Shoot for the Moon, and even if you miss it, you will land amongst the stars.
May 1st 2012
I landed in LA two years ago today! Did that really happen? Two years flash before my very eyes. If I was to pick up where this blog left off, it was Christmas 2010 when I was on a flight home only to be diverted and be stranded in Gay Paris. That turned out to be a disastrous 48 hour adventure of planes, trains and automobiles! Until I was rescued on the shores of Calais by my sister and her boyfriend who'd driven through snow blizzards to find me. I wasn't alone though, I was with my new traveling friends, a lady named Sue and two Italian students! (Not sure how they tagged along, I think subconsciously I'd chosen Sue for protection she was a sturdy lass and the italian students, well they were just good for the language barrier - I guess? ) But when I did eventually get home to the valleys of Wales that year it was a blissful happy christmas. And the year after that was also blissful - filled with love, hugs, a high carb diet of welsh cakes, roast dinners, singing and drunken merriment ( they even had a special drink made and bottled for me on my return a ready made spritzer called Spritz)
I landed in LA two years ago today! Did that really happen? Two years flash before my very eyes. If I was to pick up where this blog left off, it was Christmas 2010 when I was on a flight home only to be diverted and be stranded in Gay Paris. That turned out to be a disastrous 48 hour adventure of planes, trains and automobiles! Until I was rescued on the shores of Calais by my sister and her boyfriend who'd driven through snow blizzards to find me. I wasn't alone though, I was with my new traveling friends, a lady named Sue and two Italian students! (Not sure how they tagged along, I think subconsciously I'd chosen Sue for protection she was a sturdy lass and the italian students, well they were just good for the language barrier - I guess? ) But when I did eventually get home to the valleys of Wales that year it was a blissful happy christmas. And the year after that was also blissful - filled with love, hugs, a high carb diet of welsh cakes, roast dinners, singing and drunken merriment ( they even had a special drink made and bottled for me on my return a ready made spritzer called Spritz)
Okay, so that was a lie, someone stole my brilliant idea and patented it before I got around to it!
Still California Dreamin'
Two years on and what a roller coaster ride it has been. I can safely say I am still addicted to Venti Mocha Frappucinos with two scoops of protein, the sunshine, the way of life and the endless exciting opportunities that I am faced with on a weekly basis along with the Happy hours, Trader Joes, 24 hour CVS, my neighbor with 4 adorable shitzus, the fabulous transvestite that hangs out at Fedex, Valet parking, and every other expectation this city of lost angels lives up to on a daily basis.
No, I'm not famous yet, Rich? not quite, but I have been told that my ass is still hot for at least another three years, so I'm holding on to that for dear life. Along with my little piece of real estate I own in South London. Which I could prob sell some day to make my ass hot for another three years after that, so I'm thinking worse case scenario - I'll be poor with a nice ass, and Volvos last forever so technically a win win!
All jokes aside ( who am I kidding, there is always a joke to be made, usually at my own expense) so I shall carry on to say, I have learnt so much and experienced so much in the last two years not only about life and my chosen career path but also about myself. And the one thing that has really stuck out in my mind, is that no matter how many times I think I cannot STOP at a STOP sign in California, and get away with it - one day, a police car will see me not stopping and chase after me for 3 blocks, until I turn my radio off and realise that the flashing lights and sirens are actually on my behalf and I will be forced to go to Traffic school and learn how to STOP at a STOP sign. (It also helps if you have your registration and insurance card with you at all times in your car, and not in a dusty safe place drawer at home) With that said I am learning to stop and appreciate where I am in life. Instead of rushing off and thinking whats next? where should I be? where do I need to be? Stopping, standing still and appreciating that you have a nice ass, talent, management, a reliable car thats red, with some retro tiger print mats, great friends, family that love you, a job with a view, your sanity, and Jesus standing next to you on Melrose.
No, I'm not famous yet, Rich? not quite, but I have been told that my ass is still hot for at least another three years, so I'm holding on to that for dear life. Along with my little piece of real estate I own in South London. Which I could prob sell some day to make my ass hot for another three years after that, so I'm thinking worse case scenario - I'll be poor with a nice ass, and Volvos last forever so technically a win win!
