Reintroducing Myself

My name is Jenna and if you’re following this blog, well, I have two things to say. First, you should probably find some other hobbies and second, thanks for bearing with me. This new blog is the story of my journey, a new phase of my life coming long overdue.

When I was young I had dreams of becoming an actor. I scored the part of the Wicked Witch of the West in my fourth grade production of The Wizard of Oz and since then, I’ve been in pursuit of the theatrical life. I have many passions, some old and some new, but my heart has always been most alive on the stage.

When I graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2010, I got some pretty lousy news. I moved back in with my parents and six months later, my grandmother passed away from esophageal cancer, and I’ve been in a strange twenty-something-dilemma loop ever since.

Earlier this year I made a list of personal goals. Sick of putting my life on hold because of finances or fear, I decided that by December I would return to what feels most like home, the city of New York, and put some real effort into the life I was meant to live. I anticipated a lot of hard work and saving up to get there. I anticipated a lot of separation anxiety from my family and friends at home. I didn’t anticipate my best friend Kiowa would not be there waiting for me, as she announced she was joining the Peace Corps in the spring, to teach in Mongolia for the next two and a half years. But I was incredibly proud and happy for her and her newest adventure.

Upon further inspection of my sheltered life, I decided that maybe it was time for an adventure of my own, and a change of plans. In July, I decided to head to California and see some of the places in this country I had yet to see, which is nearly everything west of Rochester. I would leave on December 27th, the anniversary of my grandmother’s death, and repurpose the day for the start of my new life.

One month from now I’ll be packing my bare essentials into my little Honda Accord and make my way to LA. In a little over two years my sister from another mister will be returning to the USA and together, we shall road-trip back to the Big Apple. I may hate it. I may love it. Who knows? A lot can happen in that time. I’m excited and terrified, but mostly excited. So I thought I would use this blog to share my journey with all of you.

So if you want to find out what happens when I move two-thousand miles from everything I know, stick around. I’ll post some updates about my travels, the cool things I see and people I meet. I’ll let you know about any future projects in my acting career or maybe just an occasional picture of a cupcake I ate.

I have also set up a GoFundMe account to help me get to my destination. I can’t give away any cool prizes or perks as a thank-you for donations, but I have decided to commit to a few Pinky Promises. In the coming months I will do my best to fulfill as many Pinky Promises as possible to my friends and sponsors. It could be anything from a handwritten letter (super rare item, HP level 500) to a silly challenge. The possibilities are technically almost kinda endless!

So that’s the beginning of my beginning. Thanks for coming along for the ride.