SILA 2014

I am back from LA with lots of happy energy and pictures!

Saturday the 7th

Dad dropped me off at the airport for my 11AM flight.

Had the worst expensive sandwich I've ever had for breakfast in the airport. I took like three bites and couldn't do it anymore.

Flying over Arizona

When I landed, I was generously picked up by my mom's boyfriend's younger brother's wife.

 We went to In n Out because I didn't get to try it the last time I was in LA two years ago.

I was very happy. 

I couldn't get the fries animal style cause I couldn't remember the term. I liked the burgers but they weren't my favorite. Five Guys is yummier. I hated the fries cause the texture was more like fry crisp chips.

 After eating, she took me to this area with an amazing view:

 Sea on one side, mountains on the other. 

 The houses on this hill must cost millions!

The very nice apartment I stayed at for the night.

After settling my luggage down, we went for a walk around Long Beach. 

 Piers are so nice.

Sun setting on one side.

 The Queen Mary that was turned into a hotel/restaurant that was holding the Ink and Iron festival that weekend.

 Really large bird just chillin'.

 I love me some palm trees.

 The dinner she made me cause I didn't want her to buy me food since I was already taking her bed.

Sunday the 8th

She also made me waffles for breakfast! She was a very kind host and even drove me to the apartments I was staying at!

Some classmates and I escorted to our buildings via golf cart cause the complex is on a huge hill.

Welcome pizza party!

Monday the 9th
After our first class in the morning, we were dropped off at the Samuel French Bookshop!

We had lunch at Chipotle before going in.

This was the best book store I've ever been in. So many scripts and books with a reading room and a room with a ladder for the shelves you can't reach. Heaven.

The separate rooms in Raleigh Studios where we had evening classes.

Waiting for our ride back home.

My lovely roommates Erynn, Scarlet, and Chelsea! We had subconsciously sat in the van this way.

 Tuesday the 10th
Paramount Studios tour!

*taken by our lovely tour guide*

Lulz fail jump shot.

The Paramount screening room

The Forest Gump bench.

The first dressing rooms.

Set building in one of the sound stages.
Can we just take a minute to appreciate how that handsome worker looks like Littlefinger from GOT.

The cool parking lot that they can fill with water and shoot movies like Jaws in.

Filming stuff for The Voice.

The creepy alley they shoot "discovered dead body" scenes in.

They died so beautifully.

Anyone still watch Glee? It's the restaurant Kurt, Santana, and Rachel work at in New York!

The sign!

Lunch in their really nice cafe.

I can't believe I'm saying this but, I put too much dressing on my salad.

After class, the tour, and more class, Chelsea and I were worn out and were getting ready for bed when Scott and Nico barged in.

Scott worried that he might have killed us all because he blew out our fire in the fireplace and it started smelling like gasoline. We had a fireplace that turns on and off through a switch. Waaaat.

Wednesday the 11th
Lunch at the Raleigh Studios cafe

My interesting mango chicken.

Shira and her kale salad thing.

Emily and her gouda tuna melt.

Chelsea and her salmon pasta.

Scarlet and her regular tuna melt. 

She's too adorable. I was obsessed with her the whole trip.

Thursday the 12th
Being driven to Raleigh.

*stolen from Erynn*
The four of us clicked so well. Soooooo happy our room situation ended up the way it did. We stayed up till around 2AM every night to talk. It was wonderful.

Lunch at a cool place called Lemonade.

Awesome dessert window.

Guava lemonade and truffle mac n cheese.

We ended class early so we took advantage of the pool and hot tub.

Another lovely sunset.

I've been in dire need of a new profile picture for facebook since November so I had us all wear matching red lipstick.

Hot tub bonding.

*stolen from Erynn*
Can we take another moment to appreciate how amazing Scarlet's decolletage is?!

*stolen from Nico*
Missing Rachel and Raven :(

Chelsea started "bathing in the unknown" and I caught this incredible moment.

Bathing in the unknown together. <3 

I love how the app I use to not have to crop pictures for instagram tries to match the border with the picture and it gave me the ugliest beige color.

Friday the 13th
We were supposed to go to a live taping of a show after class, but it ended up being canceled. We got dropped off at Universal City instead.

*stolen from Nico*
Unfortunately, we didn't go to the park D;

Dirty candy.

Freaked out when I saw this wall of food magnets.

I want to eat them all!

I didn't buy a $20 magnet but I did buy:

and an Adventure Time shirt for Sandy. The "Hot Topic exclusive" got me. These were the only things I bought while in LA cause all my money was spent on food and Uber/Lyft rides.

A quick break at Coffee Bean

Strange tasting chai latte.

We decided to bowl.

*stolen from Shira*

Guess which one is me.

*stolen from Shira*

Ahahaha Erynn!

Dinner

Scarlet with her margarita 

Chelsea with her fajita and margarita

My something

Hung out in Scott, Nico, and Raven's room for a little bit after.

Saturday the 14th

Our first day off. I slept in for the first time in LA and it felt great. At 4:30, five of us were driven to the Grove.

Beautiful terrarium stand. Where can I find one in Chicago?! I love the hanging ones!

