Runaway No More.

I signed a year long lease on a guesthouse in Hollywood today.  Not a euphemism,  I literally signed a rental lease.  Wrote a big fat check, got keys to my own place for the next year.  If any of you know me at all, you can imagine that I have already had several identity crises regarding this matter.  I left Spokane to be a travel nurse.  Many people along the way have asked how long I was going to gypsy my way through the country.  The answer was always "indefinitely until my legs break".  Now I am settling into this crazy city, committing to being here for a year, giving this acting thing the ol' college try.  Last week I had a total panic attack, and almost called my recruiter to get me a job in Nashville.  I beat it, however, and distracted myself.  In true TLM fashion, and in order to soothe my inner runner, I have compiled the following list:

Top Ten Joys Regarding This Settle:

10.  I've finally allowed myself to change the preset radio stations in my car.  Scoff if you will, but until this week the presets were still set to Spokane radio stations.  changing them was always too much of a commitment, since I was going somewhere different in a few months anyway.

9.  Paint colors!  I've chosen the most gorgeous paint colors for my new place.  This excites me every time.  It's a fresh start.

8. Getting my sh*t together.  Literally.  This will mark the first time since I left Spokane that my belongings will inhabit the same residence.  I previously had a travel set of stuff, and a home set of stuff.  Whenever I would go home, I would trade stuff out.  I was serious when I said that my house in Spokane primarily stores off-season clothing, waiting to be traded in/out.

7. I can finally allow myself a toaster and a blender.  I never afforded myself the luxury of kitchen appliances before, but now my life doesn't have to fit in a car!

6.  I am really doing this.  I'm gonna make this place a home.  Previously, I only allowed myself printed photos haphazardly tacked onto bare walls in all of my temporary residencies.  Now, I am hanging window treatments and buying a wall map dammit.

5. I am planning ahead.  Gasp! I bought plane tickets for April, May, and June, all from LA airports.  This is new and different.  I haven't purchased a domestic flight farther than 2 weeks in advance in years.  Whoa.  My pulse is bounding, as I reread the above.  Disclaimer: I still officially consider myself on the (no plan) Plan.  I will just be conducting my haphazardness from LA.

4. I'm kind of dating.  Again, new.  Nothing worth mentioning, but the fact that I'm not giving fake names and numbers while telling myself it's for their own good, is progress for this commitaphobe.

3. I'm enrolled in acting class, which is a weekly commitment.  Hasn't been done in years.  The craziest thing is, I'm going every week!  Actually showing up to this activity and making this a priority.

2.  I found a church to call home.  I have been attending services at Reality LA, and I love it.  The people there are my kind of people, and I have already been touched so many times that I really crave it on Sundays.  My church attendance in other cities was spotty; there was always something else I let myself do instead, with the the excuse that my time in that city was so limited.  Well, so is time in itself, asshole.  No more excuses, I'm diving in.  God and I are getting tighter.

1.  I LOVE LIVING HERE!  At the heart of it, LA really has everything I could ever want.  Most all of the shallow and obnoxious is avoidable, really.  There are all different kinds of people here, but everyone comes with a dream.  People here ask what your occupation is, and then ask about your "slash"; the thing you're really here for.  Nurse/actor.  I love it. Have you noticed that my number 1's are always all about me?  Maybe #2 will help me work on that.

Love Love Love.