Mental gymnastics.

I've been struggling with yoga lately. It's definitely my preferred workout of choice, but I'm just not getting out of it what I used to.  I was initially so drawn to yoga because I felt like it did a lot for both my mental and physical health, but recently, going to yoga has seemed like more of an obligation and has felt more stressful to me than relaxing. Probably because I have been so crazy busy this fall... but despite that, I have been trying to sprinkle in some other ways to maintain both my mental and physical health. Here is a look at how I have been trying to keep a balance over the last few months and find time to enjoy the fall (which apparently means random 90 degree days in November here...).

MENTAL HEALTH: Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
As we speak, I am sitting on the couch drinking a glass of wine. And I skipped yoga today. It was rainy, chilly, and I was in a bad mood. The traffic getting to yoga and parking would have been terrible and I wanted nothing more than to feel cozy and cook some comfort food. Shocking I know, that cooking and eating mac and cheese relaxes me. But I needed it tonight. There is just something about dancing around your kitchen, listening to music, and making-up an ingenious culinary creation.  That's right, totally made this up and I am super proud of it.  (The recipe is at the bottom of the blog post for those who are interested.) Then of course, putting on fuzzy socks and eating a bowl of the stuff is pretty divine too.

PHYSICAL HEALTH: Heroes of Hope 5K
As many of you probably know from Facebook, I ran a 5k last Sunday with some girls from my sorority Alumni group to benefit brain tumor research. It was a great day to run on the beach, a bit warm, but really beautiful. This was actually quite a big accomplishment for me. Since breaking my ankle 4 years ago and getting hardware to repair it, I have really struggled to run like I used to. I have had a lot of problems with leg pain and sciatica and have been really frustrated and annoyed with myself and my body.  It was really great to balance running with yoga to train for this and I really focused on not pushing myself too hard, too fast (my main problem post-new ankle). I'm proud to say that I ran the entire 5k in 29:16. My goal was to run it in 30 minutes, so I was spot on. The best part is that I feel great and more pain free than I have felt after running in a really long time.  And all of my wonder friends and family almost doubled my fundraising goal for the race. THANK YOU to everyone that donated.  It means so much to me and of course to those who will benefit from the research that is being funded at all the major hospitals in the LA area.

This adolescent bear is quite proud of me.

LA and I make amends...

So, after getting in a bit of a fight with Los Angeles, I spent sometime getting back to one of the things that made me excited about this city in the first place, nature. Being active and outside has always been somewhat of a reset button for me and a reset was definitely necessary these past few weeks.  I've been traveling a lot lately and I haven't had much time to relax. Any time that I have had in LA has been short and spent trying to cram in friends and events.  Without time to recharge, it's easy to get frustrated. Fortunately, between all of my trips and traveling, I was able to spend some time with nature.

A few weeks ago, my friend Carrie invited me to join a girl she knows from college and her friends to go hiking in Malibu. I've been hiking in Malibu many times, but I had never heard of these so called "moon pools" that we were going to see.  After a bit of a slow start, we made our way up PCH and up into Malibu Creek State Park.

Aside from being an absolutely gorgeous place to spend the day, the park has also been used to film many movies and tv shows, as part of it used to be owned by 20th Century Fox. One of the most well known things to be filmed in the park is the tv show M*A*S*H, and you can actually do a hike to the filming site.

M*A*S*H Site hike from Feb 2012

Dear LA Cab Drivers:

