Los Angeles, I'm yours... take two? Or, Things I Need to Do When I Get Back

On September 12, 2007, I blogged about living in L.A. for a few years and what I'd managed to do and see in those years and what I still wanted to get to.  Now that it's 5+ years later, I thought it would be fun to re-visit.  Original post in black; updates in red!

So, I haven't lived in Los Angeles for even three years yet (now it's been EIGHT!), but I think I've done pretty well at getting around and doing all the famous L.A. *stuff*. Let's take an accounting, because Lord knows how much I love lists:

As of last week (thanks, Scot!), I've been to the Hollywood Bowl four times, and I even performed there once (in SummerSounds!). I have not yet been to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. I have now!  In fact, I performed there as well.  Amazing theater!

I've seen one concert at the Kodak Theatre (Shlomo Artzi and Shalom Chanoch) and I'VE PERFORMED THERE YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (with Keshet Chaim, opening the show for the Idan Raichel Project concert.) And now I've seen other shows there including the  Cirque show that currently occupies the theater full-time, but before that opened I performed there again in an incredible Israel 60 show that included Idan Raichel, Rami Kleinstein, and some of my own choreography!!

I've been to movies at the ArcLight (and Universal CityWalk), but not yet at the Chinese or the El Capitan or the Egyptian or the Silent Movie Theatre...  Been to the Chinese... but not the others :(

I've seen three shows at UCLA's Royce Hall, none of which I had to pay for. Twice I won tickets to dance performances (one FANTASTIC flamenco show and one pretty lame fusiony modern thing) from KPCC, and the third time my date had won the tickets on K-Mozart.  I've seen a few more shows there now, including Batsheva Dance Company, David Sedaris, and Barak Marshall.  Still haven't performed on that stage.

I saw Wicked at the Pantages, but so far I haven't been to the Ahmanson, the Ford, the Greek, the Mark Taper Forum or the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. I *clearly* need to go to more shows. I have been to see the Groundlings.  I've performed at the Ford more than once now (I'm pretty sure a picture of my company rehearsing still hangs in their green room... even though I might have hung it myself as a prank!) and I've seen some great stuff at Dorothy Chandler. Gotta get to those others.

I've been to Universal Studios, Disneyland, and twice to Magic Mountain. I feel comfortable not even bothering to put California Adventure on my list, from what I've heard. I have fantastic memories of Knott's Berry Farm from when I was a kid, but I haven't been there in over a decade. I've been to the Magic Castle! Now twice! And more times to Six Flags, but still not CA Adventure or back to Knott's. Haven't been to Legoland either.

I saw Michael Penn and Patton Oswalt at the Largo.

Hell, I was here for hardly a year before I ended up dancing on TV: WEEDS season two, episode six. The creator of the show wrote Israeli dancing into the episode because of me. If that's not a good I-moved-to-LA story, I don't know what is.

I've been to a (two) Dodgers game(s) and a Kings game. I went to a UCLA game at the Rose Bowl (but haven't been to the Tournament of Roses yet). Still to see: Clippers, Angels, Lakers... Galaxy? Sparks? Yup.

I've been to the Getty (actually, I did that once before moving here, but also once since. Dying to go to the Getty Villa in Malibu (Did it, enjoyed it). I've been to the Craft and Folk Art Museum, and I saw the Magritte exhibit at LACMA. Nearly went in to the La Brea Tar Pits, but then didn't. Haven't been to the Autry yet.

I've hiked in Griffith Park and Topanga Canyon, but not nearly enough. I haven't been to the Observatory yet, but I really want to go  (Did it, enjoyed it). Also have not been to the Watts Towers yet.

*I've* spent a day on Catalina; have you? I'VE RIDDEN THE SUBWAY! (Turns out it's not just an urban legend that we have one. Who knew?)

The most true proof that I live here now? I've been a member of Bodies in Motion, World Gym, Barry's Bootcamp, and now, 24 Hour Fitness. Sigh. Latest and greatest?  Cardiobarre!  Oy.

