I don't want to move to a city where the only cultural advantage is being able to make a right turn on a red light.

...but I didn't heed the all-wise advice of Woody Allen, I moved here anyway. And where does that leave me? I refuse to let go of the fact that I am, and always will be, a New Yorker, but I'd be lying through my teeth if I didn't say that I was really enjoying myself here in LA. I was afraid of this, you know. Afraid that I'd get here and hate it and want to fly home (oh, that happened, believe me), but even more afraid that I'd love it and not be sure that I'd ever want to go back. Don't get me wrong, I need to move back home, but I'm in no rush. Maybe I'll start to miss it in the spring, or summer, when I'm not constantly being bombarded by news of snowstorms and slush and cold and rain back east, but for now I'll take this:

 

I know...I look super awkward here. I normally don't look as though I'm being marched to my death and forced to smile for a hostage photo while hiking (just kidding, yes I do), but I was planning on sending this to my brother, and he's not the most over-zealous of human beings, so I was trying to keep it casual. And its totally lame to pose in front of the Hollywood sign, so I was trying to get it over with.

Feel free to mock me, throw things at me, and leave vindictive comments (as some of you...and you know who you are–so do I by the way– have already taken to doing), but I love the outdoors. This has to be the biggest perk to living here. I can get in the car and drive for less than 20 minutes and park inside Griffith Park and hike to the top of a mountain where I can see snow capped ridges, the ocean, downtown LA, the Valley, and lots of swooping birds. Not to mention that I've done this twice so far this week. I've gone hiking twice in one week. And I'm on a raw food diet. Good luck telling that to friends back home who made fun of me for substituting my fries for a salad. Let the mocking begin. 

In all seriousness, though, I'm happy. I have a long way to go before I'm highly successful, but at least I'm coating my lack of forward career motion with a nice glaze of sunshine and vitamin D endorphins.