First of all, and with all due respect, SUCK IT! $10 minimum on a credit card? Forgive me for not tipping, but sorry I'm not sorry. The duration of my ride was less than a mile ($4.25 on the meter), get over yourselves. I know this crap flies here because "everyone drives" but frankly, I am sick of paying the financial punishment for being responsible or trying to find a safe way home (aka: not with a drive with someone who has been drinking or not walking alone). Here is a tip, EVOLVE!  New York and Chicago both have standardized cabs with regulated fares and credit card machines stationed in the back of every cab. Hell, St. Louis is more accessible and accommodating when it comes to cabs!  News flash: there is no minimum credit card payment in the actual cities of America, they allow you to pay for your actual fare with a credit card like civilized human beings. LA gets away with murder here because they can. I personally, cannot believe that that people here don't realize how disadvantaged they are with the entire transportation system. Seriously. Second biggest city in the country? Step up. I am continuously penalized for choosing to NOT drive my car. I choose to drive to LAX because it is cheaper and more cost effective than taking a shuttle or cab. I ALWAYS took the train in Chicago because was cheaper and more cost effective for me, not to mention better for the environment and at some points, a time saver.  Health conscious?  Environmentally friendly?  Seriously?!?!  Get over yourself LA. You have the worst public transportation of any city I have ever been in. Right now, I'm calling poser. So many people here have good intentions and noble, organic ideas of how to live life, but there is an underlying current of money and corruption that dominates. I'm sick of it. I have pretty much caved to a lifestyle that involves not leaving Santa Monica to try and not be exploited and I still loose. People of LA- demand more.  This is crap. Your services her are overpriced and under-functional. It is not ok. I even hesitate to call LA a city. I have for a while. This is a sprawling metropolis of bullshit. Talking it up doesn't make the shortcomings disappear. And tolerating it perpetuates the problem. Believe me, I want to love LA, but these "nuances" are making it difficult...

and stupid and elitist...

Cheese and Wine

Sunset and cocktails the top of the Shangri-la on my birthday

Oy, once again, time has gotten the best of me and I find myself weeks behind in my blogging  with several post ideas to write.  In my defense, I have been crazy busy- July was packed with visitors, trips, and my 27th birthday. I have not, and will not, have a free weekend until the end of September.  I'm not complaining, but this schedule leaves very little time for retelling all the action packed fun. In order to ease my burden, I'm using this post to kill two birds with one stone by combining two of my favorite July events which happen to feature two of my favorite things in the world: Cheese and Wine.

The cheese comes in my favorite form; mac and cheese. This year, my birthday party was a mac and cheese tasting hosted by my friend Danielle at her apartment. Guests were asked to bring a variety of mac and cheese to share and everyone at the party tasted the dishes and voted on their favorite.  I felt like a very lucky girl as many of my friends, new and old, showed up with various combinations of cheese and noodles. Even Joni and Sean made the trip up from San Diego!

My creation, Chorizo Mac and Cheese, surrounded by all of the
delicious contributions of my party guests.
Pure heaven.

Though everything was absolutely delicious, in the end, there could only be one winner...

Dreams DO come true!

This weekend I reached an epic milestone in not only my LA life, but my entire life as a whole.

I

FINALLY

used the Cupcake ATM!!!

If it were possible, I would be hugging the machine...

And my wonderful friend Emily was in town to share my special day with me.  After a weekend of fun, sun (perhaps a little too much...), and some quality time with one of my favorite college friends, we decided it was only appropriate to finish with dessert.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, and since I do not have the words to justly describe my epic experience, please enjoy the following picture montage of my fourth attempt at cashing in some dough.

Off the Wagon...

Hi. I'm Taylor, and I'm a Target-holic. The last time I had shopped was in December back in Iowa.  It was a quick trip, very under control.  My sister and I were putting some finishing touches on Christmas gifts. I didn't really choose to stop shopping at Target, it just kinda happened. See, there is no Target in Santa Monica. There is no Target in Venice, West LA, Marina Del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Westwood, Beverly Hills... there is no Target that is remotely close to me and my job.  It is one of the top things that I dislike about living here.

The closest Targets are in Culver City, there are allegedly 3 of them (selfish hoarders) according to Google maps though I can only account for two in my mind. Distance wise, Culver City is not far from me, but it requires a trip on either the 405 freeway or the 10 freeway and during peak hours, this is a nightmare.  I could plan to go on a Saturday morning or something, but I usually end up sleeping in, going to yoga, and enjoying relaxing and fun weekend time in Santa Monica.

So, due to distance and travel time, my relationship with Target had to end.  It's been a challenge for sure, but I've figured out where to buy things that I would usually get at Target around Santa Monica. The combination of the grocery store, Walgreen's, Bed Bath & Beyond, and the hardware store pretty much take care of it.  Four stops in a day can be super annoying, but it's better than the 405 at rush hour.

After semi-making peace with my Target-free life, I saw an opportunity yesterday, and I took full advantage.  Yesterday, my boss, one of our research assistants and I went down to the San Diego VA to hold a focus group and collect data for our new research project.  My boss lives south of me in Manhattan Beach, so we met at her house and went to San Diego from there. On the way back, it struck me. I was away from the Westside, and making my way home would be the perfect opportunity to shop at Target.  My excitement turned to elation when my boss informed me that there was a Target right in Manhattan Beach. Boom. Game on.

