Hello from WEHO!

I am pleased to write that I and dog have safely arrived in West Hollywood, California!

I rolled in to town around 2:30PM on Sunday afternoon. My biggest concern on the drive out was how my dog would behave in the new car for over six hours. For the most part he did very well. He seemed comfortable, up until the last hour, and he did not have any accidents. When I arrived I immediately took the dog for a walk so he could get his feet back under him and then we both went to the leasing office. The leasing office overlooks and opens into the pool area and I had this vision and dream on the drive out that I would arrive and the pool area would be the homo version of the Playboy mansion pool grotto. Kind of like Moses parting the hetero sea for me and leading me to my gay promised land. Only the promised land that was visible at the pool on Sunday, based on my preconceived labeling skills was a picture of the hetero lifestyle that I had just left. That is not a bad thing nor do I really know what I was looking at so I really shouldn’t even have thought that, but I did. So the first thing that I learned was that if I hope to not be labeled out here, then I need to stop labeling others.

The last few days have been spent getting my apartment in order and acclimating myself and my dog to our new surroundings. I won't be fully settled until this weekend when my furniture arrives. The apartment is sweet! Although, surprise surprise, was not finished being painted when I arrived on Sunday. The free wireless that the apartment complex offers near the pool and lobby, surprise surprise, does not work with my MacBook. (I was doing the right thing and even went to the Apple store to make sure of that, so I nor the admin here have a clue as to why I can’t access it.) Time Warner cable and hi-speed internet, surprise surprise, stopped working 2 hours after it was installed yesterday afternoon. So suffice it say, the last few days have been a bit frustrating and obviously stressful. I do recognize though that is to be expected with any type of move. However, what I can’t stand is when someone says something and doesn’t follow through with it. If you tell me you’re are going to do something then DO IT! I can’t stand FLAKES and it appears LA has them in bunches.

What LA also has are bunches of people, cars, and some really great weather. The diversity and friendliness of the people that I have seen and encountered in just the last few days is refreshing. I do look forward to meeting more people like me and obviously NOT like me. The cars are everywhere and I am going to have to get used to driving in this fast paced city with funky on-street parking at different times of the day. And let’s just say once again how I love my car. I have yet to see another one like it. (are they looking at me, the car, or both?) Having lived in Arizona for some time, I know heat. So even when LA gets into the 90s, that is cool to me. It’s nice to be in the middle of the summer and not have to use your air conditioning.

But what’s really most important is that I am here. Here to take that chance and recreate my life. Recreate it in an honest image. I’m not naive to think that the continuation of my journey here in LA will be easy, but I do believe it feels right. The opportunities are now in front of me and I hope to be open to all of the possibilities. I have no more ifs, ands, or buts. Excuses, those were so Arizona. The time is now to begin to let go so the real growth can begin!

Paul Van Dyk-"Time of Our Lives"