Positive thinking and finances.

The past couple weeks have been amazing. Falling in love all over again with Chris, losing 7 lbs, feeling hot, and just did my 2009 taxes and I'm getting back over $1000! Heck yeah! This may not seem like much, but the past two years when I've had this amount, something bad's happened. I've needed a car since I moved here, and I will FINALLY be able to get one. I've lived here about 2 1/2 years, with NO car. No car in LA? Yep. Crazy right?? Well, here's my story...

Back in 2006, I was stuck at a liberal arts all woman's college, not sure where I wanted to go with my life. I was starting with a degree in Theatre, but I wasn't sure if that was where my true passions lied. I've always been known as thinking older than I really am, so I wanted to make a smart decision. I had always loved doing makeup, so I decided, after talking to a (now) ex-boyfriend, that I would apply to Makeup Designory in Burbank, CA. I applied, and got in! Such excitement, everything happened all at once. I moved to my aunt's house to have a place to work while I saved for school. When the time finally came, I didn't have as much as I wanted to in the bank account, and after having my heart broken, decided it was time to get on the fast track. I made the decision to look for a place walking distance to school. Everything happened so fast! One month I was madly in love and was going to attend makeup school and then return shortly after, to do God knows what...4 weeks after the break-up, I was on a plane to Los Angeles. I left everything I had behind; my car, my old flame, my old job at Macy's...Everything I knew to be my life, I dropped to attend school in an unknown world.

I had only been in California once, way south of LA in San Clemente to visit my sister for a couple days. This place was a huge wakeup call. I rented a room from a man for $750 (a ROOM, not half the apt...). I scoured the area for a job, only to have no luck for almost 4 weeks. I was SO alone. The only person I knew was my 55+ year old "roommate" or landlord, and he wasn't the funnest guy you'd meet. I'd cry myself to sleep. I'd walk around the downtown Burbank area aimlessly, wondering where life should take me. I walked by my school, which I wouldn't start for a couple weeks. So alone...

After getting turned down a job at a coffee shop, I went right next door to a little place called NYPD Pizza, walked right up to the manager, and now good friend, Kirstin, and handed her my resume. I knew this was now or never, that I had to start feeling positive about life for things to happen. Not a week later, I had a job as a server. From here on, I met everyone I'm connected to through the restaurant, including my wonderful boyfriend, Chris. That was my initial experience with the power of positive thought. So with no car, and not a real "home," 2 jobs (Halloween store, R.I.P. Taylor...) I attended school and passed with a 4.0. Good things happening! It was when school ended, I decided to be young and restless and start drinking a lot and things took a different direction. Where was I to go now?

The past two years have been spent being "comfortable." Not really going anywhere or doing anything to make a positive change for myself, but now's the time. So with the weight loss comes more structure.

To be continued...