LA Land

I’ve officially been here a little over a month, and yes, now I am liking it. Surprisingly….

 
I guess LA has found it’s place with me. And I’ve come to accept some thing that are just so LA. Examples: Sun…love it! Korea Town…convienent, love it! Debit pad at Walgreens whose default is always set to Spanish…why not love it? It’s not as if I need the bill to be in English to understand the amount I am required to pay. Hospital…not bad. Don’t know yet if I would want to be a patient there. They are a little outdated in some of their policies and techniques, but as a whole a LOT better than the facility in Texas. Mostly because the majority of patients actually say “thank you” as opposed to “I want my pain medication NOW!” Getting places still takes a while, but I’ve adjusted. It’s just part of the LA package.

 
I haven’t really hung out in Hollywood that much. I think that scene would get tiresome. I’ll just say it and risk sounding judgemental…pretension bothers me. I was getting my hair done the other day at a Korean salon (where I paid a little more than I would pay in Korea, but way less than what I would pay in Seattle. Obviously another great perk about living here) and flipping through OK! and People. Over half the stuff was semi-applicable in the sense that I’ve driven past some of the places the stars visit or am now moderately familiar with what mansion in the Hollywood Hills really means. Odd stuff….

 
I’ve met a few other writers as well. Mostly nurses who are also not 100% devoted to the profession, but doing it to pay the bills, etc. However the difference between myself and them…they write screenplays and well, I don’t. (Actually I’ve never even considered writing one and would have no clue where to start). Also, many people out here say they are in the “entertainment industry.” That can be taken multiple ways. Entertainment as in dancer (the kind that wears very little clothing)? Actor? Writer? Stunt man or woman? I have difficulty understanding this phrase. It’s too broad and basically alludes to a thousand or so different jobs. In Seattle one would say, “I work for Microsoft.” Or Boeing or I don’t know, Costco. I’m trying to figure out if the people who say this are in fact currently employed in the “entertainment industry” or just waiting for their big break. I guess it would feel more natural to me if one said, “I work at Disney as a sound manager.” It’s specific, but perhaps not as mysterious and entriguing as some would prefer.

 
Most of the time I just find myself thinking, “This is just so LA.” (And of course secretely liking it).

My New City

First Impressions

I’m in this place called LA, and I find myself thinking, “This is not Texas.”  (Yes, duh).  I haven’t seen one cowboy  hat, and I’m beginning to consider that a crime.  Many of you have wondered (and asked) “What was so great about Texas?” That thought has crossed my mind on numerous occasions as well.  Tonight, after 12 hours of hospital and unit orientation I thought to myself, “What if I find myself back in Texas?”  Perhaps I should just consider the Lone Star State my first love.  After all it is where this whole travel thing began.  Just getting there alone constituted my first solo road trip (and to be even more accurate my first real adventure where I and not my father drove).  I’ve told people that I love Texas because I went with no expectations.  LA on the other hand…well, I’ve visited (many times throughout my life) so yes, to some extent a picture had already been painted in my mind.  Surprisingly the scene I had envisioned is quite unlike the reality that hits me in the face each morning.  I’m not sure what exactly I think of this place, which is fine, given that I’ve only been here what, 5 days.  I do however know that when MapQuest says it will take 15 minutes to get to a destination that really means up to one hour.  The scenery is beautiful, especially when viewed from a higher elevation.  It rained earlier this week, but I like the fact that over the weekend I had to change out of my Uggs because I didn’t feel right about wearing them when the sun was shinning.  (They’ve also been my stable footwear for the past 2 months while in Seattle).  Another scenario that seems slightly misplaced (and surely the strangest) is that I attended Mass off of Hollywood Boulevard this past Sunday.  To further confuse my mind the pastor stated, “If you plan on attending service next week at 5 pm please allow for extra time due to the Oscars and road closures.”  The fact that I could be celebrating Jesus within a half mile radius of perhaps the most well-known entertainment event seems absurd. 

