CITY OF ANGELS

September 5th, I megabused down from SF to LA.

As glorious as instagram and other photos may have made my time here appear to be, I'll be honest in saying that I launched off on a rough patch. North Hollywood is... interesting. It is the mecca of dance, the birthplace of a lot of incredible artistry. And with that, comes hardcore grind, and with that, comes a lot of ingenuity and — in my opinion — lack of trust. Intimacy is a rugged road out here and it certainly goes to show in the daily conversations that tickle my ears.

Fast forward past all the praying (maybe some crying) and the biking around town, getting hit with a high fever and spending a lot of time alone, deep breath, today marks 2 weeks since I started training. It's not hopelessly glamorous, but, I am certainly blessed and very, very, happy. The few people that I know in LA have been an extension of love and grace. And this total dance immersion that I've only dreamed about for so(oooooo) long is, I'm telling you, absolutely surreal. My days are full of mental challenges and physical exhaustion, but even as I sit here in good ol' Torrance showered and ready for bed, I just want tomorrow to come real badly so I could get up and do it all over again. 

The picture above was my first class in the ML studio. Laure Courtellemont's dance hall kicked my butt, but hey, challenges excite me. In the most impeccable timing, I'm here, I'm hungry, and without a doubt growing. There is so much to learn from the history entrenched in the business of hollywood hustle. It's ugly, but more often than not it's charming. Now that the dust has settled, I'll use this space to document, process, and share a little piece of my life out here. Be inspired, keep in touch, and please, please, by all means do send some encouragement along the way.  Below are bits of my time so far.

 This was my resting place for the first two weeks. When I wasn't snuggling up besides @Sukiestyles I would wake up to this beautiful, coveted space. There's nothing more life-giving when morning calm is paired with this kind of aesthetic. 

This was my recovery coffee after K-town cold brew killed my tastebuds and threw my coffee expectations down the drain. This, my friends is iced almond latte with half a pump of lavender. If soy cappuccinos did it for me in New York, almond lattes will be the trademark of my time in LA. Joe's coffee with lavender (yes, lavender latte!) courtesy of Amanda Suk on my first day in Noho.

This was a game changer weekend. Arts District last saturday let my frustrated heart know that LA has its pockets of beauty and ease. Blog post coming sometime soon.