#NerdsUnite: Adventures in Randomness and Rock & Roll w @leah_cevoli (Gypsy Mode Update Month 10‏)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Leah. She's pretty rad and has an INCREDIBLY random life. Like, no - for reals ... did you know she has an obsession with vampires, psychics, and tarot card readers ... and she had more sex as a teenager than in her 30s ... anddddd she even had two ex boyfriends die violently - one from a heroin overdose, and the other was murdered. Holy moly roli poli oli - that shit be cray cray. Either way, she's now here to write about her life, love, and all things nerd. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT LEAH!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Leah_Cevoli

Wow…

Just a few weeks ago (Easter Sunday) marked the year anniversary of the day I put in my notice at my townhouse of 7 years in Studio City…Letting Go

10 months of #GypsyMode  

10 months of not having a physical address of my own.

10 months of having the majority of the little possessions I have left in storage.

Many people when they hear my story think it’s incredible and awesome, to have survived 11 months floating around the US from job to job, houses, apartments, hotels and such.  But more than likely, they typically end with something like, “I don’t know how you’re not exhausted.”

Truth is.. I am exhausted. Very much so. 

In my last update, Month 8, I had just arrived in Nashville, Tennessee.

Nashville, in one word was peaceful. 

In 2 words, was peaceful and amazing.

Me and my Kitty, moved into a beautiful room with the most comfortable bed ever, at my friend Marilyn’s beautiful house on an acre of land in Brentwood, Tennessee just outside of Nashville. I was there as temporary live-in child care, for her 3 sons age 2, 4, and 10, until their full-time au pair arrived.

I had such a nice time with her 3 sons during the weekdays, mostly dropping off and picking up from school, and spending time at the local play-bounce-climb-type houses with the little one.  It felt nice to have a routine, and on the nights and weekends I spent a lot of time at the YMCA, going to yoga and pilates classes.

I even met a Reiki Master/ Kundalini teacher and took her weekend Reiki Certification Level 1 & 2 Classes, and am now officially a certified Reiki practitioner.

I got to spend quality time with Marilyn, as well as my friend Michelle who just moved from LA, and quality time with my friend Kendra, who moved from LA a few years back. 

I felt grounded and stable and peaceful.

I met with an agent there who is interested in repping me for TV and film work in Nashville and the South East part of the country, and I even went out on a date or two.

I made a new friend, Laura, at the reiki workshop, and the two of us took a 24 hour trip to Atlanta for a Kirtan event with Krishna Das.

It was a pretty awesome month. 

So why am I back in LA?

Good question.

Mainly because the panel I had pitched to Wonder Con was accepted, and happened on March 30^th, and also because, my car, my other kitty, and all of my belongings are here, and a friend just happened to be going to Australia, and invited me to stay at her gorgeous apt in Westwood, CA and pet sit for her, during the exact time-frame I was planning on being here… and because… I’m not sure where else to go.

But yet, I feel like I’m just doing the same things over and over.

I still have dreams of being a successful working film actress, both on-camera and voice over, and I still know in my heart, that I’m an amazing host/interviewer and belong on our music related show or something inspirational a la Oprah style…so back to LA it is… but… 

I have to be honest, outside of the Wonder Con Panel, which was freakin’ incredible, scary, exhilarating, and inspiring Read More Here, LA hasn’t been so kind to me this month. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve gone roller-skating with friends, I’ve attended the red carpet for Ladies & Gents, and I’ve spent time with the Ms. In The Biz Contributors

But yet, I’m feeling the same old pangs of loneliness. Not having a best-friend here, or a romantic interest, or a business partner to spend time with, or someone to bounce ideas off and create things with…  

Friends that you thought you’d spend time with, but now, don’t have time for you.  Projects that you thought we’re close to happening, but once again are delayed.

I feel isolated. I feel out of the loop.  I feel like I’m back in that hamster wheel, spinning my wheels and getting nowhere.

A month in LA, and my bank account has been wiped dry..

Just a few hours ago, I was 10 minutes late getting back to my car from a nice leisurely walk to a business lunch, and just as I rounded the bend, I spotted my car on a tow truck about to be towed away. It cost me $232 to get my car released, and they still left a $93 ticket on the window.    

That $300 walk, just wiped me out, with no paychecks in sight for 3 weeks.

And speaking of paychecks, I’m managing a promo gig on the weekends this month, and I’m just not feeling it.  It’s hard work. It’s below my intelligence level and it’s not in the entertainment industry.

I’ve struggled and fought so hard to live this non-traditional 9-5 lifestyle so that I could enjoy my life, and live a creative life in the entertainment industry. Right now, I’m not doing either. 

This has been an incredible year of growth.  It really is amazing that I’ve spent 10 months “on the road” and have only paid rent once, in my month in Manhattan (www.adventuresinnewyork.tumblr.com) but now what?

