Time Flies

Hey guys, Andi here. me, laura, is here shortly after to add my 2cents and photos.

It has been brought to my attention that it has now been over 5 months since our last blog post. I'd like to apologize for our slackness, but we've been busy living life in the USA and making the most of our (apparently now very limited) time left here. So... Sorry, I'm not really sorry.
It really seems like it was a week ago that I wrote the last entry - but at the same time SO much has happened since then!!

Since our last update we've been to multiple concerts, parties and events, sited some exciting celebs and had a lot of fun, but the thing I'm happiest about is all the new friends we've made. WE HAVE FRIENDS YOU GUYS. ** see below The kind of friends that make the thought of having to leave in a few months really unpleasant and something I like to spend as little time thinking about as possible. So you can bet your bottom dollar that when it comes to thanksgiving time (under 2 weeks away now... a full update on our plans later in the post), friends will be at the top of my list of things I'm thankful for.

                             

That being said, I'm sure you all want to hear what we've been up to so here is a quick recap (in chronological order because I'm relying on instagram photos to remind me of what we've done):




Fourth of July: Hung out with a bunch of fellow kiwis and aussies at our friend Andy's house and had a few (more than a few) drinks, before heading out to watch a big fireworks display in Downtown LA.
Below: New Zealand (and Australian) Family photo with fellow IEPers

Esther visit: Our lovely friend Esther from NZ was in LA for rehearsals before jumping on a cruise ship to dance and live the dream all around the world so we managed to catch up for a perfect day of site-seeing, coffee drinking and cuddling.

Chicago at the Hollywood Bowl: We snagged tickets to see one of our fave musicals at the Hollywood Bowl starring Ashlee Simpson, Stephen Moyer, Lucy Lawless, Drew Carey and Samantha Barks, and directed by Brooke Shields. To call it fabulous would be an understatement!

Jan & Glen visit: My parentals, suffering from Empty Nest Syndrome after having been deserted by both their children, made a trip across the Pacific to visit their favourite child (they also visited Matt in London but we all know who they had more fun seeing). We hiked to the hollywood sign, visited the famous LA beaches, did lots of shopping, went on a day trip down the coast to San Diego and the OC and ate a lot of delicious food.

Bands: We've seen some of our fave artists live in concert incl Lorde, Nancy and Beth, The 1975 & City and Colour, with more shows coming up in the next few weeks!

We took a day trip into Downtown LA to visit the Natural History Museum (the exterior is used as the Jeffersonian Institute in Bones), the Rose Garden, the beautiful USC Campus and finally dropped into Echo Park on the way home to visit our friend Andy and check out the lake.

it was insanely hot on this particular day. we also missioned to chinatown which was a huge non-event and just hilarious and hot and sweaty.

**right - Natural History Museum (obv)
**below - USC Campus - why can't Vic have an epic fountain like this one?? This place was so beautiful we both considered studying again just to be there all the time.

Matt visit: My younger brother Matt visited on his way back to NZ from London and we had an action packed few days including a trip to Disneyland/California Adventure (aka paradise) and Universal Studios, as well as all the standard must-see spots in LA.

As we farewelled one couch-dweller, we picked up another as my friend Alana came to stay on her way back to NZ after working at a summer camp in Iowa. We hung out, caught up on old times, did the hike up to the Hollywood sign and did a spot of celeb stalking. We also spent a day out in Burbank visiting Warner Brothers studios and took the studio tour. It was the greatest two hours ever. Saw the car from Great Gatsby, Pretty Little Liars being filmed, walked onto the Two and a Half Men set and saw Portia de Rossi riding a bicycle around the lot right after we stopped outside Ellen's office. 

October marked Laura's last day at SoftScript so we went out for a celebratory lunch down the road at Brus Wiffle where we very happily lost our Chicken and Waffle virginity. I don't even know how to explain the deliciousness that is chicken and waffles, and can't fathom how someone thought to combine them but take a piece of fried chicken breast, throw it on top of a waffle and then douse it in Syrup, Hot Sauce and Ranch dressing and you won't be disappointed. (Laura quit softscript in favour of not sitting in front of a computer screen doing nothing every day and is now back working for 1iota doing audience coordination for The Voice and getting paid to watch talented people be talented and perve at Adam Levine for hours on end twice a week... Not a bad decision I'd say). - aka the best decision ever. While I may not be working full time, I have the greatest job 2 days a week and get free food. 

Chicken and waffles and a gigantic table of cupcakes to celebrate the beginning of the The Voice season 5 live shows - this is the only photo we are allowed to take on set. 

October also signified the end of summer and the beginning of fall... A season we are still yet to experience as LA is still gifting us with temperatures in the high 20s/low 30s Celcius... for any Americans reading this:
a) know that celcius is superior to Farenheit in every way. Accept it and embrace it.
b) this is 70/80 F
Nevertheless, we try to embrace the fall festivities by drinking things like Pumpkin Vodka with Hot apple cider, and baking Pumpkin Spice or Gingerbread Cupcakes

At the end of October I popped back to NZ for a very flying visit to surprise Mum for her birthday/my parents 25th Wedding Anniversary. It was a hectic 4 days and I didn't get to see nearly enough people for my liking, but it was soooo good to see those that I did! Sidenote, when I was living in NZ I never understood why people go on about how 'green' it is. I mean, yeah there's trees and it's pretty but I didn't get what the big fuss was. Flying back into NZ from LA really opened my eyes to this and made me realise how much we take our country for granted. That shiz is beautiful you guys!

While Andi was visiting the motherland, I went up the coast a little and camped out on the beach in Ventura. NZ may be green, but this was incredible.

I returned to LA just in time for Halloween, which is probably a bigger deal here than Easter. Our friends Alyssa and Vinnie had a Halloween Party and we had a tonne of fun. You know how everyone says we look like sisters/twins... Well this year we played on that and went as the Grady Twins from The Shining. We were super creepy.

"Come and play with us Danny... for ever and ever and ever and ever"

oh yea, and the morning of the halloween party I ran in the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood 5k at 6am. 

it was fun.

And now here we are, half way through November and wondering where all the time has gone. 

We have a lot to look forward to over the coming months and we're counting down the days til Thanksgiving. Alyssa and her family were kind enough to invite us to Mexico with them for a 4 day weekend and we could not be more excited!

Somehow, and I'm really not sure how, Andi forgot to mention that the day we return from Mexico we will be dropping our bags at home and racing straight out to Burbank to see The Ellen Degeneres Show...WE HAVE TICKETS! My life will be complete.

Another perk about my part time job is I have plenty of time to spend with family! Emma had a new baby boy on Monday and he is the cutest little button. - Add one more pro to the LA list. 

I will try my best to get back on here more regularly and keep you guys in the loop with all of our adventures, but don't hold it against me if life gets in the way!

xx

peace kids. speak to you again soon.