tiff of the 'burbs.

Alright, this is me coming clean to my friends over the Internet.

I’m a no-bullshit dating type. My lack of patience is probably one of the leading reasons why I haven’t dated anyone in… hmm … FOREVER. I know. I’m working on it. I know I don’t need a boyfriend, but there are times where I find myself thinking “Now would be a good time to have one”. Here’s the thing. Contrary to popular belief (or not), I am chicken shit and am unable to make the first move when it comes to guys AT ALL (True Story: I’m waiting for my class to start and there’s a cute guy alone at the table next to me, but I don’t know what I could/would say to him to start a conversation. OMG PLZ BE IN MY NEXT CLASS). One day, my close friend decided he would take the first step of initiative for me and create a profile (with the visible information on my Facebook) for a dating website.

HUH DA WUT. I know I said I’d put myself out there, but I didn’t mean there.

Alright, so I like efficiency. Online dating can help you weed out people based on the personality questions they answer (hopefully with honest answers). My close girlfriend in law school did online dating and had a very active dating life, but I was…more than apprehensive. I resisted because of the (not entirely true) stereotype that online dating sites were full of creeps. Per request of my profile creator, I kept the profile and proceeded to get a ton of messages from random guys (and girls—seriously). Creeper. No. Go away. A little on the strange side. Meh. Nope. Maybe….okay, this one seems normal.

After a week of exchanging online messages, I met someone over coffee (duh, well-lit public place). He was normal (!!!), very nice, and easy to talk to. We both love going to live shows and concerts. We both really like Incubus and think *NSYNC was the best boy band. A couple days later, he asked me out on a date. I said yes. He brought me flowers and took me out for tapas and sangria. As nice as he was, there was not an ounce of chemistry besides our musical interests, which is okay with me. The date was fun and it was cool to meet someone new.

That was my one (and only) online dating experience. Would I recommend online dating? Sure, it definitely works for some people. Would I meet someone again? Depends. For now, my profile is deactivated as I am trying my chances in stepping up my game in a new city full of people, but I’m not ruling my online resource out completely.

Oh yeah…umm…please don’t tell my parents I did this hahahah

Things I love: So much fun (and sometimes FREE/cheap) things to do (you just have to look for them or follow the right people on Twitter/Yelp), Silverlake Reservoir, Bossa Nova

Okay, so I kinda cheated because I’ve actually experienced the reservoir and Bossa Nova before, but it’s cooler being close to both now.

Things I don’t like: Lack of protected left turns, parking issues (I have to PAY to park at the gym?? Hell no), traffic (duh)

My internship has always been unpaid. I knew that I wouldn’t be making paper when I applied for this position and, luckily, it just so happens that I love what I do and the organization I intern for that I really don’t mind.

On Thursday, however, I really felt like the stereotypical unpaid intern. Breaking it down, this is what happened:

• My day started at 11AM and I was supposed to stay until 8PM that night due to a Young Physicians Focus Group we were hosting (part of the strategic planning process).
• Worked on the project (childhood obesity prevention & safety) I’m helping coordinate all day.
• Boss tells me I need to order/pick up (healthy!!) food for the doctors.
• I don’t have a parking space yet, so she suggested that I walk down Vermont and into Los Feliz.
• My blind ass missed the restaurant (Googlemaps FAILED ME and told me it was on the opposite side of the street) and I end up walking (in the heat, during rush hour) past the restaurant…AT LEAST an extra half-mile.
• Freaked out, panicked, phone was dying, called sister at home to help me
• Got to restaurant, picked up 8 orders of food, walked back to hospital
• Got followed/harassed by a homeless man because I had big bags of food. “I’m sorry, these are for my boss!”…but I did end up giving him my yogurt I had in my purse.
• Got back to hospital (later than expected), sweaty AF, walked into the room only to find out the restaurant messed up one of the physicians’ orders.
• Stayed and hour and a half later than planned until 9:30PM

-___________________-

I did it! I moved to LA this weekend and finished unpacking the things I brought with me (I’m doing this little by little). Although it doesn’t feel like I really moved out (because I practically grew up in this house too), this is a great step forward! I live in Hollywood, near all kinds of tourist attractions, restaurants, places to shop, and about 10-15 minutes to my internship site (which is really less than 5 miles, but this is LA haha). I can’t wait to explore the city while being a tourist and resident at the same time!

My supervisor offered to extend my summer internship for the Fall Semester yesterday. Of course, I accepted the position because 1) I don’t have any other job offers, 2) Experience matters, and 3) Experience matters. What’s great is that I’m already excited about my duties. I’m basically going to have the unpaid version of my dream job. HA!

• Strategic Planning & Implementation
• Program Managing: I get to actually head up a program that promotes obesity prevention in children. I won’t say which, because we’re still waiting on grant approvals from the State and…well, you know how that might end up.
• Grant support— research/writing
• Social networking

HUZZAH!

And a year later, there are a lot of people that have moved from my Friend circle into my Acquaintance circle. Others have moved into my “I’m going to be polite and cordial, because I am a grown woman and not rude, but I really can’t stand you” circle.

See, this is why Google+’s circle concept is awesome. IT’S LIKE REAL LIFE.