Embark.

About a month ago I went to Target with my dear friend Valerie. First let me say that it is NEVER a good idea for me to go into Target without a reason. I didn't really need to go... it was just a spur of the moment, fun place to go while I was visiting Val. I realized I would like to have a new water bottle. Not sure why, really. I have 2 or 3. But, that's what I deemed necessary. So I was browsing the sports aisles with all the water bottles when I found a shiny silver bottle, tall and skinny, with only the word "embark" on the side in black lettering. I'm so glad I bought that water bottle. Whenever I look at it I can't help but feel challenged and inspired to do something new and exciting. Little did I know that opportunity was just around the corner...

Just over a week ago I received an e-mail from an internship program I had applied for back in August '09 and had decided not to do it. I had applied to do an internship in the music industry either in L.A. or London. I was leaning more towards London, because I love travel, love learning about cultures... and it would for sure be a life experience I would never forget. However, this e-mail I received was asking me if I would like to join their spring internship program in L.A which started only 4 days after I received the e-mail (which was on Wednesday, January 27th).... and they were offering me a $2,500 grant to help offset the cost of tuition (which covers my apartment rent & their services as an internship placement agency). They gave me 24 hours to make my decision.

Now, for those of you who don't know me very well... I don't like to make spur of the moment decisions that will cost me thousands of dollars and force me to move thousands of miles away from family & friends. My immediate reaction was panic. Looking back it's actually quite humorous how worked up I got about making such a big decision. Yes, it was big... but deciding to do this opportunity would mean pursuing my dreams of building a career around music! All of my friends thought it was obvious... just do it! I, on the other hand, was a bit more emotional and unsure of it.

24 hours later, after a lot of prayer, crying, and questioning... I decided to take a leap of faith and trust God to show me how He can use me out in L.A.

So that brings me to today.

I will be leaving on a 3:24 pm flight out of Fort Wayne, IN tomorrow afternoon (Sunday, February 7th) and will be arriving in Los Angeles, CA at 7:40 pm, where I will start my new adventure!

I have been hired as an (unpaid) intern at Filter Music Magazine... you can find this magazine at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Urban Outfitters. I would encourage you to pick up a copy and browse through it to see what kind of a company I will be working for! I am going to be in the marketing department and be practicing a lot of grassroots (guerilla) marketing tactics. This includes going to venues & putting up posters, leaving postcards/stickers on the bar counter, and striking up conversations with people... or visiting cafe's, boutiques, coffee shops, and other artsy locations around L.A. I will for sure be taken outside of my comfort zone... but I am looking forward to all that I will learn and experience! I am going to be working at the magazine Mondays through Thursdays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. I know, I know... that seems like hardly any hours! Well, apparently it is VERY hard to get more hours than that at an internship in the music industry in L.A..... at least in a marketing department! So, with my free time I am going to work on my photography, visit friends, read books, visit museums, explore the city, and maybe even get a part-time job somewhere to help with the cost of living out there!

I am starting a group on Facebook for anyone who might want to receive my FB updates I will be sending out.... the group is called "My adventures in L.A.!", and I invite you all to join it and read more about my time spent in California. :) Also, there is an open invitation for anyone who might want to come visit while I am there.

With that said, it's time I get back to packing and closing out some final details before I step onto the plane tomorrow. I'll leave you with the word that started it all:

Embark.