodbye to a job, a city, a neighborhood, an apartment, colleagues, friends, and family. And just like the Band-Aid, each goodbye has stung exponentially more knowing there were so many behind it and so many more ahead. Today was the last pull as I said goodbye to one of my nearest and dearest friends who was kind enough to make the drive west with me. And while it was a difficult farewell, it feels good to know that that hardest part is finally over. And if I ever move again, I'll say my goodbyes quick, just like a Band-Aid.

An American in Paris

I've been entirely too busy falling in love with Paris to devote any time to a computer but Sunday is a day of rest and Saturday was very much a day of play so some down time was much needed. This morning I ventured out for a cup of coffee and something to eat. Bad idea on a Sunday morning in Paris. I wandered past several closed cafes before conceding to be the American and grab a Starbucks (Judging me right now? Ya? Okay let's see what happens when it's you rolling out of an all night bender in desperate need of caffeine m'kay?). Please be advised, Starbucks isn't Starbucks in France. It's some type of substandard swill the French government engineered to assure Parisians french coffee is the best. It's a disgrace to the American cup of Joe and I'm writing to the embassy to have it removed immediately, if not sooner. (For the record, I ordered a black coffee, not one of those sad sugar laden things they call a latte. And yes, I love the espresso here but sometimes you just need a whole cup of caffeine not just a shot).

I should have quit while I was behind but I guess I'm just not that smart. I finally found a boulangerie that was open on a Sunday and hopped in for what I thought was going to be a tasty little lunch. I have to say that thus far I have only occasionally encountered the stereotypical french attitude towards foreigners but this particular bakery had it in spades. After being ignored, snapped at, passed by and snubbed, I walked out the door with what I thought would be a french bakery version of a pizza. No, I was not expecting American pizza. No, I was not expecting Italian pizza. What was I expecting? Some tasty bread with some interesting cheese. What did I get? A tastless carbohydrate dish with tomato soup/sauce and a non-descript cheese substance that I couldn't identify and didn't enjoy.

In the last few days I've had some of the best meals of my life. The french know how to do many things very very well, possibly better than any other culture and that makes it hard to remember that not every gastronomical experience will be a good one. When I go back to the states I'll spend weeks raving about the culinary experiences I've had, but the first thing I'm going to get is a giant cup of coffee, closely followed by a piece of pizza pie.

London Days 2, 3 and 4

Mkay, so I've bee entirely too busy to sit down at a computer and type out all the things I've been up to but I finally have a sec so here's a top 10 of things I've learned whilst visiting London:

1. You can slap a Mercedes symbol on just about any crappy looking car.

2. Fish and Chips, big let down

3. I was stupid enough to actually believe there was a magical way to fry fish that tasted better than what it sounds like

4. If it's called "Carnival" it's code for scantily clad people wasted before noon. No Ferris wheels involved.

5. As clothing goes, if it's not slutty or sequined I can't afford it.

6. The art of espresso and foam is alive and well.

7. A good friend is one who lives in a very cool area with a very high cost of living and is also willing to put you up for a week.

8. You must never assume that pudding is pudding. It's not always pudding.

9. Same goes for bacon.

10. You're never too old to find puppets amusing (go see Avenue Q, absolutely hilarious)

London Day 1

Firstly, I gotta say I love British airlines. On a six hour flight there were three beverage services (including free booze), a three course dinner, muffins for breakfast and "sweets" just before landing. Also, the stewardesses have really kept themselves up. Never have I seen more Bump-It and Bun combos in my life.

After much tribulation and an exceptionally rude customs employee I headed back to Shae's flat, entourage in tow (Shae, Val and Lindsay). Val and Lindsay were off to Paris today. I'll catch up with them next week. Shae and I hit up a bike shop slash cafe for lunch followed by a 3 hour nap, a pub visit and some delicious kebab (which here is in fact not meat on a stick but rather meat in a pita with various delicious things on top... my new favorite post-pub food) heading to bed relatively early in the hopes of catching up to London time by morning.

Cheers!

Leaving On a Jet Plane

All my bags are packed. I'm ready to gooooo!!!!! But I do know when I'll be back... September 9th. The time has come for me to actually take one of those vacation thingys people are always blabbing about. And not the kind where I sleep on my brother's couch and chase the munchkins around. They're cute but there's always some type of liquid coming out of them, they can't feed themselves and I can't take them with me to the bar... I mean I could... but I feel like people might judge. Anyway, so I'm crossing the big blue ocean and checking out the scene across the pond. As I've never been (gasp, judge the uncultured girl) it will be a brand spanking new experience. I plan on drinking too much, eating too much, and spending entirely too much money on a handbag so that for the rest of my life when someone asks me wherever did I get that fabulous purse I can casually reply "oh at this cute little shop dans Paris. (Yes I'll be one of those people.) I'll try to take some time to give the bloggity blog some love and update with photos. Otherwise stay tuned for a boatload of posts in 2 weeks when I get back. Au revoir for now!