2016, what a year

2016- 

Some would say it hasn't been a great year, and in many aspects, it was pretty bad; but in SOME it was awesome. Let me tell you why, in spite of all of the bad things that happened, why it was also such a great year to look back on: 

-I rung in my New Year on a train from Chicago to Portland. I got to finally see Crater Lake, drive the Columbia River Gorge and the Oregon Coast, and meet some great people all along the way. 

-I was introduced to the restaurant The Pan. 

-I got to run base camp again for the second season of Casual and work with great people that I’ve come to adore. 

-I finally saw the Book of Mormon with my roommates

-I got another tattoo.

-I got to go to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Denmark, and Sweden with my best friends and it was the trip of a lifetime. 

-Thomas went to a Missy Higgins concert with me

-After 4 years of living in LA I finally went to Santa Barbara. 

-I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and helped build a house

-Finally went to Knotts Berry Farm for the first time. 

-I got to run base camp again for my all time favorite show Superstore. Friendships were made,  friendships were grown, laughter was had, television was made. 

-I got to see Adele live and in concert 3 times. THREE TIMES. What a dream. I am so lucky. 

-I took a road trip in Northern California to see the Redwoods and drive the Avenue of the Giants. They were beautiful. 

-I took a 24 hour speed trip through New York City. What a great city.

-Finally ate a Philly Cheese Steak in Philly. 

-Visited Baltimore and got to hang out with my cousins, Kaycee and Hannah. 

-I got accepted to join the DGA and am on the third area and commercial qualification list.

-I was the 1st AD for my first two AD projects that counted towards my AD days. (And 1st AD’d for the first time)

-Me and the roommates finally redecorated our living room by getting rid of 2 couches, 2 chairs, a bar with 2 bar stools, and got a brand new sectional couch, an entertainment unit, another unit for our kitchen, and mounted our tv. It’s like a whole new place! 

-I did an escape room with some friends and co-workers. We were so close to making it out alive. So close. But, we ended up being gassed by our captive. What a fun afternoon. 

-I got to go home for Thanksgiving for the first time in at least a few years. 

-I went to Iceland and explored ice caves, glaciers, waterfalls, and black sand beaches. 

-I finally saw the Northern lights. 

-Got to spend another Christmas surrounded by my family who were all healthy and alive. I love them all very much. 

Wowee. Can you even imagine someone saying 2016 wasn’t a great year? So many firsts, even some seconds. It was a blast. I am so lucky to live the life I do. I love almost every minute. AND I didn’t even mention all the TV that I watch! So many great shows this year too! ;) As I start thinking about 2017 and what all it has to offer, I encourage anyone reading this to make 2017 their best year yet, as I will try to strive for that as well. And here is how: do what makes you happy. Do what makes you laugh. Travel more. Be kind more. Be compassionate more. Volunteer more. Hang out with your friends more. Hang out with yourself more. Do something that will challenge you. Do something that will make you uncomfortable. Make a new friend. Talk to strangers. Challenge your beliefs and why you believe them. Spend a whole day on your couch binge watching a tv show. Live the life you’ve always dreamed and don’t let anything stop you. 2017 is going to be a great year, it has big shoes to fill. 


addendum: I wrote this on a plane before Iceland. I am so glad I didn't have to go back and take out that I saw the Northern Lights. God bless. 

Navigating Life

I wrote this on November 12th, the weekend after the election. I never posted it, obviously. I wrote it for myself mainly, so I could get all of that out, and I honestly think it really did help. Time has passed and I guess it seems silly to post it now, it all seems so far in the past and the feelings and things I and we have gotten over, but I also don't want to forget it. The feelings that made people act and not be complacent with life or the country, so that's why i'm posting it now instead of letting it sit in my draft folder for all of eternity. Maybe just maybe I'll come back on here one day and realize it was the best thing that could've happened. Maybe the world will fall apart and I can see where it all started.

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I've been having a lot of feelings recently and i'm not sure the best way to go about them. This week has been brutal. Today is my first day off in 13 days and honestly, with that paired with the election, it made for the most looked forward to weekend in while. So here I am, finally made it to the weekend, a time that I can rest and try to get over the happenings of the week, but they are still stuck on me. I can't escape the gloomyness of the election. Every time I go on any sort of social media it's all I see. It's all I could think about driving too and from work this week. I know everyone is tired of hearing about the election and the results and people's opinions on them, but i'm just hoping if I write this stuff down it'll help. This post is more for me than anyone else.

The truth is, I don't know how to see Trump supporters the same. I can't quite muster up the grace to even call my family. MY FAMILY. This is heartbreaking for me. I love them. But I am still not over it yet. I think I just need time. Or maybe I still haven't caught up on all my sleep, as I type this with tears starting to form in my eyes. I cried on my way to work both Wednesday and Thursday morning. Was I just so tired? Wednesday at work was the worst. I got there and was scared to even greet some people, knowing the outcome of the election. It is very real for a lot of people. Within 3 seconds of saying good morning to one of our actors that morning tears swelled up in her eyes and you could feel the heartbreak. The day didn't get much better from there. The over all tone/feel on set was....not good. Everyone was defeated and sad and sometimes it was hard to locate a smile unless we were rolling. Our caterer telling another guy how his 6 year old daughter is already under the impression Trump will kick them out of the country. Stories already emerging that day of truly racist actions coming out of schools. Kids making jokes about kicking fellow students out of school and out of the country. Swastika's being spray painted all over buildings or fences. Me having to wait another 30 minutes after we wrapped to sign someone out because they were crying. Because this election wasn't just about economic or health care policies, but about basic human rights that were threatened to be taken away.

I never cried because Trump is going to be our next President. My tears were for the state of this country. The heartbreak of so many. The one's who feel like their lives don't matter and their feelings, and quite frankly their human rights, were invalidated. My tears were because I don't know how to face some of the people I love. How can I be surrounded by people who turn a blind eye to all of the hateful, sexist, racist, things being done in Donald Trumps name? The unrest that is happening in this country, it's because of the hurtful things Trump has said about minorities and giving it a voice and a spreading ground for the sexist, racist, xenophobic, homophobic people that live here. Are all Trump supporters racist? Of course not. No no no. But I think it does show that it is easy for you to turn a blind eye on his sexual assault, gross sexism, the racism that clearly has been brought up, brought to light and not been condemned by him or his circle.  How does that not matter to you?

But, this is life and this is reality. In spite of it all people are rising up and making their voices heard. People are standing up for the injustice's of others and that is encouraging. People are standing up for the minorities that Trump is threatening and I can find that encouraging. This country can still rally together to do what is good, what is right, no matter who the President is. We can make this country even greatER when we realize it is not the president that shapes a nation, but the people in it that do. I think it's time. It's time we as a people decide what is important and shape the country that way instead of letting politics shape it for us. Here's to 2017.