* Earthquakes are recreational
* Personalized license plates are a means of advertising your wares
* No smoking. Period
* Everyone has a dream they’re working on
* As bad as the traffic is… shopping cart rush-hour at the market is worse
* No drive-thru banking
* Potty mouth
* Sunglasses all day and night, outside and indoors
* Smacking your chewing gum
* “You know what I mean?” after every single sentence
* Dressed in black
* 3 cars turning left after lights turn red
* Sparkly makeup
* Parking tickets like crazy
* Old elevators
* Rooftop and underground parking at supermarkets
* Smog!
* Out to eat at every meal
* Pagers and cell phones
* No full-serve gas stations
* No one carries cash
* ‘Tenna Toppers (these ridiculous things that fit on top of your car antenna to advertise fast food places or gas stations)
* Name dropping
* High Speed Chase: the official state sport
* Celebrity Bingo at The Stonewall on Santa Monica (Tina Youthers called numbers last month)
* Jeans = “dressy casual” – if paired with the right accessories
* Valet parking at the gym
* Meeting for coffee
* Refusal to adopt new technology
* No one’s a native
* Our hours are everyone’s hours – we’re not getting up early just to talk to the East Coast!

Things I’ve learned in LA:
* I thrive on variety – the quickest way to suffocate me is to make me do the same thing every day. I’ve realized my tolerance for this is six weeks.
* I am happier than I have ever been. Healthy. Passionate. Living my dream.
* Surrounding yourself with positive, passionate people is the best way to stay positive and passionate.
* You cannot teach others anything by “telling” — only by “doing”.
* I miss: The Globe, Engine Room, Taco Stand, Bluebird Café, Old Hickory House, change of seasons, Chick-Fil-A, decent radio stations & local TV news, family & friends & Muffy.
* I’m thrilled to have: Del Taco, Improv, the beach, new friends, celebrity-sightings, a lifestyle of simplicity paired with constant activity, dreams fulfilled each and every day, constant phone contact with my Momma, dates, applause, the internet.
* I am thankful for the support and encouragement of my family & friends — it does me worlds of good to hear a voicemail or read an email or actually speak on the phone for hours… when it’s a precious, supportive soul; praising me for my hard choices — and the best part of it is — I’m not invested in that validation. It’s nice — but even nicer to feel connected to my core at every turn.
* 1999 leaves my life in as thrilling a manner as it entered — filled with promise and the rewards of living an authentic life: MY OWN.
* Live your dreams (’cause if you don’t, someone else will)!

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!