First!!

Hello All,

Welcome to this blog. Those of you reading this might be family, friends, or even total strangers. Whoever you are, I hope you enjoy it. I'm gonna use this post to give you a bit of background on what is exactly going on and what I am doing.

I dropped out of college last January. I wasn't happy with what I was doing and I found myself losing interest. So I left. Many thought it was hastily done and others though it was a bad idea. But it wasn't their decision to make. If you don't like something, you stop and do something else. You don't wait around waiting for something to happen. You don't hope for it to get better. You move on and move forward. Many of my friends and colleagues will be graduating in the spring. I'm happy for them and I wish them the most success in their respective fields.

When I dropped out, I was depressed. Who wouldn't be? It was the first time in my life I had never completed something. It was tough. What made it tough was me not having a job or motivation. I didn't even get a chance to go to HOBY that year because my grandfather had passed away before the seminar. It was a slow time. But, with all that time, I used it to reflect. What did I want to do in life? What were my dreams?

My dream in life has always been to direct movies. I love everything about movies. I love the process and all the behind the scenes of movies. I knew thats what I had to do. So I put an application in for the New York Film Academy. And wouldn't you know I got in. I was going to start a journey in life that would ultimately end up changing my life for the better. But it didn't happen. I feel deeper into depression and had a nervous breakdown. So I went into therapy. Nothing fancy. Just met with a specialist to talk. Discussed everything from my childhood to where I was in life. I learned a lot about myself and became a better person.

So this past january rolled around and my Uncle was nice enough to get me a job. I worked with him until I lost the job in May. Long story short, the management was awful.

Now, one thing you must know is i'm a massive fan of 'The Wire'. I love everything about it. So when I found out creator David Simon was doing a new show I was excited. He does a show called 'Treme' and its about life in Post-Katrina New Orleans. I watched every episode of the first season many many times. Mainly because I would miss parts of the episode from crying. Most of the episodes did not call for an emotional response like that. But when I watched the show, I didn't see acting. I didn't see the story or plot. I saw a medium staring back at me screaming. Screaming what are you doing to help? Why are you just sitting there?

But it wasn't until HOBY that I decided to make a difference. I spoke with many of the other volunteers. But these people aren't just volunteers. They are Inspirations. Mentors. Crushes. Best Friends. But most importantly, they were there for me in my time of need and they all told me the same thing. Go for it. So thanks to that support, and the support of my family, I'm currently in New Orleans embarking on what is easily the most exciting adventure of my life.

Tomorrow starts my first day working for the St. Bernard Project. I'll be rebuilding homes of Katrina Victims in the St. Bernard Project. What will I be doing specifically I'm not sure. I will be updating more and more throughout the week the specifics and obviously the many stories I will hear.

I'm going to end this post with the greatest quote someone has ever given me. Alecia, if you're reading this, from the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank you enough for these inspirational words.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."