Third Time’s A Charm?

They say third time’s a charm. We’ll see. 

This is my third attempt at a blog…

The first was about my four-month Asia adventure. And although some posts were delayed and I played some catching-up on the recaps, it was a pretty successful public diary that I could share with my family and friends around the world.

Then came the attempt to blog about my first year in Vegas. That started strong and died when everything got so busy. 

And now for this. I had been thinking about starting this blog for awhile now, but after a trip home {LA} last weekend, I knew it was now or never.

Here’s some background:

I’m an LA-girl, born-and-raised. Most people either love or hate Los Angeles; I’m one of the few who love it. Yes, it has its flaws, just like every city, but it’s home and will always be.

During my senior year of college, I was in Vegas at least once a month, sometimes twice. I loved coming here because it was a chance to escape reality and have a weekend with fun & interesting stories. I loved it so much that I always joked about living here one day. Then it actually happened.

I moved to Las Vegas a little over a year ago for the opportunity to follow my dreams of planning a festival. I started as an intern and am now the Brand Storyteller focused on communications while still getting to work on other aspects of the festival that I enjoy just as much as sharing its story.

I honestly didn’t know how long I’d be in Vegas when I first moved, and I still don’t know. 

When I made the decision, my very caring and loving boyfriend decided he would move to Sin City too. He had just moved back to Philly a few months prior but wanted to be in the same city to support me and our relationship. Since then, the joke has become that I moved us here, but he would keep us here. As a very talented mixologist/bartender with a focus on craft cocktails, he has found his perfect city and I’m so proud of everything he has done and accomplished over the past year. 

Soon after the first year of the festival was over, I realized that I needed to start making Vegas home. I was so focused on work as soon as I moved, that I didn’t have time to develop friendships out of my workplace, build a routine and get situated. It was a rough reality to face, but I slowly began to take steps in the right direction. It’s still a work in progress just like everything else in life. And though it’s not always easy to put yourself out of your comfort zone to meet new people and try new things/ make the time to develop friendships instead of curl up on the couch with a blanket and reality tv/ wake-up in the morning to go to the gym and attend yoga regularly, I need to do it in order to make the most of my time here, whether it’s for one more year or ten more years. 

Now for where this blog comes in.

This is my attempt to publicly journal about my journey through this change in life and the ups and downs that come with it. It is also a chance to highlight some of my favorite things {music, recipes, quotes,} document my life as a Vegas local, blog about new places/things and share what it’s like to plan a festival/ develop a brand. 

This is the story of an LA-girl in Vegas: thoughts, adventures & everything in between. 

Third Time’s A Charm?

They say third time’s a charm. We’ll see. 

This is my third attempt at a blog…

The first was about my four-month Asia adventure. And although some posts were delayed and I played some catching-up on the recaps, it was a pretty successful public diary that I could share with my family and friends around the world.

Then came the attempt to blog about my first year in Vegas. That started strong and died when everything got so busy. 

And now for this. I had been thinking about starting this blog for awhile now, but after a trip home {LA} last weekend, I knew it was now or never.

Here’s some background:

I’m an LA-girl, born-and-raised. Most people either love or hate Los Angeles; I’m one of the few who love it. Yes, it has its flaws, just like every city, but it’s home and will always be.

During my senior year of college, I was in Vegas at least once a month, sometimes twice. I loved coming here because it was a chance to escape reality and have a weekend with fun & interesting stories. I loved it so much that I always joked about living here one day. Then it actually happened.

I moved to Las Vegas a little over a year ago for the opportunity to follow my dreams of planning a festival. I started as an intern and am now the Brand Storyteller focused on communications while still getting to work on other aspects of the festival that I enjoy just as much as sharing its story.

I honestly didn’t know how long I’d be in Vegas when I first moved, and I still don’t know. 

 

When I made the decision, my very caring and loving boyfriend decided he would move to Sin City too. He had just moved back to Philly a few months prior but wanted to be in the same city to support me and our relationship. Since then, the joke has become that I moved us here, but he would keep us here. As a very talented mixologist/bartender with a focus on craft cocktails, he has found his perfect city and I’m so proud of everything he has done and accomplished over the past year. 

Soon after the first year of the festival was over, I realized that I needed to start making Vegas home. I was so focused on work as soon as I moved, that I didn’t have time to develop friendships out of my workplace, build a routine and get situated. It was a rough reality to face, but I slowly began to take steps in the right direction. It’s still a work in progress just like everything else in life. And though it’s not always easy to put yourself out of your comfort zone to meet new people and try new things/ make the time to develop friendships instead of curl up on the couch with a blanket and reality tv/ wake-up in the morning to go to the gym and attend yoga regularly, I need to do it in order to make the most of my time here, whether it’s for one more year or ten more years. 

Now for where this blog comes in.

This is my attempt to publicly journal about my journey through this change in life and the ups and downs that come with it. It is also a chance to highlight some of my favorite things {music, recipes, quotes,} document my life as a Vegas local, blog about new places/things and share what it’s like to plan a festival/ develop a brand. 

This is the story of an LA-girl in Vegas: thoughts, adventures & everything in between. 