I love it here; I'm lonely here.
(And I clearly need to spend more time near CalTech, because MY INNER GEEK IS STARVING FOR COMPANY.)

I don't think I've done many more Angeliney or Californiay things in these past five years than are listed here, but maybe it's just that I've stopped compiling the mental list.  I went skydiving at Perris Valley, I BOUGHT A CONDO IN THE VALLEY, I... well, I leave tomorrow morning for three months.  Strange time to be thinking about the fun-at-home, but you know:  I'll do anything, anything, before packing.  

Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go

So, thanks to a wayward link from Jewcy.com, I accidentally watched this:



when I thought I was going to be watching this:



Honestly, I kind of loved them both, BUT KIND OF A DIFFERENT VIBE, NO??

Is it 9 Days To Go?

When I was 12 years old, I moved from New York to Florida. I kept in touch with some friends and because my father and family still lived in NY, I would go back to visit pretty frequently. I certainly was not the most popular girl at Wisdom Lane Middle School when I left at the end of my 6th grade year, but let me tell you:  going away and coming back does WONDERS for your popularity. I'd come up to visit and go to school with my bff Kathleen and I'd feel like the queen of the world - people who never spoke to me before I moved away all wanted a piece of me when I came back for these brief appearances! I have found this effect over and over again in my life and I am enjoying it now - having been away for three months (and having plans to leave again so soon), I show up to work or school or dancing and feel like a celebrity. Thanks, y'all!

Of course, I spend most of my time answering the questions of where-have-you-been and when-are-you-leaving-again. It's fun to refer to my weeks here in my own home as a "visit", like it's a stop on my travels and not a break between travels. And I keep thinking I should make one of those yes/no websites, like IS IT CHRISTMAS? and IS IT A JEWISH HOLIDAY TODAY?

IS RDB HOME TODAY?

YES.  

But not for long...

10 days and counting...

Did I mention that I'm going to be a HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER while living in Tel Aviv? I know that idea doesn't conform to everyone's idea of a good time, but I COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED.  I HAVE BEEN A SECRET CLOSET WANNABE HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER SINCE... forever. My last stint doing anything like this was teaching 5th grade reading a few years ago at Heschel Day School. That was a great experience, and this new gig will be a dream come true.

So in this moment of literary delight, allow me to share with you the most incredible collection of artful book-porn I've seen! Not the usual library/collection/bookcase kind, but the real ART kind. It's all here at Tor.com. Take a look, and tell me which is your favorite!  Shout-out to my mom, who first alerted me to this, and whose favorite is the "awesomest book group ever."

(Definitely filing this away for future printing and hanging and decorating...)

11 Days to Go...

So, after my cross-country trip came my extended stay in New Hampshire and then a couple of fantastic months traveling slowly down the East Coast, visiting friends new and old and having a generally incredible time.  Lots of lessons to be blogged - don't worry, they're coming!  After my three weeks in Florida with my mom, I flew back to California, finally, and spent a night in my own home after so many months away!  Then it was couple days at dance camp, a week of Alonim Winter Camp and a great time teaching at Elderhostel (I love it every year - I get to see all my old friends!  Ha.), and then I IMMEDIATELY left for a 9-day stay in Panama with Lila.  It's been quite a trip... or trips, really.  Anyway, I'm home now for a very brief stint - less than two weeks! - before I leave for three months in Israel.  I've never been out of the country for anything approaching that amount of time and I am SOOO excited to finally do it.  I'll be the English teacher for American tenth-graders on an exchange program with Tichon Hadash High School and I can't wait!!  But I have so much to do to get ready... eeek!

I'll keep trying to catch up with the trips that have already happened and blogging the new adventures as they come, but at least now you've got the scoop!  I've had an incredibly rich and full few days just since I got back into town from Panama, and I expect the next 11 days to be just packed as well!  Stay tuned to this space...

and thanks for following along!