How did I end up here, in Oklahoma?

I grew up in California. I was a pint-sized, sweet kid with a big imagination. I spent many joyful and care-free days frolicking in sprinklers, riding my Blue Schwinn bike, making Barbie clothes, and climbing trees. I have many nostalgic memories of contented summer days spent at the beach, frolicking in the waves all day & coming home sunburned. As kids, Mom took us all up and down the southern California coast.

Then, I morphed into a rebellious teen with a penchant for vintage clothes, punk music, bleaching my hair and sneaking out of the house. I moved out just before my 18th birthday, to attend Fashion Design school in Long Beach, located smack dab on the famous Pacific Coast HWY. While living on campus for 2 years in a chaotic city far from home, I quickly realized one of my first big, life lessons; that the family I had rebelled so hard against all my teen years turned out to be my biggest supporters and my lifeline.

While in high school, I was labeled a misfit, but in college I was among other creative types and I felt right at home. I have fond memories of my college years; It was an exciting time, of idealistic youth, and living on the brink of greatness. During those years, I was the poorest I've ever been, but I believe, I was also the happiest.  I was "rich" in other ways; I lived and breathed Art & Creativity.  I drew, painted, made collages, wrote poems, and sewed my own clothes. I experimented with my hair (a past time that would would continue over the years) dying it: black, red, blond, blue, pink and back to black again. I began to fully embrace my individuality, and nurtured the seed of a fruitful, future career in fashion.

After completing school with my AA degree in Fashion Design, I moved to my beloved Laguna Beach, followed by a two years stint in the surfer mecca-Huntington Beach. While living there, I was snapped up as a design assistant, and continued from there to have a fairly successful career in the Fashion Industry for the next consecutive 13 years. While working like crazy in the cut-throat retail/fashion profession, I learned some invaluable lessons about  business, politics and of course, myself.

This was my view from my bedroom window- notice the Hollywood sign to the left & the Griffith observatory to the right.

Although I've lived in California my entire life, the city that has felt the most like "home" so far, has been a quaint, bohemian neighborhood bordering the east-side of Hollywood known as Silver Lake. I adored Silver Lake so much, in fact, I resided in the same apartment, with a great view of the Hollywood sign for the next 8 years.

Silver Lake Reservoir- there is a path all around it; this is how I kept in touch with nature all those years!

This past May, the stars suddenly seemed to align for me in an unforeseen way; I was recently laid-off, coupled with a desire to make a dramatic career change. In addition, my folks who had resided in Saudi Arabia for 13 years were about to retire to the midwest. This meant that for the first time-in a long time-I had a family home to "go home" too.  I took the timing as a sign, and felt an undeniable, magnetic pull-- to  uproot my heart and home and make the big move to distant, unknown lands... the "unknown land" being Sand Springs, Oklahoma, population: 18,000

This is the view from my steps of the apartment I lived in for 8 years. And that is the U-haul my brother drove for 30 hours.

So as of May 23, 2011 I began a new adventure in my life.  One that is simpler, slower and unmistakably different from the life I have lived up until now.  So far the adjustment has been bumpy, and challenging, but each week seems to improve in some small, encouraging way.  With my family close by, (whom all at once drive me batty and hold the place closest to my heart), I remain optimistic and hopeful about what the future may bring.
It's all an adventure.