What an interesting experience living at home has been! I went from writing about my road trips through Chile to writing about TV shows. Yikes!
To tell you the truth, it's much easier to write about risky things you've done, things you've been thinking and new discoveries when your parents aren't in the next room reading your blog and asking you "what were you thinking?" Best to have some distance from the parental units.
But as a writer, it's hard to postpone writing for three months. So, here's what's been happening:
1. I am a writer, but I really wish I was an engineer because it would be sooooo much easier. I had a conversation with my dad where we analyzed just how tough it would be to be a freelance writer. It's virtually impossible to making a living at it. And yet, there's magazines filled with articles and bookstores filled with books, so someone somewhere is making it. I love writing and am determined to pursue freelance writing, in spite of my dad's really sweet analysis that I'm pretty much going to be broke. He's very likely right, and yet, I will continue on. I guess I just have this idea that I can live an extraordinary life. Some of the best things in life require a leap of faith and risk and adventure. Love, travel, careers in the arts. If I lived a risk-free life, I never would have gone to Chile. But living in Chile has been one of the best experiences of my life, right up there with falling in love. Full of risk. Super fun! Maybe for me, taking risks is part of living a full life.
2. Family and friends are like mirrors. They let you see yourself more clearly. You like yourself with your friends and your family. You accept your quirks. If you don't like yourself with your boyfriend, you're in trouble. So it is no surprise that:
3. I broke up with Pollo. I couldn't make him laugh, and in certain circles, I'm actually funny. Unfortunately I was not funny in the circle with the Chilean-who-only-speaks-Spanish-and-thinks-Family-Guy-is-hilarious. So I'm on a dating hiatus. Not even the cute waiter at Rock Bottom who looked like Slater from Saved by the Bell could convince me otherwise, though, I did consider turning on the charm for a second. I mean he was ripped and looked like Mario Lopez! Hello!
4. I had a moment. It was a very important moment. I swear. At my parents' 40th anniversary party (congrats guys!), I felt for the first time the inkling that I wanted to be home--to hang out with Eric and his new girlfriend, to be there for my little nephew or niece coming in January, to speak English and have an American life. I also still felt the pull of travel, to see Brazil and Australia before I started my American life.
5. I came up with a new rough plan: Australia for a few weeks, Chile, Brazil, any other countries I can afford to visit. Continue to write, offer private personal training to friends in Chile when I'm around. Back by February to begin my American life. Probably back to Davis which has been the city I felt most supported creatively and where I made my biggest strides in living an extraordinary life. (and I know! Davis! Go figure). Plus I can be a writer and afford rent.
6. My friend Mari began this thankful blog I LOVE! I'm considering adopting the format when I return home. Or 365 Good Deeds and each day my goal is to do one good deed. Send ideas my way! Or I might keep the adventure theme and look for the adventure in America.
That's all for now folks! Chao!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Cable Time Warp
Cable is death to all art. Creativity is often born out of boredom. And well, how can you be bored with 1000 channels? I remember missing TV like missing a friend when I went to Chile and started living in the house with no TV. So now, it's like getting reaquainted...only now, my TV friend has gotten so much more interesting with cable!
Here are the shows I've gotten hooked on:
1. Ruby--a reality show about a 500 lb woman on a weight-loss journey. This appeals to me because I studied (and just passed!) to become a personal trainer. I'm most interested in working with obese clients so I wanted to know details on how I could possibly help them better.
2. What Not to Wear--I think I maxed out on this episode cuz they kind of say the same thing when you watch 20 in a row. Most women look better in a straight/wide leg jean, trousers should not have pleats, v necks for bust women, wider shoulder straps for supportive bras. Unfortunately, this hasn't inspired me enough to actually buy anything...I'm in desperate need of more clothes but I just can't bring myself to enter a clothing store. Literally, the clothes are falling apart as I'm wearing them...but so far, motivation is minimal. I need a personal shopper who will dress me without charging me a cent...like a fairy godmother only with a mastercard.
3. Dog Whisperer--Ceasar is magical...and kind of cute (don't tell Pollo I said this).
4. NCIS--quirky show, a little mystery with a little laughter. Good stuff.
5. Locked Up Abroad--My dad got me hooked on this show. What I've learned from it: never try to bring drugs into the country...and never accept a "gift" bag from a shady character...or even a nice character. And if something smells weird on your bag, it's probably the glue they used to seal the seams where the cocaine is now hiding. Stab your bag several times with a knife. If white powder comes out...do not take this bag with you on the plane! Words of wisdom people!
