New Life

Dear Whoever You Might Be,


      I have lived in Los Angeles, California for six days now. SIX. I basically have my room all set up and cozy; although, it is a bit erratic. Lot's of color. Lot's of pictures. Lot's of shoes/clothes. Basically, lot's of me.
      Today marks one week until classes start, and one week until my new life as a graduate student begins. It is remarkable to me how I can go from being a student to a student, and yet it feels so different this time around. Sure, the terms "undergraduate" and "graduate" make a big difference, but there is something about the general vibe this time that feels different. There is a shift in responsibility, independence, work load, and dedication. I am making a most intentional choice to pursue my love of English Literature. It's more that choosing a major--- it's choosing a life for myself.
      And it is more than just school. Now, being in California, I am forced to start fresh. New city, new people, new routine. Remember in THIS POST when I quoted The Grapes of Wrath at the end? Well, here is a little secret---- I hadn't actually read The Grapes of Wrath when I used the quote. Shameful, really, but I promise that since then I have read, finished, and thoroughly enjoyed reading that book. But let me clarify a few things...

1.)  The entire story is about the great migration of mid-west families and individuals to the "promised land" of California. I myself just made the great migration to California via car. I packed little blue all the way to the brim (and then some) and drove across the county in the ultimate road trip.
2.) The featured family, the Joads, believed that California would provide them with a chance to start over. A chance to finally have a nice house, a steady job. They dreamed and discussed the multifaceted possibilities which California would bring them. I dreamed a dream of the Californian possibilities myself.
3.) California proved a disappointment. I won't say much more on their end, for I hate to ruin an ending, but just know...I desperately wish that my similarity to the Joad family does meet the same end as theirs.
                 ***  I DID love this book though. I encourage everyone to read it. Granted, my love for it might not have been as exuberant if I had read it at any point in my life other than right before moving to California, but nonetheless, I think Steinbeck's writing is beautiful and the imagery is unsurpassable ***

     This blog post probably seems a bit all over the place, and it probably is. But I guess it is a good reflection of how life is now for me. A little all over the place. I am finally getting settled, and soon enough I will be even closer to being a Master of English. How snobby does that sound? But in all seriousness, I hope more than anything that this new life does not create a new me. I am rather fond of me, and wouldn't want to lose myself in the Hollywood Hills.

                                                                  Sincerely,
                                                                            Me