All jokes aside ( who am I kidding, there is always a joke to be made, usually at my own expense) so I shall carry on to say, I have learnt so much and experienced so much in the last two years not only about life and my chosen career path but also about myself. And the one thing that has really stuck out in my mind, is that no matter how many times I think I cannot STOP at a STOP sign in California, and get away with it - one day, a police car will see me not stopping and chase after me for 3 blocks, until I turn my radio off and realise that the flashing lights and sirens are actually on my behalf and I will be forced to go to Traffic school and learn how to STOP at a STOP sign. (It also helps if you have your registration and insurance card with you at all times in your car, and not in a dusty safe place drawer at home) With that said I am learning to stop and appreciate where I am in life. Instead of rushing off and thinking whats next? where should I be? where do I need to be? Stopping, standing still and appreciating that you have a nice ass, talent, management, a reliable car thats red, with some retro tiger print mats, great friends, family that love you, a job with a view, your sanity, and Jesus standing next to you on Melrose.
So yes auditions and opportunities are ongoing. I am frequently called to the Paramount Lot these days, there is a Nickelodeon casting director that must have heard my telepathic signs telling him I was born to work on one of his shows and be a goofy cartoon like version of myself. So he calls me in lots, we have some hugging action in the waiting room. I'd quite like to go out dancing with him, shoot some tequillas and sing some show tunes on Karaoke. But I'm saving those moves until I get booked. (Boy its gonna be a party and we are gonna be BFF's) Then there's commercial auditions, movie auditions, songwriting sessions, crazy improv shows at the Uprights Citizens Brigade theater and more!
Another highlight of my LA week are the Tuesday Mornings when I work as a greeter at a high end gym and Mr Bradley Cooper checks in. Swoon. He always hands me his driving license, like I need to see it to remember his name, little does he know I've typed it in before he even gets to the desk. " Have a great workout Bradley, love you!"
The other 3 nights of my working week are spent working as a host at quite the fabulous rooftop pool bar, where I swan around with an iPad dressed pretty admiring the view!
Another highlight of my LA week are the Tuesday Mornings when I work as a greeter at a high end gym and Mr Bradley Cooper checks in. Swoon. He always hands me his driving license, like I need to see it to remember his name, little does he know I've typed it in before he even gets to the desk. " Have a great workout Bradley, love you!"
The other 3 nights of my working week are spent working as a host at quite the fabulous rooftop pool bar, where I swan around with an iPad dressed pretty admiring the view!
Now working as a greeter ( coz lets face it I am a professional greeter on all levels) I am constantly told every other second by an american " wow what a great voice" OR " Wow is that your real voice? " OR " WOW what happened to your voice?" - This is the usual day to day dialogue to which I reply " yes this is my real voice, I know I sound like a chain smoking Bart Simpson but I was actually just born this way"
So this voice thing was playin on my mind and after numerous quotes on a voiceover reel and classes or 3 day courses that cost the world and his wife - I decided if I want to eat and be clothed for the next three months I should save my pennies and make a homemade special reel! how hard can it be right? so I plugged my mic into my computer and made it happen. I picked random scripts from cartoons and found random cartoon music to accompany it did a bunch of voices and voila! sent it off to my manager! That was on the Friday and on the Monday afternoon I was called in to meet with Abrams Voiceover artists. Yep 4pm on a Monday afternoon I was signing a contract on the 11th floor of a high-rise on Sunset blvd at one of the biggest voiceover agencies in town, thinking wow okay! yes that was a good move! So I feel like even though I may be just another chain smoking Bart Simpson voice along with the helium intoxicated animaniacs in the waiting room, at least I'm now in the game! hooray!
LA is a tough city to say the least, people are driven, selfish and can turn into millionaires overnight. Except in lala land little do people know the overnight part is after years and years of hard work and determination. Another struggle is having to valet your car in garages along with other expensive cars which can sometimes be an embarrassing situation, but if you are a small blonde with a nice ass - its not so bad! ( 4th time! def worn it out!) What I'm learning is, no one knows the right answers. No one will discover you. No one has the recipe for success. You just have to be you and the best version of you that you can be (for me sometimes a spray tan helps!) And some people get you and some people don't. Do what you do and enjoy every moment and struggle life throws at you and learn from it. Of course this is all metaphorical because if someone did actually throw something hard, that might hurt, there may be blood, and then there's the whole health insurance thing that could be tough. Luckily I have had many things thrown at me, but my face is still in tact, along with the voice, the ambition and not to forget the ass - so i'm in good shape for now.
Life is a journey not a destination.
I guess I'm on my way to the moon, stopping at all stop signs along the way!
I guess I'm on my way to the moon, stopping at all stop signs along the way!
Another day in LA
Lx