I like how people just sat and watched the fountain show.

Cool lego Budapest Hotel.

While waiting for the remaining classmates to get dropped off, Chelsea and I got on the trolley that drives through the Grove.

Dinner

I dunno why this picture came out so bright but it did.

Sunday the 15th
Our second day off was spent going to Santa Monica Beach!

Uber drive!

Finally! My first real beach! I actually cried cause I was so happy.

An amusement park on the pier?!

Sad that Erynn couldn't be with us cause she had big plans that day.

Super cute hotel on the boardwalk.

We had to stop by because...

I wanted to take Scarlet's roller coaster virginity.

Excited.

Lunch on the roof of a mall around the corner of the beach.

Cool woman at the cool pizza place

*stolen from Shira*

Cheers-ing our strawberry mint lemonade.

Scarlet struggling to move the parasol. 

Chelsea looking happy with her broccoli bacon pizza.

Scarlet looking happy with her margarita pizza.

Emily looking really happy with her pepperoni pizza.

Scott looking kind of happy with his chopped salad. 

My sweet corn, bacon, and arugula pizza. Everything was so good.

We finally headed to the water after stuffing our faces.

Incredibly wide and steep steps.


The cool bridge.

So cool!

The mile long sand walk.

Finally touched the sea for the first time!

How crazy that you can see the mountains! Ahhhh~~~

We frolicked in the sea for a bit. It was salty.

After checking out 3rd St. Promenade, which is even more shopping, we went back home. 

Chelsea, Erynn, and I went to the convenience store (which is conveniently in the complex) cause we were running low on food.

Chelsea couldn't control herself.

*stolen from Erynn*

I got a jar of pickles just to snack on. I finished the whole jar in two days.

Tuesday the 17th
Lunch at Lemonade again.

An okay sandwich and salad I hated.

Red velvet slice!

Really yummy Greek for dinner!

It was our last day of class at Raleigh so everyone started taking pictures with Mr. Buyer (our teacher and the program runner).

He was basically our dad for a week and a half.

*stolen from Mr. Buyer*
Such a great group of classmates. <3

Wednesday the 18th
The last day! We spent most of the day shooting scenes and headshots.

Cute little apple juice that was disappointing in taste.

After all the work was done, we had a BBQ!

Meg, the grill master.

We played a game made by Mr. Buyer using sides from tv shows. My team won!

Surprising us with cake and his own handwritten message. "Bathe in the unknown" was our theme.

After finishing the game, we sat in a circle and shared our feelings for the last time. I cried and laughed soooo much at the same time because of Emily's priceless speech. This was the hardest "goodbye" I've experienced, even though we will probably see each other again. I love those people, I really do. I was so impressed and moved by all of them in and out of class. I've become inspired to become a better actor and human being because of them.

Back in our apartment

*heavy sigh*


"It came from the heart!"
Ahahaha! My favorite picture of Scarlet ever.


Was especially sad about not living together anymore. They were the first and best roommates I've ever had the pleasure of living with in an apartment. Maybe one day it'll happen again. It was so so so so incredibly fun with these girls! So much love!

Ha ha ha ha it took so many tries to get us all in one polaroid.

Thursday the 19th

The last morning we'd walk past the kitchen and admire the different eyes we've drawn.

After Erynn and Chelsea left for their flights back home, Scarlet and I moved into our new room cause we were staying an extra day. Our room was in a building tucked way in the back of the complex where we could the Warner Brother Studios.


Shira's boyfriend flew over so the two of them could vacation, and they were nice enough to help me fulfill my mission: get Korean food.
Out of the many kbbq places, I picked one called Honey Pig.

It was yum.

We got dessert at Cafe Benne.

*stolen from Shira*

*stolen from Shira*

I was happy about finally getting  my Korean food fix after eating so much bread all week. But to tell you the truth, the bingsoo was disappointing for $11.

Shira and her man left us to head to San Diego while Scarlet and I looked at a couple apartments. We walked around Koreatown until we finally decided to Uber to Mann's Chinese Theatre.
Took a look at another mall.

So pretty!

The Matrix.

I will never forgive myself for letting myself go out in public like that with no makeup;;;;

Freaked out about Beard Papa's cause the one in Chicago closed.

Scarlet was excited for her first one.

Something I said was really funny. I know. I take the best pictures of her.

Tourist shop navigating.

We looked at it and left shortly after getting sucked into taking pictures with people dressed as the characters of Halo.

We walked up a hill into a rich neighborhood with beautiful houses with beautiful gates. The uber ride back down had the most amazing view. I'm sad I don't have a picture of it, cause it was absolutely lovely.

After taking advantage of the pool and hot tub for the last time, we ordered Chinese and had a marathon of the bad student films we did at school.

We also tried to finish the bottle of wine Shira left us but we couldn't.

I woke up early that morning to catch my flight home and now here I am writing this post with a smile on my face. I had the pleasure of meeting casting directors and agents and learned so much with an amazing group of people! I also experienced so many 'firsts' with Chelsea, Erynn, and Scarlet! Wah I miss them all so much! I will treasure this trip for life!