PaulSale's Corner: I majored in Tacos...

In honor of Father's Day, I bring you another tale from PaulSale. Some of you may have heard this one already from my sister, but I think it is worth being shared again.  Happy Father's Day to a man who is proud of all we do...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: PaulSale
Date: May 24, 2012 3:23:59 PM EDT
To: Kendall Sale
Cc: Taylor Sale
Subject: Letters after Taylor's Name?

Kendall,

Note the letters that are after Taylor’s name now when she sends an email from the VA.  One of them is CGC.  Isn’t that what you used to like to order all the time from Taco Bell? J

Taylor J. Sale, MS, MEd, CGC

 Thanks,
Paul Sale

Dream Big: 2012 Summer Fun Goals

So far, we are just about half way through June and the gloom has been manageable.  I can only remember one or two days where the marine layer hasn't burned off and even more days where there has been no layer at all!  However, when the gloom sets in, it does make it a bit difficult to get out of bed in the morning...

Regardless, I have decided that in order to take advantage of my first summer on the West Coast (also known as my first summer that feels only moderately warmer than winter), I've set some "goals" that I would like to accomplish:.

Barcycle Ride
So last week, I was driving down Main St. in Santa Monica, and I saw this:

A Barcycle.  It's a bar on wheels that is powered by the patrons pedaling it.  I think I may have seen one of these before in Boulder (?), but that's not really the point.  The point is that I want to take part in this. In Santa Monica. This summer.  Accomplices welcome.  Nay, encouraged.

6/17/12 UPDATE: After looking into the Barcycle, we discovered that there is no alcohol allowed on board. So basically you pay $30 to ride this thing three block down Main St and go to a few bars.  Totally not worth it...


Vino, te amo.
Way back in my first post of substance, I promised that I would be enjoying wine country soon after making my way to California.  That hasn't happened yet, and I can think of no better time to take a drive up PCH to the SoCal wine regions than the summertime.  Thanks to my lovely friends, I believe this trip is already in the works.

PaulSale's Corner: Hamster Kidnap

Our first installment of PaulSale's Corner features a text message (or multimedia message I suppose) that I received from my father while I was getting ready for my best friend's wedding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PaulSale:

Two Kia Souls and zero hampsters. I think this lady kidnapped them!

Sent: May  19, 11:52 AM

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

He later explained in person that this lady looked creepy and suspicious.

Bring on the Gloom...

Tomorrow is June. JUNE!  I have no idea where May went.  To jog my memory and catch everyone up (since I'm sure you have all been on the edge of your seats wondering where I am...) here is a photo recap of my Magnificent May:

First stop, SAN DIEGO for Joni's Junior League fundraiser gala and some quality time with her and Sean:

Island Divine

La Jolla Glider Port

Next, off to my favorite state, COLORADO, for Ms. Krystal's  mountain wedding:

Transplant Theory: Oxen and Chameleons

Along with palm tree and fake boobs, another thing LA is full of is transplants: people who have moved to LA from other places.  People who actually grew up in LA are about as rare as snowflakes.  I've met many a transplant over the last six months and have actually started to categorize them into two groups in my mind: oxen and chameleons.  Stay with me here, it's good I promise.

Oxen are the stubborn people.  The ones who move to LA and refuse to give up their customs and traditions from their old way of life.  They are often the ones who have moved to LA for a job or a relationship, not because they actually wanted to move to LA.  They tend to pick out the negative qualities of the city and claim that it's fake, plastic, and materialistic. They refuse to let the city change them.

Chameleons are eager to blend in and become "Hollywood." They are the people who have come out to LA to try and live the California lifestyle. They often have preset ideas about how living here will change their lives, and genuinely want to embrace change and absorb what LA has to offer. They may desire fame, fortune, or something else entirely, but they see LA as they key to their success. They want the city to make them.

Now, obviously not everyone fits into one of these two categories, and quite honestly, the people I gravitate towards and all of my friends out here have a healthy mix of both animals, perhaps we call them, oxeleons. They are open-minded, up for trying new things and having adventures, yet they are grounded and confident in who they are and where they come from.  They want the city to inspire them, but not define them.

The real question I have been asking myself lately is, which animal am I??

