Hey there folks,
So this is my second post on this strange thing called a blog and I'm very proud with the fact that I'm even writing this right now. It was tough. There were moments when I wanted to quite, but quitting after a single post is kind of sad, so I decided to wait until after I've posted a few more...then I'll quit. Hahahaha.
I've been in NY for almost two weeks and let me tell you, it has been a busy and stressful two weeks. Long story short, I didn't end up leaving SC the day that I had wanted to. I underestimated the amount of crap I had and just how much I had aquired over my two year stay. I packed everything up and then discovered that it wouldn't all fit in my car and I had said that if it didn't fit in my car, it wasn't going with me. The hard question was what to get rid of. Well, the next day I just started tossing stuff. I drove around to all the other apartment complexes around mine to just toss stuff, because mine was getting pissy that I was essentially tossing an entire apartment away. I also made a few trips over to Goodwill. I was finally left with 3 boxes of clothes and no where to put them, SOOOO I took all of my clothes out of the boxes and just stuffed them into every nook and cranny that I could. My car was overflowing with crap. I even had stuff laying across my lap as I drove, hoping to God that the cops didn't pull me over for blocking my windows. Instead of leaving early in the day and enjoying the beautiful ride to Virginia, I ended up leaving at 8pm and not getting to Virginia until 1am. IT was rough, man! I've decided that I absolutely hate the moving process. There were definitly tears and lots of profanity.
The second day was much better, I was able to leave early in the day, 11 am (early for me, not for normal people). I was able to enjoy the beauty of the countryside and really soak in the beauty of our country; watching the slow change in the environment and foliage as I made my way north, and watching the slow increase in cities and industry. I finally made it to NYC at about 7pm and I was warmly greeted by my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins. Living across the country from your extended family only allows for you to build a basic relationship with them, but I felt as though I walked right into my own home back in CA. That's another big perk of this move, that I can really get to know my family on a deeper level. I've always wanted to really experience the big family thing and now I get to.
The next day, which was a Saturday I had set up an audition at a Catholic church downtown. So, I trudged on down, sang for the lovely and very opinionated Eastern European lady and she said that she loved my voice and that I was on her shortlist. I had also been asked to sub for a friend of mine at a Presbyterian church down on 5th and 12th the next morning and they loved me so much that they asked if I'd like a permanant position there. I said that I needed a few days to think about it. Well, I finally heard back from Krazy Helga and she offered me the position at her church, too. Well, I obviously chose the position at the Presbyterian church because A). I loved the people in the choir (there's something about those PreSbyterians) and B) I get to work with a dear friend again.
Now to find a REAL job to support my singing habit. Let me tell you, it has been a struggle. I've easily applied to 20 positions a day since I got here. I've only had a few bites, but you know what they say, you get one call back for every 100 apps that you send in. However, for those of you who haven't gone through the whole lot of pounding-the-pavement, disappointing job searches, IT SUCKS!! I mean I feel like I'm not qualified to do anything, but at the same time, I know that I am. I wish employers would see that. For people who aren't familiar with the music business, it's hard for them to relate what I've been doing for the last two years to the position that they're trying to fill. It can just really beat you down. I'll keep going strong, but my finances are dwindling, mostly due to the cost of public transportation (which is a whole other conversation).
Let's recap, 2 weeks in and I have a church job, but not a full-time high-paying job. Great. Oh, and did I mention that I scored an audition for a summer program! Yeah, awesome right? So, the score is Dream life 2, Real life: 0. Other than all that jazz, I've just been hanging out with the fam and going downtown to do stuff. I'm a little homesick, but that's because I've never really been a "city" guy. I love the suburbs and could live there forever, but you do what you gotta do. The weather just got a little colder and I can't wait to experience my first REAL winter. Alright y'all, I'll keep you updated. Much love!
