Just a Midwestern girl off to LA to live out my nerdy science dream... and hopefully make new friends, have awesome adventures and consume delicious food and beverage in the process...
As I alluded in my last post, it's time for a new adventure. And of course I have had something in the works, but, ya know, don't count your chickens before they hatch. However, today the chickens hatched and I accepted an official offer to work at the Navy Medical Center in San Diego! I'll be starting my new job on July 15th, and I will be providing all the genetic counseling for the entire hospital from my wonderful office complete with a table and chairs for guests! I will be losing all the research time that I have at my current job, but I will be gaining a TON of clinic time with patients, which is my favorite part of my job anyway. I could not be more excited for this challenge and for a move to a new city that should be a bit more my speed than LA.
So tonight, I skipped yoga and am indulging in two of my favorite things, champagne and red velvet cake. I believe in celebrating our victories in life, small or large. And after getting the tentative job offer back at the very beginning of April, I am ready to finally get excited and share the news!
As I gear up to head a little bit further South, I will have an LA bucket list to check off and plenty of moving action to share. So here we go, let the next chapter commence!
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.
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...
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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
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.
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:
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.
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.
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...
Moving to a new place gives you a chance to start over, potentially even reinvent yourself if you so choose. And it all starts with how you present yourself when you meet new people. Lately I've been thinking a lot about my "backstory"- what I tell people when they ask about what I do, where I'm from etc. I noticed a while ago back in Chicago that I tend to alter my story based on where I am, who I am meeting, or how long of a conversation I wish to be in. Now when I say alter, I don't mean lie. I never say anything that isn't the truth, I just tend to leave things out or frame things in a way that fits the conversation I wish to have. For example:
Question: Where are you from?
Potential answers: 1. I grew up in Iowa. 2. I went to school in Colorado 3. I just moved here from Chicago
All of these are true- but they all lead to very different conversations. Unless specifically pressed, I tend to shy away from telling people I grew up in Iowa. This isn't to say I'm not proud of Iowa, I just tend to find the conversations that follow to be... well... annoying.
Answer #1: I grew up in Iowa.
Sample Responses: 1. Wow, I've never met a farmer! 2. You must really like potatoes! (Yep, I've had people think it's IDAHO) 3. I don't even know where that is... 4. Heh heh, ever go cow tipping? 5. My [insert random relative] is from Iowa! Do you know them?
One of the biggest criteria I had for my new place in LA was that I wanted to have easy access to the outdoors. Whether that was living close to the beach or having my own patio- I was determined to get something. One of my favorite things about my Chicago apartment was our deck space.
On the nice days, I practically lived out there. A LOT of stuff when down on those decks:
Philosophically, there are multitudes of different opinions on what constitutes "home". People, places, things, states of mind or combinations of these. For me, it's difficult to describe how I view "home" because it's more of a feeling I get. I feel a comfort, familiarity and warmth with floods of old memories and excitement for new ones. For me, home is not necessarily where I live, though places I live do often become home.
I knew October in LA was going to be difficult for me- the weekend I moved into my apartment is the only weekend I have had and will have in the apartment all month. To top that off, all of my weekends would be spent with many old friends in all of my favorite places. This past weekend was the motherload. First stop:
The changing leaves, bonfires, football, scarves, boots, sweaters, comfort food- everything! Unfortunately for me, Fall isn't really a "thing" here in California. It's been sunny and in the 70s or 80s everyday with some cooler temps at night that are just lacking that crisp fall smell.
A weekend trip to St. Louis for the wedding of two of my favorite teacher pals, Kristen and Chris, was just the ticket to get into the fall spirit. I stepped of the plane into the heart of fall. Even the wedding was complete with gorgeous fall touches and a jar of apple butter for a favor:
Today is one of those days were I do everything I can to move a process forward and them am left to rely on others to finish their part before real progress is actually made. Thank goodness it's sunny and nice here or I would be going crazy right now. These past few months has been a total exercise in patience for me, something I am not very good at.. on with the life updates!