Greener Grass

Growing up, my childhood was filled with limericks to describe the process in which Winter would morph into Spring:

 "March comes in like a lion, out like a lamb."

"April showers bring May flowers."

In California, these rhymes are essentially useless since seasons as I know them aren't really a thing here.  To me, moving to the beach meant sunny skies and warm to mild (mind you, not hot) temperatures all year round.  Over the past week, I have learned the true meaning of "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."

In the middle of last week, the forecast for the weekend was absolutely thrilling:

I know, right!?

To be fair, this did play out as predicted, however, not in Santa Monica...

Challenge accepted.

Saturday was quite a day.  James, Emma, and I had all signed up to participate in the L.A. Challenge, an urban scavenger hunt put on by Challenge Nation.  We really had no idea what we were getting into until we got started, so I'm going to allow you to have the same experience by figuring out what this whole shindig was as you read the post...

After registering and deciding on our team name, "The Wild Westsiders," Emma purchased matching team t-shirts and we read the website and gleaned that we would be wandering around Downtown LA solving clues.  Before the challenge, 5 hints to the 12 clues we would get the next day were posted on Facebook:

Yeah... this gave us no advantage at all...

So after trekking downtown on Saturday morning, we went to check in for the race/hunt/adventure thing at a delightful restaurant/bar called "Big Wang's" (really?) and got our bibs before we grabbed lunch.

When we returned to BW's we gathered 'round with the other 163 teams to receive our clues.  I stood in a circle as team captain and was handed an envelope that I had to hold out in front of me until every team had an envelope and the organizers had counted down from 10.  Then everyone ripped open the clues and ran for the teams.  Naturally, I had lost Emma and James, but fortunately they found me and we got to work on our clues:

I realize you can't read this... don't worry

We were greeted by 12 clues, 11 of which needed to be completed to finish the challenge.  All needed picture evidence to prove that we had accomplished the task.  After trying to quickly and strategically figure out the areas of Downtown that we needed to go to and what order was best, we RAN to the Staples Center.

**Disclaimer: I apologize for my extremely stupid face in ALL of the pictures.  I was trying to say in character with the clues.  In hindsight, I look really tired, sweaty, and dumb.  Enjoy!

Hindsight

March was a crazy busy month, all ending with a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina for the American College of Medical Genetics Annual Conference.  ACMG was a really great experience: I presented a poster, learned about new and interesting things in genetics, and got to catch up with many of the Chicago area GCs that I haven't seen in quite a while.

I also had the most delicious red velvet cake I have ever had in my life.  And lots of southern style mac and cheese.

Anyway, ACMG also gave me a chance to do a bit of reflection on how much my life had changed in a year and how everything thing that has happened has absolutely been for the best.  Even though, if you had asked me a year ago where I would be today, Santa Monica is probably one of the last places I would have guessed.

LA in a Day

As I mentioned in my previous post, my sister was out here visiting last week.  Even though she was on spring break, I still had to work all week and even though she was at my house for a total for 7 days, we really only had one full day to hang out together and experience my new city.  Kendall came armed with many things she wanted to do and see all over the city and I had the challenge of figuring out not only how to fit everything in but how to combat traffic to do it.  Miraculously, we managed to have one perfectly crazy LA day with no traffic issues.

After coffee and a light breakfast at home, The Duchess and I took Kendall on a scenic drive up the PCH and through Topanga Canyon to our first stop:

Dash Calabasas

Gettin' Dough

I'm a big fan of cupcakes.  Big fan.  I'm one of those people for whom a completely terrible day can be totally turned around by someone handing me a red velvet cupcake. Seriously.  As intellectual as I can be, I'm really still as easily pleased as a small child.  I've earned me the nickname "The Little One" at work given that I'm the youngest and that things like my new business cards are the COOLEST thing ever even if they have my e-mail address wrong and I have to rip them from the Avery printable sheets myself. Anyway, I digress...

It's no surprise that receiving the following e-mail from my father on Sunday completely changed the focus of my week:

Sprinkles Announces 24-Hour-Cupcake Access

Maybe something that you guys should check out while Kendall is visiting.  It’s a 24 hour cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills. http://laist.com/2012/02/28/sprinkles_announces_24-hour-cupcake.php

Oh yeah, my sister is here.  That's pretty cool too, but I've had her for a little over 23 years.  A cupcake ATM is brand. spanking. new.  I'll write more about her visit later.  Right now- cupcakes.  Clearly, Ken and I made sure to jaunt over to BH on Sunday after dinner to check out the newest way to get your sugar fix.  The result:

FYI: Kendall's shirt is a brand new style
from Jill  Aiko Yee's upcoming spring line!

