ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY in NYC!

This weekend marks the completion of my FIRST YEAR living in NYC! It feels like I have been here so much longer as these months have been so full of new places, new ways of doing things and new adventures. I can truthfully say that I am living a dream. A dream that I had from when I was young...to live in New York City! For a period in my life I didn't know if I would ever live here, I kind of thought that dream had been released to make room for some other ones. And I think it was but I'm thankful that God brought that dream back to me and allowed me dream it again and to see it to fruition.

This year I've experienced and learned a lot but here's the TOP 10 Highlights of my past 12 months...

1. Packed everything I owned (well most of it) into an SUV and drove 12 plus hours to an apt in Jersey!
2. Auditioned for a Broadway show. And another Broadway show. And another.
3. Saw some famous people including Julia Stiles, Catherine Zeta Jones, Kelsey Grammer, David Letterman, Star Jones, and New York herself. Oh and the Naked Cowboy and scarily the Naked Cowgirl.
4. Discovered some amazing spots to eat including Shake Shack (thanks Linda), Juniors (thanks Bryan), Beechwood Cafe (thanks Marcie), and others. Many others.
5. Met some great people...you know who you are!
6. Got my Equity Card! I'm now a REAL actor! :)
7. Saw the fireworks for 4th of July from our apartment rooftop...which looks out to the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline! Ridiculous!
8. Lived through my first East Coast winter! Had to get snow boots! Woo woo!
9. Figured out transportation both around New Jersey and NYC. Well, mostly.
10. Attended some great Broadway shows including Memphis and Billy Elliot!

So at the end of this first year I am completely looking forward to what the next year brings and the next, here in the Big Apple. I am grateful to all of you who have been so supportive of my journey both nearby and from afar. Your support has been immensely encouraging and largely felt. I'm excited for what God has in store in the coming months and years as I feel completely in the place where I need to be. There's nothing like the feeling of home and that's what I experience here...even when I'm lugging my groceries down the street in the sweltering heat.

I'm excited for this Fall and the new adventures it will bring. I've got no great expectations but just that, that great things will happen. There's such opportunity in this city that you can't help but be encouraged and feel the fuel to make your dreams reality. That is exciting. So I'm looking forward to seeing more of my dreams come to life. And to marking down more of my grand experiences here and sharing them with you.

Until them...dream on and live your life to its fullest!

josh