HOW DOES IT GET BETTER THAN THIS?

I’m excited to be writing for Helenna’s fantastic new online mag/blog, I’m excited for a few projects on the horizon, one having to do with vampires, and one being an animated cartoon!

… but…

I want more than this for my life. There has to be more. 

I want to feel stable. I want to have my own home again.

I want to unpack my suitcases for more than a few weeks at a time.
I want to get my cherished memories out of storage.

And most importantly, I want to be able to sustain a $300 fine/ticket, without it wiping me out. 

My birthday is in a few weeks.

My birthday last year, was the day I moved out of my townhouse and gave it up to the universe…. 

What I want more than anything for my birthday, the last one in my 30’s is to stop running so much, to stop working so hard with nothing to show for it… to truly feel like I belong, and have a nice, spacious, sunshiney place of my own to call home for me and my kitties.

A sexy, productive, passionate, man by my side would be the icing on the cake. 

I want to WORK in my chosen field. I want to act in films. I want to voice amazing cartoon characters for animated shows and films. I want to be a host and a public speaker. 

And I want to make a difference in this world.. something bigger than just me.

It has been a blessing to be able to just let go of it all, and travel where the wind takes me like Mary Poppins, but I want more. I am capable of so much more, so much love, so much creativity, so much to give back.  

How, what, where, why…where do we go now?

 “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” 

― Anaïs Nin

Live Love. Love Life.

#xoxo

click here to follow Leah on twitter!

#NerdsUnite: Gypsy Mode Month 8 Update

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Leah. She's pretty rad and has an INCREDIBLY random life. Like, no - for reals ... did you know she has an obsession with vampires, psychics, and tarot card readers ... and she had more sex as a teenager than in her 30s ... anddddd she even had two ex boyfriends die violently - one from a heroin overdose, and the other was murdered. Holy moly roli poli oli - that shit be cray cray. Either way, she's now here to write about her life, love, and all things nerd. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT LEAH!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Leah_Cevoli

Yikes, I haven’t done a Gypsy Mode Update in 2 months!  For those of you that don’t know about Gypsy Mode— this is how it all began: Click Here

So, since giving up my townhouse in LA, without having a new place locked down, I’ve become quite the Gypsy.   The other day, I couldn’t help but relate to Metallica’s “Wherever I May Roam”… “Roamer, Wanderer, Nomad, Vagabond, Call Me What You Will…”

Now granted, I may not be travelling in style, there’s lots of busses, taxis, and trains, but I always end up somewhere wonderful in the end. 

In the last update, I explained how my Tour Managing gig ended 10 weeks early, and I was venturing to New York: Month 6 Update

I spent an entire month in Manhattan, and started a whole new blog, which you can check out here!

The general theme of my month in New York was Yoga. And more Yoga. :)

Month 7, which was January, saw me all over the place, working tradeshows and conventions.  

I started the month with a super-ooper-duper gig in Philadelphia and literally got to walk in the MUMMERS DAY PARADE!

If you’re from or near Philly, you know that this is pretty much something that every kid dreams of doing, especially an Irish/Italian girl from South West Philly! :)

Next Up was the Consumer Electronics ShowLas Vegas  I worked six, very, long days at the convention center, with a great group of gals:

I had a ton of fun in Vegas, made lots of money, spent a few nights with some old friends who moved from Palm Springs to Vegas, and then ended up staying with Jen Friel & Steph Belsky in an amazing, penthouse condo walking distance to the convention.  Not only did it make life that much easier to walk to work, but oh it was sooo luxurious!

And yes, that’s me on the stripper pole in our living room!

Vegas ended with an incredible treat, and I was gifted with tickets to see my old friend Blas Elias perform with the Blue Man Group!  It’s an incredible show, GO SEE IT!

After Vegas, I took the (new route!) Mega Bus up to Los Angeles for four days.  Originally planned on checking in on my Kitty, my car, moving all of my scattered-amongst-friends-homes-belongings into one location, and seriously finding and settling in on a new home to move into come February.

When I arrived in LA at 6am on a Saturday morning I discovered that my lil Hybrid car was in need of some major repairs. I was blind-sided by this, and so the next 2 days was spent worrying and what not while waiting for the first available appointment on Monday. Long story short, it’s a big repair. The hybrid battery needs to be replaced. I spent a few hundred dollars trying to do a quick temp fix so that my friend that was renting it could continue to rent it while I was roaming, but I ended up spending that $200 for nothing and having to refund her 1/2 of the January payment.  Needless to say, the four days in LA, cost me more than all 8 days in Vegas combined!! 

I had to rent a car, in LA which is so odd, since that’s the ONLY city in this country that I actually have a car in, but I did manage to get all of my belongings moved into one location. Unfortunately I only got to look at 2 possible living situations, but I did get to see quite a bit of my good friends, AND.. even made to one of our Talk Nerdy To Me Lover, Trivia Nights!!  YAY!