Yep.  The ATM was not yet up and running.  The article was extremely misleading.  And we were heartbroken, as you can probably tell by Kendall's expression.  Regardless, I began following the ATM on Facebook.  On Tuesday, the ATM updated it status and announced that it was open for business.  On Wednesday, Kendall and I again made our way to Beverly Hills after dinner to find this:

Psh.  Yeah.  Even I am not enough of a fat kid to wait in that line for a cupcake that may or may not even be fresh.  According to YouTube this is what my experience would have been like:

Chelsea Handler also had some comments about the new addition to our metropolis on her show (that I was not able to find on YouTube), namely recognizing that there are no drive-thrus in BH for a reason, the ATM is just asking for an "influx of drunk assholes" to the area and that they should really focus on a cupcake delivery service.  At this last point, my heart filled with pride and nostalgia, knowing that such a magic thing existed and that it was only in Boulder.

http://www.boulderbaked.com

Yes ladies and gentleman, Boulder,CO: Home of the Drunk Asshole has been doing delivery desserts since... well... at least since 2003 and probably for many, many years before that.  And they are fabulous.

In summary, the Cupcake ATM is exciting and seems awesome.  But like most over-hyped places in LA, there is no way that you can get near it for the time being and trying is going to be annoying as hell.  When they install one at the Jack in the Box I live next door to, life will be complete.  Mostly, I'm just bitter because I've failed at using the ATM.  Twice.  And because I drove down Rodeo Drive.  Twice.  In one week.  Wha wah.

Also, delivery deserts would be so clutch in LA and Boulder rules.

The Chase

There is something about a pursuit that makes it almost impossible to walk away from before it's over.  And the longer you're after something, the harder it gets to give up before the end.  This concept has been true for me for many goals and dreams in my life, but it is also extremely true for high-speed car chases.

A few weeks ago, I had yet another LA first: first televised police chase.  Apparently it happens somewhat frequently out here and apparently most everyone stops what they are doing to watch the action.  I came home from work and turned on the TV to find every channel taken over by the footage.  At first I was annoyed that I couldn't watch Family Feud as planned, but before I knew it, I was totally invested in the chase.  And it wasn't even a very good chase!  There was a white pick-up truck (I almost thought it was a white bronco at first, damn) driving around the neighborhoods of Echo Park and Silver Lake going about 40 mph.  Not so high-speed... but you can't look away!  And why was this fool not getting to a highway and trying to outrun everyone!?!  What was his plan!?!?  When will it end!?!?  Ahhh, I swear, this is what must have started reality TV.

Anyways, like all good things, this too had to come to an end:  

The conclusion was satisfying, but the best part of this delinquent's endeavor truly was the chase.  The suspense, the effort, the uncertainty of the outcome and the speculation of how it would all go down was what kept me (and many of the citizens of LA) on the edge of the couch.

As for my current pursuits?  We (the other genetic counselor and myself) recently got privileges from the VA to start seeing patients!  I imagined that when this day finally came I would be handed a patient chart, given a pat on the head, and sent into an exam room to do my job.  The process has turned out to be a bit more step-wise and more of a challenge then I initially imagined.  The expectations are definitely high and the learning curve is steep.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated, both with the process and myself, but I have to keep in mind that this is what I asked for; what I wanted.  I wouldn't be satisfied with a job that wasn't a challenge and didn't push me.  Success is better when it's earned, patience is a virtue, good things come to those who wait, yadda yadda, blah blah.

As much as I try to tell myself all of these things, I'm still dying to get on the highway and hit the accelerator.  But if there is anything a moderate-speed car chase can teach you, it's that the journey is what ultimately makes the outcome worth it.  Guess it's time to set my cruise at 40 and make the most of the ride... and hope I have a better ending than the dude in the white pick-up...

