Pass 2nd Year

My mother hounded me for not posting enough, which is quite true. I’ve been so caught up in each moment, that sitting down to update a blog has fallen to the very bottom of my to-do list. Rather than bombarding you with several posts that gently brag about my past semester, I thought I’d cover all of the bases in one fell swoop. I commend those that last until the very end.

I’ve become increasingly more aware of the validity in the cliché, “Time flies while you’re having fun,” and this past semester was no exception. It had both its ups and downs including: traveling to five countries, raising hell with karaoke, and performing my first eulogy (something I never imagined myself doing, especially at nineteen.) I could write about the hardships (read: loads of unexplainable shit) we dealt with in January, but this seems far too impersonal of a platform. Rather than dismiss them altogether, I figured it’d be best to acknowledge that, yes: not everything was perfect or fair, but to explain that we’ve decided to remain optimistic.

Off to a late start second semester, the months were filled with frequent nights out (probably too many nights out), a successful student-government campaign, reading, (yes, I study a lot- stop asking, Mom.) and spending as much time as possible with my incredible friends.

Here’s the part where I don’t really understand why my mom wants me to update this- I don’t know what to say or where to start. Most of the “juicy” stuff, my friends already know, and if you don’t know- I’m not sure I want you reading it.

I dated. I drank. Blasphemous, I know. Above all, I really just enjoyed myself: reconnecting with old friends and making new ones along the way. My second semester was filled with trips to Istanbul, the Houston Rodeo, Norway, Cannes, and Paris. Norway was particularly fantastic because I met a group of spunky, spontaneous people that decided to go with me with less than a week’s notice. We had a wonderful time, and I really do cherish their friendships.

In May I had the opportunity to intern at the Cannes Film Festival. I cannot put Cannes into words. It was absolutely incredible. You never knew whom you’d end up talking to. I turned to people at bars/restaurants and met buyers, screenwriters, all walks of life and all in love with film- in sum, my people. The most stressful part of the festival was the fact that I had to commute between France and Scotland to take my exams. The first time I returned, all of the flights went smoothly. The second time, not so much. I literally sat bawling on the plane- sure that I was going to miss my exam and fail second year. The woman next to me fluctuated between looks of concern and sympathy. Long story short, I made it to Scotland at 3am and had never been more thankful to arrive somewhere. I fell asleep for three hours before waking up to study for my exam at 9am. I would not recommend this to anybody. (Strangely, this was the exam I actually performed the best on, but that’s beside the point.)

In Cannes, I “worked.”  Overlooking the water in such a beautiful country, it didn’t really feel like work. I spent most of my free time watching movies. Our badges let us in to movies that won’t be coming out for months, so that made me feel super swanky. I also woke up at about 4am to get in line for a Pixar panel starring my idols: Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling. I went. I cried. I also ate an exorbitant amount of crepes and baguettes. I was fortunate enough to spend my time with two incredible ladies- some of the best people I know. Seriously.

After Cannes it should have been back to reality, but my Cannes roommate encouraged me to join her in Paris, which I did: more crepes, more baguettes, more awesome times. I then went back to Scotland for a week spent with another incredible lady before heading back to Texas.

I spent about 24 hours in Texas before heading to Pebble Beach with my family. Honestly, this is my favorite place in the world. My time there went by way too quickly. We also took a family trip to the lake, which was a shit show in the best way possible. Too many margaritas ended in someone passed out on the bathroom floor, someone falling in a thorn bush and cutting their face, and all around embarrassing laughs. Once home, I had to quickly pack and prepare to celebrate my twentieth and move to Los Angeles. I celebrated like any 20-year-old would; I went to Inside Out with my friends. Yeah. The Pixar film.

Shortly thereafter it was time to go to Los Angeles. When I landed in LA, I took a cab to my new address. I was exhausted from staying up all night and a bit peeved that I was spending my 20^th birthday with strangers in a foreign city. The driver asked how I was doing, and I said, “Fine,” before asking how he was doing, out of courtesy rather than curiosity, I hate to admit. What he said really changed my perspective on things, (and I promise this it the cheesiest I’ll get.) He chimed up: “It’s a wonderful day. I was blessed to wake up, get myself out of bed on my own, and go to work. Some people are hooked to breathing machines and aren’t as fortunate, so I count my lucky stars every day.” We hear things like this on a daily basis, and I’m not sure if it was the mention of the breathing machines (which if you know anything about my life these past few years, you’ll understand) or what, but it resonated deeply, and he challenged me to treat each day less pessimistically than I normally would. I no longer saw myself as being alone in Los Angeles on my birthday. I decided it was an opportunity to explore my unknown surroundings and make new friends. Okay, that’s it for the do-gooder portion of the article. I know if you wanted a lesson, you could’ve read God-vine or something like that.

During my first week in Los Angeles, I was feeling pretty good. I had so many friends. SO MANY. Like 4. My brother, my cousin, my good friend, and my new roommate. I was so excited. Then… well, my cousin went on holiday, so did my friend, and my brother moved. I was kind of at a loss. Luckily, I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone and have had some incredible times so far (which will all be obnoxiously detailed in another post that my mother will no doubt have me write.)

Well, if you’re reading- that kind of gets you up to speed. A lot more has happened, which you can ask me about if you’d like. If not, that’s cool- don’t really know why you’re reading then. I promise to share all of my bus woes and travels from here on out within the next few weeks. Until then, enjoy life. Peace.