October 4, 2013

Life Is Crazy...And I'm Loving Every Second

So, my dad took vacation last week, which is always great! He works so many hours, so I don't always get to spend as much time with him as I'd like, except for on the weekends. It threw things off a little, seeing as I'm back in school, but it was great getting to hang out and watch TV together and to eat earlier, which is something we rarely get to do.

Anyway, last weekend, we went to LA to see Keith Urban at The Hollywood Bowl and the last two home games of the regular Dodger season! L.A is tied with Nashville for me as far as favorite cities go, because I'm still such a city girl! Any chance we get to spend a little more time there is always incredible, and this time around, we got to spend two nights there.

Friday:
We left earlier in the morning, because we had planned on watching the taping of E! News, which they usually film in the courtyard every Friday! I was so excited to see Jason Kennedy and possibly Giuliana Rancic, because they are two people in the journalism department that I really admire. We waited outside for awhile, after using the restrooms and double checking at the front desk inside. It's a really nice building! After waiting awhile, some people that were sitting next to us said they decided to cancel the courtyard Friday taping at the last minute, so that was a disappointment. We still waited around, hoping something would happen, but it never did. We did see one of the correspondents and Ali Fedotowsky (The Bachelorette) walking around, though.



We picked up our tickets and parking pass for the concert that night, then drove near NBC Studios, since we knew Sandra Bullock was supposed to be on that night. We didn't see her or anything going on for that matter, so we had lunch at Claim Jumper by Warner Brothers Studio. After we finished eating, we went to our hotel room to freshen up and to get ready for the show. 

We made it to The Hollywood Bowl, headed straight to our seats and had nothing but time to kill. It's such a strange set up for the seating! We had never been to the venue for a show, we've only driven past it a thousand times, so it was weird seeing it all for the first time. We got a snack and something to drink, and pretty soon the show started!

Dustin Lynch was the first opening act; he was pretty good, but he should not sing Justin Timberlake...Sorry, haha! Little Big Town was up next, and even though I've seen them several times before, they blew me away. They have such a way with production and visual effects, but they have the power in their harmonies and music that really draw you in. Finally, the stage was set for the main event, and Keith randomly walked out and got the show started. I love that he doesn't make a big deal about production, he's just all in it for the music, which is really a beautiful thing. He sang/played for about two hours straight, he came out into the audience a couple times to get more personal with everyone, and even read all the signs in the audience. I think it's really cool that he takes the time to do that for the fans; recognizing all the time and energy they've put into those things.
It was the perfect evening for an outdoor concert and I was lost in the music for that time; forgetting about school and whatever worries were on my mind, as Keith told his stories through song and instruments. He always puts on a fantastic show, but most of all, I love his genuine nature and love for the music. That's what it should be about.

Let's just say getting out of the parking lot was not a fun time...Moving right along. We had a midnight snack/dinner at Bob's Big Boy! I had the most healthy option of Chilli Cheese Fries and a salad! LOL! Then, we drove around for a bit and headed back to the hotel since we were all wiped out.

Saturday:

We got up and ready pretty early because we had a pretty full day to get to! We drove into Pasadena, because I wanted to see Adam and Kristina's house from Parenthood. Only it was incredibly awkward to find out that someone actually lived there, so I took my picture in front rather quickly. We had an earlier lunch at The Grove's Cheesecake Factory after that! I had a new pasta dish that was really tasty! We didn't really look around much, drove in the Beverly Hills area, then went to the Getty Museum, since it's something we've talked about doing forever. It was such a gorgeous day and there was so much to see! We wandered around a lot outside, and looked at a couple of the exhibits in the buildings. We didn't get to spend a lot of time, but it was worth it just for the view!




We headed back down on the tram, then made our way over to Dodger Staidum! It was a fun game, but unfortunately, they didn't win! When we got out, we had another (almost midnight) snack at Bob's Big Boy! This time I just had regular fries and a chocolate shake..Yum! After, we went back to the room, all totally wiped out from a long (but awesome) day!

Sunday:
Again, we got an earlier start and packed up our stuff, then had breakfast at one of our favorite places, Paty's, which I'm sure you've heard me talk about before. I had a waffle, which was pretty tasty, then we drove around the area for a bit and waited around for the store, It's A Wrap to open. It has a ton of costumes that have been used on TV shows and movies over the years. We saw things from Desperate Housewives, 90210, Disney shows, and even a sweater from Reba! It was really exciting and pretty affordable, too, if I wasn't completely broke. We finally made our way over to Dodger Stadium for the very last game, but it was really hard to leave that store. I could have spent a couple hours over there. The game was a blast, since it was fan appreciation day, and they were giving out prizes. I was bummed we didn't win Justin Timberlake tickets (or anything for that matter), but it was still a great time. The last few years, I've become so emotional over the last game. It's almost like graduation day, saying goodbye to all of the friends you've made along the way! Even though they lost again, they have come such a long way, and I'm glad that my family got to be part of that journey! It was also cool getting to see Arsenio Hall give away some prizes!



After the game ended, we had dinner at Ernie Jr's, then headed home! It was such a great weekend, it was hard to start preparing for the school week again, but it's gotta get done. So thankful for these moments and getting to spend so much time with my parents :)

That's all for now,
Shelby

October 3, 2013

Third Week of School...DONE!

I have officially finished my third week of school, and so far things are still going pretty well. I've been meeting a lot of great people and I've been trying to make as many connections as possible and best of all the homework still hasn't been too bad. But, I'm not going to lie...I definitely feel very overwhelmed, only not so much with school. It's more about what comes after and having a career! Will what I did here do enough to get me a good job or an open door that leads to a wonderful opportunity?

Right now, I feel like I'm comparing myself to everyone else out there, competing for the same job that I am or will be. I'm comparing writing styles..This person did that so much better than me, she has more description, he has more statistics, etc. I've had a lot of doubts and have been mentally questioning whether I have what it takes to really interview people and do all the things that I've envisioned for my life all these years of being on the red carpets and working for an entertainment site. Maybe it's because I'm still getting used to the campus and all of my classes, but I feel like I'm becoming more quiet and reserved, and right now is the time that I need to be speaking up and making a name for myself. Right now is all I have, and I'm finding out that there is NO room for being shy as an adult. I do so much better with one on one, but I'm going to have to get used to groups. I suddenly feel like I'm starting to over think and analyze everything, instead of just being who I am. It's like I feel confined.

Maybe I'm being too hard on myself, and it's okay to be nervous in front of crowds and it's okay to feel a little terrified. It's going to take some time to adjust...Nothing happens over night. Let's face it, Ryan Seacrest was "Ryan Seacrest" when American Idol started. So, maybe there's hope yet.
 
Journalism is a lot tougher than I ever realized. I always heard about people saying that you had to have tough skin, but didn't really think that much about it. When one of your biggest fears is rejection, the entertainment business is definitely not the place to go. But, it's THE only thing I have ever been drawn to. I've never seen myself working at a regular job. I've always known that this was a calling from God, but now that it's here, it's going to be so much more challenging than I ever imagined. The biggest thing I have to start doing is to stop comparing myself to other people and just do what I know. I can't be concerned with how other people are getting to the top, I just have to focus on what I'm doing and figure out what it is that makes me shine. And right now, I'm really wondering what that is.

In a world so big, how in the world am I going to stand out? *sigh* Sorry, if this was a rambling post...My thoughts are a little all over the place currently.

That's all for now,
Shelby