Bird of paradise

It's finally getting a little warmer--for me, at least. I'm originally from Las Vegas so I can definitely stand the heat. There are bird of paradise flowers all over our yard adding a lovely tropical feel when the sun is shining. Has a name ever been so apt? I can look at this flower and almost feel warm golden rays upon my skin. This dress has been with me for years. I found it in a thrift store in Las Vegas. People are always surprised to find out I am from Las Vegas. It's a place where few people are actual locals. It's a very interesting city and there is a lot there if you look underneath the surface. I want to do a Las Vegas post one of these days where I'll go into detail about the places I loved to go and things I liked to see.

Unfortunately, right now is not that time. It IS time, however, to segway into a semi-related topic about moving. I moved to LA almost 2 years ago. LA is not a city that welcomes its newcomers with open arms. There are sprawling freeways, limited parking, and god-awful traffic. It's confusing to get around and since I moved in with my boyfriend who's been living here almost all his life, I let him do all the driving. It was stifling to say the least. We broke up for about 6 months, and the first thing I did was get an apartment located in central Echo Park and one of my biggest goals was learning how to get around and minimize getting lost and/or racking up parking tickets.

I took side streets instead of the freeway to learn about the different neighborhoods and where they intersect. From Echo Park, driving south to Koreatown, to Chinatown, to Downtown, then another day going north to Silver Lake, Los Feliz, then turning west and driving to Hollywood, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice. I also employed a rule for myself that if anyone ever invited me anywhere, I would go, even if I didn't feel like it. I think this is one of the best things one can do when they move to a new city. It's easy to get into a rut, feel tired from job searching or job working, and not feel like taking on an invitation with an acquaintance to go to the bar/party/whatever when you're kind of just tired and feeling like a bum. But it's important to drag yourself out there and just try to absorb whatever environment you get put in. It's always hard though, when you're the new kid on the block, trying to make real connections, and finding true friends in a new place. This metaphor extends to the blogosphere so thank you to everyone who stumbled upon this humble blog of mine and took the time to say hi! If you feel inclined, link me on your blog, or give me a shout.

Love and love.

Nicki


P.S. Me and the boyfriend of whom I fell in love with and moved here for got back together after our brief stint of separation and despite our occasional fights, he is still the best person I have ever met!