i'll start where i left off: housing. i found a house, looked at it, and ran away. and as i found myself homeless and broke in a city of 20 million people, garrett (i can't find words to describe how incredible he is) offered to have me crash at his place for a few nights. all weekend and a few hours today were spent looking for other housing-- but it was worth it. i'm going to be moving into a place called the Gateway very soon (TBD, depends on how soon i can get approved to live there and how much i have to pay).
so... yes. God is a God of provision, of leading, of welcoming the humble and broken into new cities full of hope.
that's what LA is right now- a city full of hope, beauty, mystery, potential, and yes, traffic and smog. but several times a day, i find myself uncontrollably smiling, or lost for words, or lost for breath (once again, maybe it's the smog). los angeles- it's a vibrant, spectacular city. the nuances of each neighborhood (there are 88 incorporated cities in LA county) are so fun and exciting to get to know, and each building has its secrets. so far my favorite places are santa monica (with the famous pier, on which is built an old school amusement park) and westwood (the ucla neighborhood, full of fun places and old buildings). and while i'll always be a Trojan, i'm learning it's not so bad to have a heart for the Bruins, too (i'll just never ever cheer for them) (unless they make it to a bowl game).
orientation started today, which was just slightly below the level of awesomeness that was brought on by deciding to live at the Gateway. first off, they gave me a lanyard- with a USB drive in the buckle. insanely functional. //nerd rant. but they also said some of the most inspirational and challenging things i've heard in a while:
"by the time you graduate, USC will leave you a better person-- but you also will have left USC a better school. and for that, i thank you in advance"
USC is the largest community of international students, in both undergraduate and graduate schools, in america. it's incredibly diverse- and the past three days have made me realize how guarded i act around people that look differently than me. luckily, that's going to change. it already has started to change- and i love it.
as a graduate student, i'm part of an 18,000 person group that is part of USC right now- and part of the 300,000+ alumni of USC. fight on, usc, fight on. (you should see the smile on my
with every passing hour, i feel my heart swell with Joy, knowing that i am exactly where i need to be right now. i feel blessed to know that every step i take has been placed where it needs to be by God. i walk humbled and overwhelmed to be in the city of angels/smog city.
and, no, i have not seen any celebrities yet. i drove next to a blue mustang from NJ and pretended like it was one of the jonas brothers (duh), but more important than any celebrity sighting was me getting a call today from a personal role model of mine- a guy named ross morrison. he went to vandy and usc, too. he called me up and kidnapped me today for about 30 minutes as we talked about LA, USC, Nash, and Vandy. a total blesssing and the first chance encounter i've had down here, i greatly enjoyed it.
the next update will be from the new apartment- more like the supercharged dorm. 1600 students, one building, 8 floors. best part: rooftop skybox that has a view from the hollywood sign to the LA skyline. overwhelmingly beautiful.
but dont take my word for it. come visit. from nashville, just take i40 west until it hits LA (where it becomes the 10)- and when you've hit the pacific coast highway, you'll know you've gone just far enough to have your heart won over.
peace,
chase b
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