life.unscripted: post-grad

It's been a little over a week since I graduated from AMDA, and things are starting to fall into place. I began my job last week, and while it will certainly do for the time being, I know that I do not want to stay there longer than I have to. This, in itself, gives me hope that things are going as they should; because I know my job isn't right for me, it gives me the motivation to continue auditioning and pursue acting, which, as I've really known all along, is what I want to be doing. So yay for that! It isn't quite party season yet, so I spend about half my time doing catering and parties and the other half hosting. Not exactly what you'd call intellectually stimulating, but, at the very least, the restaurant has a nice vibe and the people are very kind. I think, once I get adjusted, it'll be an alright place to be.

Random fun fact: My restaurant, Havana Central at The West End, is only about three years old. It was formally a long-standing establishment called The West End. In the spring of 2004, while on an east coast tour with AiR, we sang in the basement of The West End. It was my first time ever in a bar. And now I work there. Coincidence? Who knows?

Aside from starting work, I spent the end of last week bidding farewell to Rafa, who serendipitously became one of my closest friends at AMDA, and has since returned home to Mexico City. Rubria and I rented a car, "kidnapped" him, and drove us all out to Long Beach in Queens for a night of nostalgia. We presented him with a movie we made, with the help of all our friends, chronicling his time at AMDA and in New York. I don't think words could ever describe that night, so I won't even try. Nevertheless, it's one I won't ever be forgetting.

I also booked my first acting job. I'm doing a new musical Off-Broadway called Bobo's, which follows the story of an bi-racial teen struggling with the issues ethnic minorities face in the pursuit of the life they dreamed of. It's an urban musical, sung through with R&B and hip-hop music. I'm playing the Hispanic mother of the lead character. Rehearsals begin at the end of November. We're doing a concert version of the show in mid-December, and previews begin in February for a March run. I'll be doing this in addition to working, so there will be something aside from work for me to look forward to in the coming months.

In preparation for the show, and life in general, I guess, I've signed up for a membership at Planet Fitness - for $10 a month, you can't go wrong! And deals like that remind me why I love New York so much - and I've restocked my kitchen with healthy foods. I had been making such poor choices during the last couple weeks of school, but I've decided to turn over a new leaf and not make any more excuses for not taking care of myself. Thankfully, Rubria has joined me on this quest, so I have someone to help hold me accountable. It's really nice to get back into a normal regimen. I loved being at school, but I must admit that during the last 16 months, I've had little time to focus on myself. So now that I'm working only 40 hours a week, as opposed to the 24/7 commitment I made to AMDA, I have more time to devote to my health and well being, as well as my interests, like leisure reading (including plays for continued education, of course), visiting museums, arts and crafts, cooking, and being a young adult in general. I kind of missed "real" life. It's nice to get back to some sort of semblance to it.

So far, so good. And here's to hoping things continue to get better.