You can take the girl outta the Midwest...

but you can't take the Midwest cooking style out of the girl.  That was blatantly evident at my Super Bowl party last Sunday.  Just to set the stage a bit, let me remind you that I really like football and I really like food.  I particularly enjoy an opportunity to combine them both.  In the past this has led to endevors such as this:

Super Bowl '09 Cardinals v Steelers
Created with the lovely and talented Alison Clark

This year I decided that instead of focusing my efforts on one awesome dish, I would create many dishes, all with an ample aura of awesomeness...

Soooooo I may have gotten super excited and over-cooked for my party... oops?  It wouldn't have been such a bad thing except for the fact that everything I cooked was laden with cheese, carbs and spicyness; definitely not anything you could or should eat for a week straight.  Paula Dean chooses butter, I choose cheese.  Note for the future: people in California have more dietary preferences and healthier eating habits than people in the Midwest.  Again, not such a bad thing except for the fact that it left me with nearly 2 lbs of mac and cheese...

So let's recap.  I'm going to assume that everyone knows how the Super Bowl turned out and knows the major game highlights.  I'm also going to assume that if you don't know, you probably don't care.  Thus, all I will say about the game it that it was watched at my house on my new TV.  The patio bar was stocked with fun beverages and a great time was had by myself and my lovely friends, both new and old, who also helped contribute to the buffet with delicious (and healthier) dishes like salmon and fresh guac.

My ridiculously unhealthy and fairly monochromatic spread was as follows:

Buffalo Chicken Tartlets

Seacrest Sausage Balls
(sigh, don't ask.  The name in Kendall's fault...)

Beer-battered Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese

Mom's Taco Dip
(Sorry, I forgot to take a pic.  This is an old pic from a
tailgating attempt at Northwestern Game.  It usually looks better...) 

All of these tasty delights (save for the taco dip, that's a Sale family secret) can be recreated in your own kitchen with the ridiculously easy steps enclosed below. Note: I don't measure, I'm sorry.  I'll try to do my best to give amounts when I can but when in doubt, just start adding a little and then adding more to taste.

Pinned Up

I have a new obsession.  Well, new to me because many people I know have been doing this for ages. 

Yep, it got me.  I thought I would just take a peek, check it out to see what was going on, pick up some new recipes to cook, keep a low profile.  Oh no.  I'm in this thing.  I'm pinning like a mad women.  I had to force myself to go to bed the other night and was nearly late to work today.  This could be a serious set back to getting out and experiencing LA....  

Make a list, check it twice...

Soon after I made my trek out West, Gnat gave me a list of things that would make me a true Angeleno and measure my assimilation to the Cali lifestyle.  Since receiving those items, I have accomplished getting stuck in traffic.  That's it.  It's quite clear that I belong here as much as an arctic penguin.

With that said, it's no surprise that Gnat sending me an e-mail link to 150 Things to do in LA a few weeks ago struck fear through to my very core.  I was already sucking at one list and now here was 150 more things for me to suck at.  Awesome.

Soooo... I took a deep breath and prepared to feel overwhelmed and hickish- yet determined to read the entire list and really see what I'm up against out here.  The result- pleasant surprise!  I've actually done a lot of things! And I got some great ideas for new things to try!  For the full list of 150 items, feel free to click the link above.  Otherwise, enjoy my highlights below...

Bedroom for One

One of the biggest decisions I made when moving out to LA was about my living situation.  Aside from deciding where I was going to live, I was also deciding between living alone and living with roommates.  After weighing the pros and cons and realizing that no matter what choice I made, there were going to be days that I would regret it, as you all probably know, I decided to take the plunge and live alone.

After three months in my current living situation I feel like I have had enough time to settle in and that I can now assess the situation with clear eyes and officially say that I LOVE LIVING ALONE!!!  Seriously, I can watch whatever I want on the TV, I don't have to share the bathroom and there is soooooo much room in the fridge!  Seriously- look at all the Lean Cuisines I can have!

And there is still sooooo much more room!  I have seriously never regretted my choice for even a second though there are a few tiny things that make me miss having another person around the house...

Urban Jungle

Moving from the 3rd largest city in the US to the 2nd largest, I expected that I would be getting more of a lot of things.  More traffic, more smog, more people, more money (earned and spent), more sunshine, more professional basketball teams, more celebrities, more homeless people, and well, you get the picture.  One thing I was not expecting more of was nature.  I was actually expecting to move to a larger city and get less nature to account for the more of everything else.  LA has pleasantly surprised me by being a place that is FULL of natural beauty and outdoorsy activities.  Who knew?