My time in LA was way too short, and before I knew it I was back in Philadelphia where I spent 6 days working at the Philadelphia Auto Show.

And from there it was off to Atlantic City, New Jersey for five days at the Boat Show!

I spent two nights in the Borgata Casino, compliments of my cousin Bianca, this hotel is voted the #1 Casino in Atlantic City.. Oh, it was soo nice. I felt like Cinderella at the ball, I took bubble baths every night, ordered room service, and even jumped up and down and giggled like a little girl.

It really helps to have awesome, cozy, comfy, luxurious places to stay when you’re working these long, crazy, hours, on your feet, and talking and talking to hundreds upon hundreds of people while keeping a smile on your face. It’s exhausting! The only thing I want to do after working at a tradeshow is RELAX! 

It was bittersweet though as on Day 3 my iPhone was stolen, and I have yet to recover it.  It’s just a phone, and it’s just a material possession, but it was quite challenging to be on your own, in a different city, travelling, and working without a phone.  NO ONE has payphones or phonebooks anymore, and everything I do is connected to an App on my Phone, from banking to public transportation.  

I also got myself back into Acting Classes in Philly for the month of January, which was really great and helped fill the hole in my heart from not doing much performing or creating while I’ve been in Gypsy Mode. I’ve mostly just been bouncing around from job to job, but haven’t been around a group of creatives in so long. It felt SOOO good to get up and perform. I worked on a really great monologue in class, from a romantic comedy, and rocked it.  I SO want to star in a romantic comedy in this lifetime. 

And now… It’s February…

Nothing panned out for a new place in Los Angeles, and truth be told I don’t have enough money saved up yet anyway. I refuse to go back to LA and live hand to mouth like I have the past 13years. I want a savings account and a cushion for emergencies and dry spouts.

It’s now Month 8 of Gypsy Mode and I’ve decided to spend some time with friends in Nashville.

I have 3 really great girlfriends here, and one of them reached out to me with a temporary live-in Nanny position for her 3 sons, until the full-time au pere begins in March…

So, Viva Nashville… and oh, look THEY do have payphones here!

I’m excited to see what this month holds. It’ll be a different pace of life, and an all-around different schedule with different priorities namely an 11yr old, 5yr old, and 2yr old.. but at the same time I plan to get a lot of writing done, get a solid work-out routine going, I’ve got a new website being designed, and I have a very cool announcement about a panel I proposed that got accepted to Wonder Con in Anaheim on March 30th.  YAY!

Live Love. Love Life.

#xoxo

click here to follow Leah on twitter!

#Adventures in Randomness and Rock & Roll w @leah_cevoli (Gypsy Mode Month 6 Update)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Leah. She's pretty rad and has an INCREDIBLY random life. Like, no - for reals ... did you know she has an obsession with vampires, psychics, and tarot card readers ... and she had more sex as a teenager than in her 30s ... anddddd she even had two ex boyfriends die violently - one from a heroin overdose, and the other was murdered. Holy moly roli poli oli - that shit be cray cray. Either way, she's now here to write about her life, love, and all things nerd. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT LEAH!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Leah_Cevoli

In the last #GyspyMode update, I filled you in on my Tour Managing Gig in Philly,

Just as soon as the Gig started, it ended. 10 weeks early. $10,000 early.
No joke.

So now what?

Well first and foremost, I went to Vegas with my girlfriend Leila Porreca.

It was a work-playcation and the first order of business was Guns N’ Roses. I covered the show for Rock Over America. read all about it— > HERE and after a crazy night of rock ‘n roll I got a VIP tour of Eli Roth’s Goretorium, www.Goretorium.com I have a 2-part exclusive look for Daily Dead News, read part one —> HERE

Oh, and there’s some Vegas pix over on www.mobli.com/LeahCevoli

And then… I took another leap of faith.

The job was over, and I found myself in the suburbs of Philly, with no income flow, a tiny creative flow, and no car (my lil hybrid is back in LA, and the work truck was gone).

After a long week of intense heart-to-hearts with my parents, my sisters, and my sister-friends, I have found myself in mid-town Manhattan.

Me and my Keifer kitty. (He seems to have stabled on his thyroid meds, fingers crossed).

My awesome sister-friend Tanya Perez, happened to have a spare room for rent. My awesome sister-friend Tina Norris, happened to be in town and available to drive me, kitty, and a butt-load of belongings from Philly suburbs to NYC.

So here I am.

We moved in last night.

Tanya and I went to yoga today.

My friend Alan Kistler and I had dinner tonight.

I feel good.

The goal is to work work work like only a crazy freelancer (aka actor/creative type can do). And I mean 2-3 shifts a day.

