Smile Big and Pretty is on the road to Los Angeles! Follow Jas on Instagram at 0smilebigandpretty or follow the Hashgr.am feed HERE!
Two days ago I sat down at a vacant dining room table, made myself a cup of coffee, and wrote the following as I waited for the potential opportunity to fight off vagrants and neighborhood troublemakers:
After what can only be described as a tornado of packing VS. unpacking VS. transporting VS. more packing, everything is in in place for what I can only hope will be a life changing, cross country journey. The car has been packed. The loved ones have been properly hugged and kissed. The mind has been prepped for the ungodly realization of what I am about to do to kick in.
Only one task remains.
My last act of valor in Atlanta consisted of a duel with the beast of bedtime.
Player Number One, a vivacious and extremely intelligent 1.7 year old, lasted well into the eight o’clock hour and resigned herself to slumber only after I retrieved a plastic ice-cream scoop for her and pretended to eat it while Elizabeth Mitchell played on my iPhone.
Player Number Two, a young lady who is also already probably way more intelligent that me, lasted slightly longer. She tried to trick me into letting her stay up by saying that a rousing game of Littlest Pet Shop was just the ticket to making her sleepy. A game of Littlest Pet Shop, according to Player Number Two, consists of emptying out all of the action figures from a box and re-envisioning them as characters from Harry Potter. Having already played this game with her the last time I body-guarded for the girls, I knew very well that this was not a sleep inducing activity and suggested we read a story instead.
“Touche, Body Guard,” she said.
She didn’t really say that. (However, her expression indicated she would have had touche been an active word in her vocabulary.)
Now that the girls have fallen asleep and it’s just me and my thoughts, I’m knee deep in nervous anticipation. This is it. Now what? How do I make the best of my situation? Will people like me? How can I do my best to ensure that I don’t crash and burn in the vicious industry of Los Angeles? What does the future have in store? How can I trick someone into representing me? How can I make money writing?
How will I know what to do?
I wonder about all of this and more until I remind myself that right now, in the present, I probably shouldn't kill myself worrying over such things because I may or may not have just used an eHow video to change a diaper.
i can understand all your nervous anticipation, as I have some ridiculous thought myself at the mere thought of dating people.
ReplyDeleteBut it's always easier for an outsider to give you perspective, so chin up, big girl panties on, and go on to own LA lady!! You can do it!!
Big girl panties are clean and ready. LET'S DO THIS. Thank you for your moral support. It is much appreciated.
DeleteGo out and get em!! I know you'll do amazingly :)
ReplyDeletePS- cute post! I used to try to trick my babysitters when I was little, which made me all the more prepared when I had to be the bodyguard later in life!
Oh, I was always trying to trick my babysitters, too. I personally think that it's adorable. These girls are probably the two most awesome children I have ever bodyguarded.
DeleteAnd thank you for the awesome words. Love it.
I hope you have an amazing time and uh, hello--I'm still waiting to hear about your mix, Lady.
ReplyDeleteBut I have just on word of caution from these last two posts... it kind of seems like you're wanting to document this trip for other people--follow me on twitter, follow me on instagram, ect--and when I see that I'm sad because the complexity of a cross-country trip should never be summarized in a photo and 140 characters. I mean, if you're tweeding so your mother knows you safe--then fine, but otherwise I highly recommend saving as much of the wonder for yourself as you can.
I run into this at parties when the scene is just amazing and I want to photograph it. Sometimes I find that attempting to do so takes a bit of the authenticity from the moment. But you're a performer, so preform if you must--I personally think that being there is way cooler than telling everyone you're there. Tell me about it later, the parts that really mattered and you really remember.
That's what being on the road is about. Best of luck to you, may the best route find you if you don't find it first!
We're already having an amazing time, man. Chicago has been amazing and I can't wait to have time to properly write about it.
DeleteI totally get what you're saying about the pictures. For the most part, I'm blogging content-content when I have a free minute. The stuff on Instagram is a way to not only share with an audience, but with a good number of people back home who are rooting for me. You hit the nail on the head with the performer thing, but I am saving some really cool stuff for my non-blog life.
I will post the playlist soon... it's kind of still a work in progress!
Jas, I love that you are always about to take the most typical situations and make them sound outstounding and atypical. Have a safe trip out west, I'm glad that you have decided to cast your worries aside and make the move. Good luck lady!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you so much! Yeah, it's time to just go and give it a whirl. Thanks for the encouragement and support. You rock!
DeleteIf your body guarding abilities are any indication, you win at life. No worries about the eHow video. I would've been had by the littlest pet shop.
ReplyDeleteHope all is well. :)
All is SWELL. Thank you for your blind faith in my body guarding abilities. I'm actually confident in them ... but sometimes these new fangled diapers are just tricky.
DeleteThere are some actors in my local friends circle, and I will be sure to throw you headlong into that group.
ReplyDeleteBesides, LA is really just one behemoth version of caretaker for children. You got this. But also know you've got backup.
You know that Nugs is also in LA, right? You know that I'm going to be living with her for a while, right? YOU KNOW THAT BETWEEN THE THREE OF US THERE WILL BE A 20SB MINI-CON IN LA, RIGHT?
DeleteI mean. ....
In all seriousness, thank you so much for your encouragement and support. I'm stupid jazzed about this whole thing.