I'm in LA

All right, I've promised many people a blog update so here we go. Lately, I just feel like what I have to say isn't that interesting, but we'll see if I can make the mundane seem exciting. As most people in my life know, I moved to LA at the beginning of September. I left New York on August 17, traveled to Texas and visited for 12 days before heading to LA. My decision to leave New York wasn't easy, but I feel like God was definitely pushing me out of NYC. I can't say I really felt a call to be in LA, but I did feel like he was showing me my time in NYC was up. My life in New York was great. My friends were great, my job was amazing (obviously not challenging, but incredible benefits and flexibility), but as any New Yorker will tell you, life there is a struggle. It's a continual battle of time, resources and just surviving. I would love to tell you that my time there was just this unbelievable blur or fascinating events and experiences, but honestly, it's pretty much regular life just in a crazy environment. I'm really glad I moved there. Looking back, I can see how much I've changed for the better. Maybe I would have grown this much staying in Abilene, but I don't think I would have. I'm much more secure in who I am as a person, what I want in life, and I think I have learned to appreciate life where I am and not be anxious about what I don't have. It's funny that moving to what could arguably be the most consumeristic, materialistic place on earth mellowed me out and made me want less, but it did. The choice to go to LA wasn't rocket science. I have a lot of friends here. The city itself is similar to NYC in what it can provide in terms of a lifestyle. I am kind of viewing it as a transitional move. I don't think I'll be here forever, but I think it's a good place to start. I bought a car, and I'm looking for a job. So far though, even with the traffic, I'm enjoying LA. There's plenty to do, and people have been great so far. I've visited a couple of churches and even been on a church retreat. I'm feeling good about where things are going. So I've been saying that LA is a fresh start for me. A time to try and find some more long-term direction for my life. Last year was really rough (I think that was obvious from the relatively few blog posts that exist). I don't think moving solves your problems, but when things started getting really hard in NYC, it made me stop and think about whether or not I really wanted to live in NYC. The conclusion I came to was that long-term it wasn't for me. So starting over somewhere new sounded good. Feeling a new city out and trying to figure out what I do want eventually. Spiritually I've been in a really bad place. I have still been going to church, but I think we all know that doesn't really mean anything. I've tried to stay as obedient as possible, but I'm the first to admit I have strayed in my apathy. When I left New York, I mailed nine boxes to myself. Eight of the nine boxes didn't make it. At first I said that of all the boxes that could have been lost, it was the one that I wouldn't lose the most sleep over. It was just books. Then I realized it had all my physical Bibles in it, including the last one my mom gave me. It upset me, but honestly, what can I do about it? Absolutely nothing, except leave it in the past and start over. So that's what I did. I bought a new Bible, a new journal, and I'm starting over. Things are going pretty well so far. I've been starting my days with the Psalms and trying to spend some time in prayer. The prayer thing is still a little harder for me, but I feel like it's getting more natural. So here's to LA and the fresh start. I will do my best to keep blogging.