6. Tots and Tiaras--okay, this one weirds me out. Little girls dressing up to look like 18 year olds. Before their transformation, they have stringy girly hair, gaps in their teeth, little girl raggedy finger nails, bruises on their legs from climbing trees and pretending to be animals. They're little girls!
After, they're these smiling plastic dolls with hair pieces to make their hair look fuller, false teeth to cover the natural gaps of missing baby teeth, fake nails, spray-on tans, makeup that makes them look sexy at 7, ew, ew, ew! I watched this show Taboo about a ritual where women were whipped with sticks as a rite of passage for their male relatives. Our ritual of making little girls into sexy women at 7 is just as sickening.
7. Bachelorette--I admit it. I've always loved the Bachelorette. I watched the first one with Trista. I'm glad it's not on all the time or my Monday nights would be taken for the rest of my life.
For awhile, cable was threatening to take over completely. But I've turned over a new leaf. What a great reminder that TV, though fascinating, is not always fulfilling. But don't get me wrong...I'm turning it off completely because let's face it, I've got to get my TV viewing in now. In one month, I'm going cold turkey off TV when I head back to Chile.
Ddon't even get me started about the fact that there aren't any sofas, chocolate chip cookies and donuts in Chile--I'm going to have a sofa-loving, chocolate-chip and donut eating, TV watching day on the 13th of September, I swear!
Here are the shows I've gotten hooked on:
1. Ruby--a reality show about a 500 lb woman on a weight-loss journey. This appeals to me because I studied (and just passed!) to become a personal trainer. I'm most interested in working with obese clients so I wanted to know details on how I could possibly help them better.
2. What Not to Wear--I think I maxed out on this episode cuz they kind of say the same thing when you watch 20 in a row. Most women look better in a straight/wide leg jean, trousers should not have pleats, v necks for bust women, wider shoulder straps for supportive bras. Unfortunately, this hasn't inspired me enough to actually buy anything...I'm in desperate need of more clothes but I just can't bring myself to enter a clothing store. Literally, the clothes are falling apart as I'm wearing them...but so far, motivation is minimal. I need a personal shopper who will dress me without charging me a cent...like a fairy godmother only with a mastercard.
3. Dog Whisperer--Ceasar is magical...and kind of cute (don't tell Pollo I said this).
4. NCIS--quirky show, a little mystery with a little laughter. Good stuff.
5. Locked Up Abroad--My dad got me hooked on this show. What I've learned from it: never try to bring drugs into the country...and never accept a "gift" bag from a shady character...or even a nice character. And if something smells weird on your bag, it's probably the glue they used to seal the seams where the cocaine is now hiding. Stab your bag several times with a knife. If white powder comes out...do not take this bag with you on the plane! Words of wisdom people!
6. Tots and Tiaras--okay, this one weirds me out. Little girls dressing up to look like 18 year olds. Before their transformation, they have stringy girly hair, gaps in their teeth, little girl raggedy finger nails, bruises on their legs from climbing trees and pretending to be animals. They're little girls!
After, they're these smiling plastic dolls with hair pieces to make their hair look fuller, false teeth to cover the natural gaps of missing baby teeth, fake nails, spray-on tans, makeup that makes them look sexy at 7, ew, ew, ew! I watched this show Taboo about a ritual where women were whipped with sticks as a rite of passage for their male relatives. Our ritual of making little girls into sexy women at 7 is just as sickening.
7. Bachelorette--I admit it. I've always loved the Bachelorette. I watched the first one with Trista. I'm glad it's not on all the time or my Monday nights would be taken for the rest of my life.
For awhile, cable was threatening to take over completely. But I've turned over a new leaf. What a great reminder that TV, though fascinating, is not always fulfilling. But don't get me wrong...I'm turning it off completely because let's face it, I've got to get my TV viewing in now. In one month, I'm going cold turkey off TV when I head back to Chile.
Ddon't even get me started about the fact that there aren't any sofas, chocolate chip cookies and donuts in Chile--I'm going to have a sofa-loving, chocolate-chip and donut eating, TV watching day on the 13th of September, I swear!
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