Well, we've finally made it.
It's been a little over a week since moving into our apartment in North Hollywood, and we're still settling in. The actual apartment looks great, though. Our mother really outdid herself with the trips to Ikea and Target. We have things I didnt even know I would want, like area rugs and a decorative mirror. We have multi-colored throw pillows, coasters, and magnetic bulletin boards. It's like a college dorm, only much nicer. I feel like a real grown up...if only I had a job.
Backing up a bit here - we left Buffalo bound for LA last Monday morning. I was sad almost to the point of hysteria as the plane climbed farther and farther away from my home, but I was hopeful at the same time. We had the dogs with us on the plane, and they did great. The first flight was way too long - from Buffalo to Vegas is almost 5 hours. Next time, we're going to try to break it up a bit more evenly. Once we boarded the second plane - which was only a 41 minute flight to LA - the dogs were pretty much done. But they still didn't make a peep - just a bit of digging at the carrier from George. I was proud and relieved.
Upon our arrival in LA, we got our rental car and high-tailed it over to Carl's Jr. Fast food in LA doesn't even compare to McDonald's and Burger King. In-and-Out Burger, Carl's Jr, Chik-Fil-A, etc...I'm not sure how people stay thin living here. I've been here a week and a half and I think I've managed to gain 5 pounds.
We made it to our hotel in one piece and got some rest. The next day, we had planned on going to our apartment building to sign the lease, pay the deposit, and get the keys. My step-father, Jim, was en route from Buffalo to meet us with our belongings, and he was due to arrive later that evening. Of course, as always happens with my family, we were unable to get into the apartment that day because there was a miscommunication about how they accept payment. They wanted a cashier's check, and we didn't have one. So, instead of getting the keys, we had to find another hotel in the area. We quickly found a dog-friendly Holiday Inn 5 minutes away in downtown Burbank. I love Burbank - if we ever decide to leave this place, I'd definitely look for an apartment there. It has a really cool downtown feel, but at the same time it feels extremely safe.
Jim arrived at around 8:30 that evening, and we couldn't have moved our stuff in that late anyways, so we settled for having a drink in the top floor hotel lounge and went to bed early. We were back at the apartment complex by 11 the next day. The lease-signing process was grueling and made all three of us second guess our decision. This building is gorgeous, safe, and offers lots of amenities...but when they make you sign your life away via a 34 page lease (for 3 months, no less), it becomes less about granite countertops and more about "are these people going to completely screw us over and make our lives hell?"
The big move-in went as smoothly as it could go, with one large man and 2 gays doing the moving. Someone had to stay upstairs with the dogs the whole time while another person had to stand downstairs and hold the lobby door open. So those tasks were given to my mother and I, much to our delight. I'm not so good with heavy lifting. I also forgot how much STUFF I have. Box after box after crate after bin was mine. It almost got embarassing...and scary. My room is smaller than I remember, and my closet is tiny. After setting up my actual furniture, there was really nowhere to put all of my crap. So the closet is piled to the ceiling, and my bookshelf is 4 deep with the 7 boxes of books I felt the need to bring. Oh well. It worked out.
Since then, my mother has graciously spent most of her time doing the aformentioned shopping, buying us everything from glassware to bath mats. It goes without saying, we could not have done this without her - or at least, maybe we could have, but it would feel like a frat house in here with plastic cups and wet floors. I, of course, was stricken with a vicious cold almost immediately, so I've spent most of this week alternately unpacking and coughing up a lung.
Of course, I wouldn't let a little thing like possibly having step throat stop me from exploring the local nightlife. BIL, Max's friend Katy, and I went out last Friday night. We tried this little wine bar within walking distance of our apartment. It was nice there, but a tad snooty...not what we were looking for. So we checked out a few things online (God bless iPhones) and called a cab - there were a few bars about a mile from our place, but we didn't really feel like walking in heels...let alone feel safe enough to do so quite yet. We went to a place called No Bar, which is quickly becoming a favorite of ours. It's sort of like a classier Pink. No windows, super dark, gross bathrooms...but they have couches! Also, the one bartender bought Dharma beer and whiskey from the Lost auction last week...that fact alone automatically grants the place 1,000,000 Awesome Points. So far, we've been to No Bar twice, which means it's probably going to become our regular haunt. Of course, the second time we went, we were barred from going outside for about an hour because there was apparently a gunman driving around the area. So...that may change things...
Other than that, there's been a lot of adjusting, sweating, and emailing resumes. I'm hopeful that I'll get a few callbacks soon - it's lovely laying around all day, but I have a feeling it's going to get old fast...especially when I start getting annoyed at BRO for breathing or run out of beer money. I was happy to realize that I do still love it here as much as I did in April. But at the same time, I don't think it's really hit me yet that I'm staying. This morning was the first time I really felt upset - when my mother and Jim left. BRO seems elated to have freedom...I'm mostly scared that I'm completely on my own for the first time ever. No mom to run over and drop off groceries when my bank account is empty. No friends to stop over for drinks and a movie after work. It's pretty intense, but I've been surprisingly ok so far. No panic attacks, no major meltdowns. I miss my friends all day, every day, but I'm excited to find a new group of people to hang out with in LA.
So again, I'm hopeful. A little teary, a lot lonely...but hopeful.
Stay tuned...