Sunday Funday: February 24

This weekend, I came to the realization that staying in my apartment all day is not best for me emotionally. This fact and an encouraging pep talk, has led to the decision to have Sunday Funday adventures. I love to venture when traveling to new cities, so living in a new city shouldn’t be an exception. So, every Sunday, I’m going to make it a goal to spend the day, or at least a portion of it, venturing to new places, getting to know the area and finding cool things to do; I am also making it a goal to go to yoga every Sunday morning as well as cook something fun. It will be the perfect way to end the previous week and start the new one. Plus, if you know me, you know how much I love the concept of Sunday Funday.

Here’s a recap of my Sunday Funday (pictures, recipes and links to places included):

I came home from yoga and made a simple recipe I found on Pinterest: Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich (http://pinterest.com/pin/204491639302624164/) I used cinnamon as the pin suggested and added a personal touch by including strawberries: 

After watching the second half of the Lakers game against Dallas (which my boys in purple & gold won!) I went to go check out a local coffee shop in Downtown Las Vegas: The Beat Coffeehouse. Both a coffee shop and record store, this is a great place to spend afternoons listening to records and sipping good coffee. After 7pm, a selection of beer and wine becomes available. Food is served all day. 

Another awesome feature of this local favorite is that it is part of Emergency Arts, a “creative collective.” With two floors of creative spaces, I like to classify it as a gallery full of galleries. 

Since I didn’t discover the galleries until I was on my way out, I will definitely be back to explore each space; there were rooms I could see myself sitting in or walking through for hours. 

After Mass (my mother would be proud,) I headed home to cook dinner and watch the Oscars (first time I’m not in LA for this… weird.) Cooking for one and using what I have in my fridge has become a fun creative challenge. I get inspired from Pinterest, but also like coming-up with things myself. Tonight I made a meal inspired by the California Roll: a salmon burger (instead of crab meat) topped with cucumber, avocado and balsamic vinaigrette (since I don’t have soy sauce, which is fine because I’ve never been a fan of soy sauce minus the few exceptions I use it for.) I put it on top of edamame beans to tie in the sushi restaurant feel. 

I’d say it was a pretty successful fun day out and I already have plans for the next Sunday Funday adventure. 

My First Week in Vegas

I am officially a Las Vegas resident. 

It’s been a week since I left home in SoCal to move to Sin City, but it’s felt normal to be here since I exited the freeway and turned left (away from The Strip.)

I was very blessed to have found a fully furnished apartment whose owner would give me a three-month lease on the very first day of my apartment search. And even more blessed and thankful to have a mother who spent three very long days helping me find an apartment, getting me moved in, stocking my fridge and even taking me to get my nails done. I have to admit that I got a little emotional Thursday night when she left, but it’s only a four-hour drive home if I ever get a little homesick. Plus, I’ll be home in three weeks and my awesome parents have already prepared a care package their putting in the mail tomorrow.

After spending most of my Friday on the couch watching reality TV and napping, I spent the rest of the weekend in work mode, which justifies why my clothes are still in a suitcase. Have no fear though, I did manage to make time to find the nearest Nordstrom and Teavana (#priorities;) (Mom made sure I knew where all the nearest grocery stores, Target, Sam’s Club, Trader Joe’s, churches and Filipino restaurants were before she left.)

Working with such a passionate and dedicated team makes it all worthwhile. Additionally, I am already enjoying working on all the exciting things happening at Aurelian Marketing Group and with Life Is Beautiful Festival. (To keep up with all the latest news, make sure to like Aurelian on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @aurelianMG) You should also like Life is Beautiful Festival on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @LIB_Festival…. I know, shameless plug, but you won’t regret it.)

I know it’s just the beginning, but I am very hopeful about everything – living in Las Vegas, working for an amazing company and learning to be on my own. Fingers crossed. 

Now to attempt to not fall asleep on the couch (which I haven’t been able to do since my first night at the apartment,) and start my day early at the gym…

From SoCal to Sin City, Let the Journey Begin

For years, I’ve said that one day I’ll move to Vegas. Everyone thought I was kidding… I thought I was kidding… Yet, today, Monday, February 11, 2013, my car is filled and I’m moving to Las Vegas.

I was offered the opportunity to help with planning the inaugural Life is Beautiful Festival through Aurelian Marketing Group. This music, food and art festival launches in Fall 2013 in Downtown Las Vegas. It’s going to be great for the revitalizing Downtown Las Vegas initiative that many locals and financiers have been supporting.

Over the past few years, I have wanted to get into the music festival world on the event production side, so when this opportunity presented itself, I knew I couldn’t pass on the chance to find out if this is the business I really want to have a career in.

Music has always been a huge passion. It is powerful and it unites. When people from all over the world and different walks of life come together for a music festival or one that creates a fusion of it with art, fashion or even food and wine, the effect is chilling and memorable. I will never forget the experience I had at Coachella or at a Full Moon Party in Thailand, or at any musical event I have ever attended for that matter; I still remember what I was wearing, where we went to dinner and where we sat for my very first concert at the age of 9 – NSYNC at MGM in Vegas.  There will always be certain songs, pieces of clothing and locations that bring me back to these moments and make me think of the emotions and memories that go with them. These concerts, parties and festivals are way more than events; they are experiences. And I am all about creating experiences for people to enjoy and remember.

I believe that everything happens for a reason and in the right time. It’s time for me to make this move and take a risk on an opportunity.

This is the time to push my limits, leave my comfort zone and really find out what I’m made of. 

I’m scared, excited, nervous and happy. The thought of going into the unknown is frightening, but full of possibility. Time to start another journey on a beautiful adventure known as life.