A Preface.

For the past two months, I have been living "The California Dream." On September 14th, I moved from the little ol' Midwest with a friend, a girlfriend, and an ambition to entertain the masses on the West Coast. It was not a move made in a moment of spontaneity or out of fleeting excitement, but rather a long path of decisions leading up to one strong jump across many boundaries--of family, education, and of course, states.

It was also decided that the move would not be a permanent one. It would last for just a year.

The purpose of this online journal is to chronicle the events that happen within that year under the California sun and to hopefully provide an interesting spin on what it is to "live the dream" from the eyes of a Calif-Iowan. I will recount my trials and tribulations of attempting to thrive in the entertainment capital of the world while also detailing the general quirks and various tidbits of everyday life: work, play, relationships, et cetera...

There may not be an entry every day--or for that matter, every week--because it is unrealistic to assume that something of note will happen at all times. Still, I will try to put aside my prejudices on what is and isn't interesting to give as full an accounting as possible. It is my hope that once the year has passed, IA to LA will be the bearer of much insight.

It is my hope, too, that it won't bore you to death.

Enjoy.


Be Back Soon,
Shaky Jake


* Because I have waited two months to come up with this brilliant (?) idea, the initial few posts will be more retrospective than in-the-moment. Bear with me. I promise that they will be just as enthralling as the entries that are to follow. I pinky swear.