This past Saturday, I celebrated my 26th birthday! I must say it was the best one yet. I was surrounded by supportive women, got to check out the Atlanta Botanical Garden, see Cirque Du Soleil Mexico and had a phenomenal first rehearsal for showcase!
The Atlanta Botanical Garden has been on my radar since before I moved here. They currently have a cool exhibit called The Curious Garden, which is stunning! As I strolled through the gardens with my gals I could not help, but reflect on how blessed I feel. This year is the first post-grad year that I feel truly comfortable with where I am in my life. In the past I was still trying to get the lay of the land of the city I was in, trying to find a steady job, trying to find a friend group, chase my dreams, find some time to eat healthly and date. All of it felt exhausting. There were so many days I tried to stay positive but felt like my dreams were closer to fiction than reality. So I moved again since the opportunities were pulling me in another direction. I have learned that it is okay to say no and put yourself first. When you say no to pleasing other people (family included), dealing with their drama, or even disagreeing with their suggestions on how you should live your life; you finally feel free. This year I learned that I love spending time with me. There’s nothing better than spending time with the people you love, but there is something truly beautiful about being comfortable eating alone, talking to strangers and actively pursuing your dreams.
At dinner, we talked about how in your mid-twenties you finally start to feel like you know who you are and what you want. Whether that’s to start your own resume and life-coaching business like one friend of mine, or nanny while getting your masters degree like another gal is. We laughed about our crazy dating stories (current and past)! Then, we discussed how every time we thought we had everything all planned out God would close one door and open a bigger, brighter, better door. The horrific bullying and harassment in one job lead a friend to start her own business. Which caused her to attend a networking event she never would have gone to and met me! The craziness of her previous job taught her how to handle difficult people going forward and not be afraid to stick up for herself. It’s crazy to think if certain events never happened then certain amazing individuals never would have crossed our path. I know if I had stayed in LA, I never would have met my acting partner who I think will genuinely be a lifelong friend.
Showcase! I am so excited for acting showcase. What is showcase? Well for acting it is when a bunch of acting students preform a scene or monologue and invite agents, managers and casting directors to watch. This is how most actors get their agents and managers since they know these actors have been trained and know how to behave professionally on set.
My acting partner is a great listener, hardworking and incredibly humble. He is the partner dreams are made of and we compliment each other so well. Our first rehearsal with our director was this past Sunday and when we finished our first run through she stared at us in silence for a moment. Then said, “Damn I’m good. I cast you two for this so perfectly. You two are more comfortable together in the first meeting than most people are by week four. Keep it up guys this was an amazing place to start I can’t wait to see how much you’ll progress in the next few weeks”. Honestly, I have been on cloud nine ever since and all I can say is that dream I have of being a professional actor is so close I can smell it. Next post I’m going to share my review on Cirque Du Soleil! I hope you all have a fantastic week and take the time to start accomplishing your dreams!