Alright, so you know when you were a kid and you would get a new toy and play with it all day, everyday for like a week and then never again?? I find that as an adult-ish person, I still have this quality though now it mostly applies to workout plans and guys I attempt to date. I'm also concerned that this may happen to my blog. So my first 5 posts were all consecutive (*cough* excited child) and then followed by about 5 days of radio silence however, I feel that I have a perfectly good excuse for my lapse: playing in Chicago!
Before I head out to California, I really wanted to make one more visit to the city I love enough to consider one of my three homes (Iowa and Colorado would be the other two) and soak in all of my favorite things. It seems logical that I should have memories of having fun, knowing my way around a place and spending time with people I love before I'm lost, confused and friendless on the coast.
Well folks, while the month of August has left me feeling like a freeloader on my parents couch, this first week in September has skyrocketed me towards my new independent life in LA. Here's the progress:
1. I finally have something in my name other than debt
Ok, so we are actually celebrating a successful tire change.
This does accurately capture my emotions about the ownership
of said vehicle though.
While The Duchess (long story) and I have been together for several years now, she technically belonged to my parents. Now, she is truly and legally mine- along with two blown-out front speakers and a faint smell of squid from a transport malfunction for an AP Bio project (don't say I never did anything for you children of STL). And the speakers hadn't crossed my mind for YEARS (I know, I suck) until I saw my Dad type "As Is" on our "contract" (and I probably just got myself in trouble with PaulSale). Regardless, I own a car, I'm excited, and yes, you will have trouble conversing with others if you sit in my back seat. No, that smell is not my car, it's you. Just smile and enjoy the music.
2. I've been put to the test
My time in Iowa has left me both bored and board- as in studying for my genetic counseling certification exam. Mom and I trekked to the Quad Cities this morning so that I could sit for my 3 hour exam while she shopped and did other productive things. I will not know if I passed the test for a few months (gaaa, I know) but it was an important step in my career and now leaves me with time to focus on other endeavors. Which is important because....
Photo pulled from Google Image Search
3. I see movement
That's right, a plan for the big move is falling into place. I've been told to get out to California as soon as I can- and the week after next is the target! So while I'm fitting all the pieces to transition me and my stuff occupying the 'rents 3rd stall garage out to LaLa land, I'm making one final trip to Chicago this weekend to toast the previous milestone with some of my classmates and enjoy what may be my final days with a real social life for some time. Once I'm in LA, I'm pretty much starting from scratch. More on that later of course :)
I know I am. Football is a sure sign of fall (I'll save my obsessive love of fall for another post) and the weather this past weekend in Iowa was a perfect match for the start of high school football and college football (even if Colorado's debut as a Pac-12 team was less than stellar). With the pro season kick-off rapidly approaching I must say that I'm excited for a new venture in the football arena this year. No friends, I'm not talking about the new indoor football team in CR, I'm talking about fantasy football! This year, in addition to manically cheering on my Buffs and my Bears, I will be managing and dominating my fantasy league with... wait for it.... Refrigerator of Sweetness. Epic, I know. If you don't get it, sorry you're not awesome.
I knew that fantasy football was for me after watching the first two seasons of The League on FX. If you haven't seen the show, I recommend you watch it immediately; it's hilarious and takes place in Chicago. I can only hope that my fantasy league incurs such debauchery and absurd competitiveness. I must say, I was fairly disappointed when my draft order was doled out to me in an e-mail from ESPN as opposed to being determined in a manner such as this.
But in all seriousness, I cannot wait to start fantasy football- and the wait is almost over, my (autopick) draft is at 5am tomorrow morning! I've spent the last several weeks participating in mock drafts, tinkering with my autopick strategy and reordering my pick preferences to ensure a championship combination of beefy and agile gentleman is delivered to my inbox much like a present under the Christmas tree. I'm confident that my obsessive planning and organization coupled with my adorably competitive nature will pay off. After all, I am going against a bunch of genetic counselors, most of whom are female and one of whom is a male that thinks football involves kicking a black and white ball into a net...
