The Blog is Back

For those of you that were worried that I had fallen off the face of the Earth, I apologize. As many of you already know, I have a weird (and totally bizarre) pet peeve of only updating my Hollywood blog when I am actually IN Hollywood. But enough about my silly little things...

This trip back home was something truly special. I appreciated the time back home and enjoyed seeing all of my family and friends again for the holiday season. A special thanks to those people who really made my visit back home extra special. I truly appreciate it.

On this most recent trip home, some of my friends caught me a few times when I referred to my apartment in California as “home”. Whenever it was brought to my attention, I froze up in shock and didn’t know how to react. It was easier to say than to actually think that California is my new home. However, while I may live their the majority of the time now, I will still always see South Milwaukee as my first (and best) home. I proudly advertise to people in California that I am from the area and I truly enjoy being able to say that I am proud to be from a state that produces snow. (Even if nobody in California knows what snow is.)

Visiting back home in both November and December was a lot like giving myself a new, fresh breath of oxygen. It is so incredible to be able to be around friends that KNOW me and see people that I have made close friendships with over the years.

Without question, living in California is the most difficult thing I have ever done. One of my biggest struggles out here is one I continue to fight with myself. All alone. There are many times when I am lonely and I wish more than anything that I could be back home with my friends from Wisconsin. I know that friends in California will come over time, but unfortunately that doesn't make the present day any easier. I know that within due time, it WILL happen, but its just rough at times. One of the reasons my start out here was so challenging was because literally overnight I was away from my family and friends, starting off on my own in a state that I knew nothing about(with the help of my awesome roommate, Krystal).

I am extremely fortunate to have found a ton of great things in the short time I’ve been in California. I am grateful to have an amazing job at Universal Studios, and I look forward to starting a new job teaching in a school district out here within the next week. As some of you know, I am now searching for a 3rd job to fill some of the time that I will have open in the mornings when I’m not at college, teaching, or working at Universal. All of this is a completely new experience (I had a perk of running my own business back home, but out here, I’m not the only one producing and directing videos), but I am confident that over time, things will get easier and come more naturally.

I cannot thank those that have helped me enough. Whether you have just talked to me in person or on the phone, sent me a letter, or given me words of encouragement to know you are thinking of me....all of it really helps and is truly appreciated.

This is a challenge that is like nothing I’ve ever done, and it is a lot harder than I expected it would be. I am giving it my all to make sure that it works, but as we all know, all good things come with time. I’d like to hope that Steven Spielberg will be knocking at my door tomorrow morning, but if that doesn't work, I have a back up to get where I want to be.

Again, thank you, to everyone that has supported me and my journey out here. I miss being back in Wisconsin more than some people realize (I miss the people, not the snow....just for the record), but I know that being out here is where I need to be to get where I need to go.