I cannot believe that the trip is over and I'm now sitting at my boyfriends apartment in Los Angeles. How did it fly by so fast? And how did we cram so many giggles, adventures, and memories into 5 short days?!
This morning I was really craving one final stop before the last leg of our journey. And really, what could be more perfect than an emu and ostrich farm? With their big prehistoric feet and beady little eyes, I might be the only one who found the oversized feather dusters adorable, but I know Jenny had fun feeding them too. Two pans of food later and we were back in the Corolla with the gps set to tinsel town.
The trip was perfect. We conquered California and explored how multi-faceted the Golden state really is. From the cityscapes of San Francisco and Los Angeles to the rolling vineyards of Napa to the beaches and fresh produce, I feel confident that our trip embodied all that CA has to offer.
Moreover, the trip couldn't have come at a better time for the two of us. Jenny has just moved to Hollywood and will be starting her new job on Wednesday. When we applied for the show, Jenny was a small town girl from Nebraska with only a faint glimmer of West Coast dreams. And here we are, cruising to her new Los Angeles home.. together!
And then there's me. I spent two years getting acquainted with Los Angeles while working as a casting associate before accepting a job offer back home. I was reluctant to leave, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to work as an agent for a franchised acting and modeling agency. In LA I would have been a casting associate for eons before a promotion, and here I was offered a director position AND an assistant. An exact year later and I'm taken back to California, but this time in front of the camera (my true passion). I gave my boss a four weeks notice, finished up a fashion show I was putting together and packed my bags to "hit the road" with Jenny. After this, I'll be researching a book I'm co-authoring with my Mom in Portugal and France before relocating to LA permanently. Where my career will go from here is still murky, but I am confident that I'll find my niche in the entertainment industry upon my return. (positive thinking!)
I am so very thankful for the opportunity to share the adventure of a lifetime with my best friend. Along the way, I saw breathtaking sights, overcame a fear or two, and learned some valuable life lessons. Jenny and I will always be pen pals. Whether we're next door neighbors or I'm off back packing through Southeast Asia (what? it's on the bucket list!), our pen pal-ship will continue on as normal. Only this time, our bond is strengthened by the tangible memories "Hit the Road" has afforded us.
To the casting director, producer and cameramen, I can never thank you enough for this opportunity, but I can promise to add you to my Christmas card list. Really though, thanks for putting up with us, for enlightening me on all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, and for giving me the travel itch - your stories of adventure have expanded my bucket list ten fold. It's not everyday that you run into people who can profoundly change your life in one week (just by being their awesome selves!), and for that I am forever grateful.
To Jenny, you're the most honest and down to earth person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. To travel with you was something I will hold near and dear to my heart throughout my entire life. I can never fully explain what our pen pal-ship has meant to me, but having you in my life makes me feel funny saying I'm an only child. Thanks for writing back even when my letter is three pages of whining; for letting me poke fun at your lack of taste buds and your disregard for fashion trends; for remembering my birthday even though I send your present two months late every year. To my personal counselor, my best friend, the audience of my new joke material, the keeper of my silliest fears, most embarrassing moments and wildest dreams; to the closest I have ever had to a sister: thank you for embarking on this journey with me - I look forward to sharing all that our bright futures have in store for us.
Paz and Amor,
Chelsea
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