Home

Home for a week now. Feeling lost in a sea of possibilities. L.A. is beginning to feel like a mirage. I miss the desert.

On the other hand I've developed a new appreciation for the cheap housing prices in Indiana, and I'm seriously considering buying a house once I land a job. The job will have to be an offsite position, unless I make some good contacts here and find something that isn't advertised. But the idea of an offsite position appeals to me. So we'll see how that works out.

Otherwise I'm just still tired. Haven't wanted to do much but read and take baths. Yet, I must carry on.

Done

Well, school is all over, and I'm no longer in L.A. I wanted to stay, but no apartment buildings or complexes had anything open for at least two weeks at a price I could afford - except for one in a bad part of town that was literally the size of a closet. I couldn't see staying and wasting a bunch of money on hotels, and I didn't feel comfortable asking anyone if I could sleep on their couch for two weeks or more. There was one place that was a room in a woman's house, but . . . I just really wanted to get my own place. I may take up Sarah on her suggestion that I buy a little house in the mountains when I go back. So . . .

I'm back in Indiana. I am utterly wiped out and need some time to rest and regroup. Sarah, I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to meet, but it will happen! I loved L.A. and got a great vibe there. It wasn't at all like the horror stories I've heard. A guy even offered me a tire gauge at a gas station while we were respectively filling up our tires and vacuuming our cars. Never experienced that in a big city before.

AND I got hit on pretty much wherever I went. So naturally I want to go back.

To Infinity . . . And Beyond

We're almost at the end. We're in the last week of school. I'm overcome with nostalgia and excitement. Still have a lot to do, but once I get these assignments knocked out of the way, it will be packing, finding a car (that's going to be the toughest part), and all the other stuff that goes with ending school. We're getting info on our internships, and it's exciting.

I've been checking out apartments in the L.A. area, and they're about what you would pay in Chicago. Only I like Chicago's apartments much better, what with all the dark wood and Greek-style architecture. I'm finding L.A. has its charms—just not in the apartments for the price I can pay. They look like carpeted prison cells. You get the one window with the venetian blinds. In some cases the stove and refrigerator are listed as amenities. As in optional.

Oh yeah, and then I have to find work. Checking out the want ads and the temp agencies.

It's Official

Well, it's official. I'm definitely "on" for L.A. I was finally approved for the rest of my financial aid, which means I'll now have the money to complete the internship, which in turn means I'll be graduating.

No excitement yet. Just relief and a touch of pride that I managed to pull this off.