With sights set on the west coast mid-January.

So we’ll see what happens.

I’m submitting to tons of Indie Films, Commercials, and even Background work. Why not? I haven’t done background in years, and never in New York, but ya know what, it’s SAG work, helps towards my health insurance, and even though it’s background it’s still being on-set… and I haven’t been on set in like 7 or 8 months.

And of course promo-tradeshow-production work, whatever comes up.

I’m excited about the future. Legendary just put out on an update on production status, and Space Command is full throttle ahead.

I’m also in the midst of pre-production with sister-friend Denise Vasquez for a fundraising/live event called “Be Brave Be Bold Believe” which is going to benefit anti-bullying and suicide prevention organizations. This will take place spring of 2013 in Los Angeles.

Oh, and I’ve recently begun assembling a group of phenomenal panelists for a panel I’m presenting to the 2013 Convention circuit. “Women, All Shapes and Sizes Welcome”, we’ll be discussing body image and issues in the entertainment industry, along with personal stories and healing.

So excited about that!!

But at the end of the day, I want a home. Of my own. With a gorgeous man by my side, holding my hand, sharing adventures, and living life fully.

Namaste.

Live Love. Love Life.

#xoxo

click here to follow Leah on twitter!

#Adventures in Randomness and Rock & Roll w @leah_cevoli

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Leah. She's pretty rad and has an INCREDIBLY random life. Like, no - for reals ... did you know she has an obsession with vampires, psychics, and tarot card readers ... and she had more sex as a teenager than in her 30s ... anddddd she even had two ex boyfriends die violently - one from a heroin overdose, and the other was murdered. Holy moly roli poli oli - that shit be cray cray. Either way, she's now here to write about her life, love, and all things nerd. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT LEAH!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Leah_Cevoli

Five months.

I have been without a permanent address for 5 months now.

Incredible.

(For Reference- Gypsy Mode Begins )

In my last update, I mentioned I took a gig that will have me in Philly until December, as such, I’m staying with family in the area.

So physically, I’m in one place, and with family, but emotionally and mentally, I’m still very much in “Gypsy Mode”.

I have one cat with me. I have one cat in Los Angeles.
My adorable li’l Hybrid car is in Los Angeles,
and my life’s belongings are scattered amongst the homes
of 3 amazing friends back in LA.

It’s been interesting, as it always is, to sort of let the day-to-day, pursuing of the career hard-core LA style, fade to the background, while I work this thrival gig 6-days a week, which will then allow me to have the financial cushion I need, to get back to the hard-core LA style networking and creating that feeds my soul.

Let’s face it, there’s really no reason to be submitting to agents, managers, or television auditions when you are not physically there to take the meetings or auditions.

I’ve been on the East Coast for 8 weeks now, and I’m just now really getting used to this demanding work schedule that this tour has me on, and as such, I’m starting to schedule in social time, and networking time, and much, much, much needed YOGA time.

I’ve been able to have some lunch dates with old and new friends, gone out to a few Philly events, and spend a little time (although not nearly what I would like to spend), with my baby nieces and my three other nephews and niece.

I’m focused on living in the moment and for me right now, that means, a fixed work schedule. Something I haven’t really had since the late 90’s, the closest thing I’ve had to a full-time gig (outside of pursuing my artistic career 24/7) was a 3-month stint as a Supervisor for the US Census in 2010.

Focused on a fixed work schedule, paying down debt, and managing my finances so that I can save enough to really, truly, feel safe and secure.

It won’t take much. I’ve learned to live on very, very, very little income in Los Angeles. I have been blessed with so many amazing people, friends and strangers and have survived many a rough patch thru sheer BARTERING. Yup, old fashioned, “You'll get this service you need (Ex: Acting Classes), if you’ll provide this service I need (Ex: Social Media).”

I’ve bartered and/or found angels in so many instances: hair-cuts, makeup applications, clothes, training sessions, yoga classes, acting classes, demo reels, even medical marijuana.

I would have never made it longer than a year in LA if not for bartering, and the kindness of strangers. And as corny as that sounds, it’s always kept me going. If the universe/god/what have you wasn’t on my side, these daily angels in my life would not continue to appear and present that one thing I needed that day or that week.

It’s an interesting feeling, knowing that in some ways, I’m returning to a clean slate. When I head back to LA, the little townhouse that I lived in the last 7 out of my 13yrs in LA, will be rented to someone else.

I’ll be moving in somewhere, fresh and clean, and since I sold 95% of my furniture, I’ll be starting over with a new style, a new energy, a new SPACE.

I’m pretty excited about that.

I’m also excited that pretty much about the time this tour managing gig ends, I have 3 projects in the wings. Space Command, Legendary, and Everything.

I feel good.

Live Love. Love Life.

#xoxo

click here to follow Leah on twitter!