Wow what a crazy day. On a whim, Jenny and I decided to wake up this morning and drive to California, go to the beach, and come back late in the night. Yeah well, we started off at 11 in the morning and drove for about 5 hours and finally got to California, found a place to park at Santa Monica Beach, and stuck are toes in the sand by, oh, around 4PM or so.

We stayed for a good 5 hours and just relaxed on the beach for a while. It’s funny because just last week, I was on the beach at Coney Island with Kate in New York. Now clear across the country, I find myself on the beach in Santa Monica, California. Craaazy! So we walked around the pier for a while and checked out the little carnival thing they had going on there. We ate at the awesome Mexican restaurant there. The crab stuffed potatoes were amazing. I also got this humongous margarita that we both shared. I didn’t drink so much because I had to drive so I left the entire thing up to Jenny. By this time, she’s a little tipsy and we check out the games they had going on there. Jenny wanted me to play this balloon popping game, so I played and won her this cute little teddy bear. Score! Then we checked out the picture booth and we got some pictures of us being all cute.

Jenny takes a picture of me driving.

Ahhh…the beach!!!

BIG Margarita

Awesomeness.

I won Jenny the teddy!

Jenny should be a model. Whaaaa! Santa Monica Pier.

So after about 5 hours on the beach, we finally decide to head back home at around 9:30PM. We didn’t get home until like around 1 or so. Ah but what fun we had. I think we should do it more often.

Something always happens when I’m flying. Always! *Sigh* So my connection from NY came in late to Atlanta and Delta has had to put me up at the nearest Holiday Inn. I grabbed a drink at the bar to help me fall asleep and I gave Jenny a call and we talked pretty much all night.

I feel so dirty! Ickkk. I’ve got all kinds of NY humidity and sweat on my clothes. I took a shower last night but I don’t think that helped. And considering my luggage has probably already been shipped off to Vegas, I haven’t been able to change into something cleaner.

It’s good to have friends almost everywhere you go. I got a hold of my friend Morgan whom I taught dance with at French Woods and we had breakfast together this morning at the Cracker Barrel. I’ve never been to one before, and I’ve only heard of them because my roommate Mike worked out one.

I’ll be boarding my flight in just a few minutes. Thank goodness, too. I finally get to see my girlfriend and just have her in my arms again.

This southern accent is starting to get on my nerves.

So how about I come home today from my trip in NYC and Jenny comes to pick me up at the airport. After a sweet embrace, we head to the car to find roses on the dashboard as well as a card. I open the card and after the kind blurb of words, Jenny’s got something else written in there: Hint #1 Go to the place where you can fill your tummy. Hint #2 Go to the place where the water spins clockwise. Whether or not the water spins clockwise or counter-clockwise in the US doesn’t make a difference once you hear what I find next. I come home and find my dining room draped in red with even more roses hanging from the ceiling. The table is covered with white cloth, and on there are more roses, as well as plates and silverware for the both of us. In the oven, Jenny has a meal warming for the both of us. So I sit down to have a late breakfast and notice there’s a box next to my plate. So I open it up and I find a brand new wallet! Is that awesome or what! I’ve had my current wallet since I was 13 and here I am (finally) at 21 and I get a brand new wallet. So happy.

I have the best girlfriend ever. So despite our squabbles this past weekend, it all turned out okay as it always does.

Nearly five months from my relocation to Las Vegas, I find myself on the east coast once again. The ever elusive Kate Jannuzi, of all people, was somehow compelled to buy me a plane ticket to come to Manhattan and attend this conference known as GEMS. That’s Global Entertainment and Media Summit. I didn’t really understand what the whole point of the conference was all about until I actually went to see for myself.

First, a little bit about Vegas and my current feelings about my experience there thus far. Las Vegas is known to be the fastest growing city in the country, and possibly the world. Despite the preconceptions of it being a cesspool of prostitutes and debauchery, we have approximately 6,000 people moving into the city each month. MONTH! So where am I going with this?

It seems the lights and the “wow” factor has been so great to suck up even me. Not really saying that’s a bad thing, because no doubt, Las Vegas is a fascinating city. What it’s really lacking, however, is culture. Art. Passion. I look into the eyes of its citizens day by day and I can see the same disillusioned expression eating away at them. Are they happy? Yes. But not for the right reasons. This cookie-cut society holds no worth whatsoever. The scope of their personalities bear no weight when the depth of their virtues and beliefs are practically null.

What I’m saying is that I can feel a distinct void in my life. Creativity and inspiration rarely surface for me, especially when I’m knee deep in my own distractions. I’m lacking focus…culture…people. I’m lacking those things that define who I am as an individual.

Back on the subject of NYC, from day one of being in the city, I found it so easy to connect to people again. The dazed look is gone and what you see in their eyes are drive and determination. New York is a very cruel and harsh city. But the culture and the zeal are what surface to the top. In this city, I find it so easy to speak my mind again. And for once I’m beginning to realize what it is that I want to do.

Simply put, GEMS has allowed me to realize myself as an artist once again. Despite the very few and sporadic times Kate and I have been able to converse, they’ve always been so profound and meaningful. We’re both undergoing great changes as artists. However, as she puts it, there’s something great in store for the both of us together. I’ve met so many amazing people at this conference, from movie directors such as Hal Hartley, to movie and music producers, executive producers, attorneys in entertainment, and even other growing and working artists both in the film and music industries. What GEMS has showed the both of us is that to make something great happen, to instill a profound change in the human condition, it cannot be done alone. These meaningful interactions are what is going to allow those things to happen.

To wrap it up, I’ve made great contacts both professionally and personally. Steve, has proved to be an incredible event coordinator (and much much much more) whom I respect greatly and of whom see wonderful things emerging. Wayne also has made an incredible impact in my life during this past weekend. No doubt, I have found a great mentor in him as both an Image Consultant and Acting Coach. As well as the many other artists I’ve met this weekend!

There’s something I’m missing in Vegas. Me! For once, I want to do things for myself.

I’ll be back in New York again.

View from the Empire State building.

Kate dancing on the bar at Hogs and Heifers