Letters From Hollywood

I returned from a long weekend vacation to find my apartment empty.

Furniture gone.

Unexpected, but not unwarranted. It was a scene straight out of a movie. The one where the jerk dumps his girlfriend right before Valentine’s Day and returns from a weekend vacation to find her completely removed from his life. Welcome to the screenplay that is mine.

The furniture was hers, and I assumed when we parted ways, it’d go with her. I just didn’t expect it to happen so fast. I didn’t expect my apartment to look quite so empty. And while ultimately my choice, I didn’t expect the emotions that followed.

My first thought after opening that cold apartment door was, “Sweet, I don’t have to help move her out.” First thought.

It didn’t take long before the sad empty feeling started setting in. It was late, and I worked the next day. Neither mattered. I stayed up for hours wondering what life has in store for me beyond this point. Did I make the right decision? Did I make a mistake? Did I just lose a great friend?

The truth is, I didn’t want to write this. I felt some things are better left unsaid. However, a certain editor didn’t feel the same way. I guess people want to hear more than just how awesome life is going all the time.

All in all, there’s some growing pains, but I believe I made the right decision. Our relationship had entered stalemate. Neither of us was growing from each other anymore. I had hit ground boredom. She was a great girl. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her … except that she couldn’t keep pace with my lifestyle. That’s ultimately the why.

Since everything went down, I’ve been busier than ever. I’m getting back to running along the beach, going for local hikes, and playing street hockey. I’ve hit almost 20 hours of triathlon training each week. I’m still making it to mountains regularly for snowboard season. And somehow I still manage a healthy social life going out with friends to concerts, movies and regular hangouts … all week long.

I imagine things would be very different if I didn’t have access to the lifestyle I have now. I can’t imagine sitting at home feeling sorry for myself after the coffee shops have closed at 6, and the weather is too cold to go out and play.

California is my friend. The friend that comes over to your place and drags you away from endless Mac-Gyver reruns and forces you to get up and do something with yourself. If it were a real friend, I might be drug to a strip club. But this… this is by far better.

It’s true my timing was horrible. I couldn’t have planned it worse. But if intentions count for anything, then those were top notch. Above all else, all I wanted to do was be honest. Good, bad or ugly… I wanted to be honest.

My friend said it best, “everybody likes vanilla, but you crave mango madness.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Until next time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

Kemer