New Media

Ramping Up the Adventure

I’ve reached a leg of the trip that’s particularly challenging: I’ve established that I’m returning home to Los Angeles at the end of the month (via Chicago, very briefly) and I’m feeling a sensory overload. My good friends who have sat patiently on the phone while I work through the sheer volume of activities, emotions and challenges I’ve brought on myself in Manhattan can attest that I have had an intense few weeks – in a good way. Mostly.

I do want to relocate to New York permanently, which will likely happen later this spring, so with that decision made it is with mixed feelings that I return to California in a couple weeks. New York is exciting, vibrant, intellectual and the lifestyle suits me better. Yesterday, though, I could feel how suffocating and schizophrenic it would be over an extended period of time. (This must be why my grad school pals are constantly leaving town on the weekends!) Even though the apartment swap has been everything and more than I could ask for, I am starting to miss my personal context (my bed, the clothes I didn’t pack, Scarlett O’Hara, my books, etc.). Of course, I also miss my parents, Shannon and Rich, and Romi terribly. And I miss the little quirks of Highland Park; red leaves on the trees, tea at Cafe de Leche, Jesse’s guacamole, Tommy pouring Savignon Blanc all night at The York, long rambunctious walks with Ramsey while trying to BBM with Brian, the wind and the colors and music blaring with the top of my car down on the 134, and bopping over to Beantown for Diet Coke and a peek at the earrings at Angels Everywhere. [continues ...]

I’ve really kicked 2009 off to an amazing start, though. Wild adventures, tough lessons, contemplative moments, unbelievable memories (I wrote them all down on – gasp! – deadwood Sunday night, and it took up three whole pages of legal paper). Even the disappointments have been a blessing, made me tougher and more prepared for what’s ahead this year. Everyone wants me to write a story about the experience, but I am still somewhat reluctant because I don’t really write about my personal relationships in public anymore. (Except for the occasional passive-aggressive Facebook status to piss off my ex boyfriends now and then … but who doesn’t?)

It will be a challenging transitional period, but there are worse things than a bicoastal existence in the country’s most interesting cities. Ultimately, the quest for like-minded individuals is pulling me to New York. And a love of skyscrapers, dinner at 11pm, popping onto subways, writing into the wee hours, and Pick-a-bagel on 23 St & 3rd Ave. (I think I can proudly call myself a “regular” now.)

I’ve uploaded the Flickr gallery with pics from the last week: watching my college roommate perform as Cookie Monster in the traveling Sesame Street show at Madison Square Gardens, wandering Central Park over the weekend, some shots from Social Media week hullabaloo. >>

I’ve also been on “The Mike & Juliet Show,” attended the Tools for Change in Publishing conference, hit up some cocktail parties, researched and recruited bloggers for the Truu Confessions launch, and written like a maniac these past few days. I’ve finally caught a cold (which Gramma will NOT be happy about), and I suppose I should rest, but tomorrow are the Shorty Awards and more TOC conference! So, the show must go on.

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