Happy 2021 to you all! 🙂 Last year was definitely a wild one for all of us in the world and we are all hoping it will be brighter and more positive in 2021.
I wanted to give a quick update about where I am at in my life and what you can maybe expect from the blog this year.
New Job
So first, the biggie: I accepted a new position with a company in Los Angeles and I start this month. It took a very long, long time filled with frustration and at times tears to find a new job but I am so thankful I found a new home with a company and client that I am passionate about. It is remote at the moment and I am thankful my new program manager is letting me stay at my place in Ventura County until May.
Why May? Because that is when my lease is up and I don’t feel like paying $1,500 to break it! I have the money, but why break something when you can save? I’m sure you guys saw my post about how I was downsizing my apartment back in June…because I was doing it on purpose! I knew I wanted to relocate and take items I no longer needed to Goodwill, so I spent two full weekends doing just that. I would say more than half of my little studio apartment is gone and I can even hear my voice echo in the main room when I talk on the phone.
Ventura County was a great place to build my foundation in California and I am definitely going to miss the friends I have made and the amazing community, but I have been wanting to move on for quite some time. It’s hard to wake up in the morning not feeling 100% fulfilled and I am so grateful to be doing that now. I don’t expect my next journey to be easy by any means but I always find a way to stay focused and figure it out.
New Apartment
So where am I going to live in LA? It is such a big area with diverse communities. Originally, I wanted to go to Pasadena because I love the area and my Lebanese culture is there. But because I wanted to be slightly closer to my job just in case I did get called into the office, I decided on the South Bay (San Pedro/Long Beach). For the square footage, security and cost, it was more my vibe. I already have an exact apartment in mind so I am hoping it all works out by the time spring comes and I sign a new lease.
I was also looking heavily in West LA but it has changed drastically since I moved to the area in 2010, whether it be the cost of living, tourists or the increased homelessness, I decided it wasn’t the right area for me. I also looked at places like Culver City and Century City but I wasn’t impressed with the location or prices either.
New Semester
I am also starting my second, third and fourth semesters with Arizona State University, Online for the Master of Arts in Communication program. So far I have a 3.83 GPA, which is pretty amazing IMO! I am a little over a year from graduating and I am excited for my new classes! This whole year will be about electives and my final semester in spring 2022 will be my research and capstone classes. I am so close to accomplishing one of my lifelong goals!
Freelance Woes
Something kind of sad but hopeful is my freelance work (liquor account execution and journalism) I would say 80% to 90% dried up because of COVID-19 or because of other issues that arose that I won’t get into. I was so happy, excited and thankful that I got to help with two liquor events between November to December because the last time I had done anything like that was in February!
What I will say is in terms of my journalism work, I decided to take a majority of 2021 doing minimal stories not just because of COVID-19 and what has happened with many outlets but because I have got to get through this masters program and some other personal things. I love reporting and it was a hard decision but it’s for the best and only temporarily. I plan on revamping it a bit more after I graduate in 2022. I also just got so tired of reporting on the same things because all I could really talk about at the time was anything COVID-19 related. When COVID-19 first happened, it was so fast and that’s all anyone could talk about because there were so many different angles to cover. Now I feel that it’s just going around in circles for the most part, especially living in California where things open…then close…open…then close. I just felt like I had no more creativity and that took a lot for me to admit, but I can still have some creativity in my masters papers.
More (Limited) Travel
As far as my fun goals because you guys know I love to travel…it’s probably not going to be happening until closer to my birthday in July. I have to start a new job, get through another semester and on top of that, move to a new city.
So where am I aiming to go?
Yellowstone National Park/Grand Teton National Park are on the top of my list, followed by Crater Lake National Park near Medford, Oregon, and finally if everything is okay with COVID-19 the Walla Walla, Washington wine region and a trip to the Christmas Market in Cambria, CA. National Parks are fun and convenient to go to, especially during COVID-19 where you can be outside, get some fresh air and exercise. Obviously, I am not going international this coming year because of school and I don’t think COVID-19 will be eased up quite yet. I plan to go international in 2022 though!
I am hoping my parents can come out for a visit but it is all going to depend on COVID-19 right now and the restrictions in California. Now there are new strains out in the world and god knows what will happen there.
Here’s to a new year and hopefully it will be a good one! 🙂