I’ve always considered myself someone who would enjoy living in a large city.  (No, Seattle is not a large city.  It is more like a town in comparison to my current living arrangements).  LA has done a sufficient job of evoking moments of exhaustion.  I’m living downtown in a huge apartment complex.  It literally occupies two city blocks.  I’m on the 10th (and top floor) of my building, and the trek from the parking garage to my door has sometimes taken between 5-10 minutes.  (Tonight I considered forgoing exercise in exchange for promising to always take the stairs, which in reality is probably faster than waiting for the elevator).  I guess I’m living and learning.  Sounds corny, but it’s true.  I’ve been gone from Seattle less than a week, and I’ve already faced the possibility of having to put chains on my tires and drive through a snow storm, as well as encountering a dead car battery and having AAA come and replace it in the parking lot of an Albertsons.  (I don’t know why I am always struck with transportation drama.  It’s starting to get annoying). 

Second Impressions

I love the sun, when armed with sunscreen of course.  I’ve had two days of hospital orientation on my floor and am now receiving 16 hours of computer training for a charting system that I learned in Texas.  (If they want to pay me to sit in a classroom all day and not wipe poo, that’s fine with me).  It’s great to not be cold.  Sunny and in the 70s today.  Although I do not appreciate the traffic jams I continue to enjoy driving by new places.  Even if the commute is long, at least it is interesting.  Only in LA do you come across a Home Depot in Koreatown, with a taco stand out front, next to a Food 4 Less, on the same lot as a discount shoe store, complete with a Starbucks.  These are the things that are currently making me happy.

The Update

It’s official.  I am going to LA in approximately one week.  Yes, it will have been over two months since my job in Fort Worth ended, and yes, I think I am finally ready for this “vacation” to come to a close.  The time off has undoubtedly been nice.  Due to my job title of “travel nurse” I made it a goal to only work 9 months out of the year, and it appears I am on track for making that quickly become a reality.  (Perhaps a little too on track).  Maybe I should just become a teacher.  That way I’d be guaranteed the time off without really having to think or plan it.  Hmmm….

I prefer to not endorse the option of viewing myself as lazy.  I have tried to work several times at my per diem agency, but it appears that I am just not needed.  In a way this is disappointing  and in a way it really is not.  When I do schedule myself to work I must get up at 4:45 am to call and see if I’ve been canceled.  This means going to bed early, preferably before 10 pm, and having all of my “nurse things” ready the night before so that I can jet out the door quickly.  It also means that I may not be working at the hospital that I originally said I’d go to.  Example:  Overlake says they don’t need me so my agency calls Valley to see if I’m needed there.  So extra time in the morning is good because there is always the possibility of getting lost, not knowing where to park, getting disoriented coming out of an elevator and heading in the wrong direction, etc.  In Fort Worth it took me weeks to understand the hospital’s layout.  I can’t believe I use to brag that I had a good sense of direction.  Being so reliant on GPS totally screwed with my inherent ability to problem solve.  Now I just turn and walk and pray that I arrive at my destination. 

I have to admit, when I make that 4:45 am phone call I secretly hope that my services are not needed.  I feel that if I ask to be scheduled and put in the effort of getting ready for work I should not feel guilty for another day of daytime TV, leisurely coffee drinking, online chatting, happy hour, and evening (or afternoon) wine drinking.  I only wish some sort of monetary value could accompany my efforts.  Too bad for that….

Los Angeles will be good though.  I want to go with no expectations (except for sunny weather of course).   I already have somewhat of a preconceived notion because I have visited throughout my life.  If my memory of reiterated moments by parents serves me right, I first went to Disneyland when I was less than one year old.  There have also been road trips with the family, a high school orchestra excursion, and visits to friends.  Texas was fun for me because I truly did not know what to expect.  I had never heard of Fort Worth, didn’t really understand the whole southern hospitality thing, and just recently realized how far Texas is from Seattle.  I’d go back, but am done with the long drives for now.  Basically I heart Texas and hope to heart LA and Cali as well.

We shall see….