grace comedy

Once upon a time, I loved (and totally embarrassed myself) doing stand up comedy in LA. There was once this summer that will forever be my summer to remember. Below I delve into what led to that summer…and although it doesn’t feel all that comical…it led to me jumping into stand-up comedy.

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In 2009, I made a huge decision. I voluntarily surrendered the crazy-awesome job of my dreams.

It was the middle of the recession – a time when you were lucky to have ANY job, let alone one as amazing as this. However, I had been processing some tough issues in my personal life for a while, and it was time to be a little indulgent.

Among so many truly unpleasant things I survived spanning a couple short years, among the worst was losing someone of great importance. My sister Christine, who was one of the most influential people in shaping me, took her own life. My boyfriend at the time was with me when I found her body, and my grief style of choice was to stoically hold it all together for my family, take care of everything that needed to be handled, and then flee to something…anything, far far away.

Not long after her death, I coped the best way I knew how at the time. I fled. I dropped everything to take a job in Vegas (never having even stepped foot in the city). I was launching a Signs & Graphics retail production hub for a large, multinational corporation. I drowned and distracted my grief in work…and I did such a great job that I nearly worked myself to death.

Things fell apart with the seeming love of my life, the man with whom I thought I’d spend all my years. (That is its own long, convoluted story). But in summary, life had reached far beyond my acceptable limit of shit-dealing.

Death, bankruptcy, breakup, and a nasty bacterial infection hit me hard, and then I brushed it all behind me. I picked up the broken pieces and came out stronger than ever. I decided it was time to pursue many absurd passions I had put on hold far too long. I was tired of working my ass off focusing on a career while just trying to squeeze passions in on the side.

I chucked my delightfully successful career out the window to plant some seeds in chasing these silly dreams of mine. I moved to the most breathtaking studio space Koreatown Los Angeles. I spent literally every single penny I had (and THEN some) to take a huge risk. What’s more, I spent way more than a few pennies borrowed from friends and family who believed in me.

This small-town Iowa girl proceeded to experience the most thrilling, crazy, unpredictable and invigorating summer of her life. I moved to LA to become a writer, do stand-up, write and perform music, go on adventures, and make an ass of myself trying my hand at the things I loved while living life with zero boundaries.

Experiencing wildly entertaining (many unbelievable) trials and tribulations…it was (without a doubt) the greatest decision of my life. It was the best summer I had ever known, and it will forever be my summer to remember. I’m sure it will someday be the stories to my kids… “That summer Mom did a bunch of crazy shit.”

Every single hour of all my days and nights were filled with insane freelance projects. I did stand-up and sketch comedy, worked on documentaries, blogged, performed at open mics, wrote, wrote, and wrote some more. I did things like impromptu waitressing a high-profile party in a castle in Beverly Hills, crazy video diaries of my experiences, modeling, personal hostessing, wrote & composed music, and so much more.

Somewhere along the way I accidentally became a top finalist for the reality series “Big Brother” and met some really cool (and really crazy) people too. I pranced around every inch of Los Angeles like a mad-woman. Not even I knew where the next project or gig would take me.

Alas…less than half a year of delightful bliss later, rent, responsibility, and “real” life beckoned. I couldn’t bear the guilt of owing friends & family money, and I had bills to pay. And so, my professional career resumed while I continued passion projects on the side. *sad trombone*

My life only skyrocketed from there…as life has this karmic way of re-balancing. I met my too-good-to-be-true husband at the ad agency where I resumed my career. I couldn’t have even imagined the success we’d have (both personally and professionally)…and I feel as though I’ve hit the jackpot of life.

While traditional stand-up comedy is the last thing I have time in my life for, I try to inject my brand of humor into everyday life. Much like music, I still jot down jokes, lines, and anecdotes I fantasize about performing someday if/when I ever sum up the courage to hit up an open mic. I'm constantly jotting down new material (mostly these days the hilarious mental commentary that I have with myself about the joys and frustrations of parenthood and relationships). This may or may not ever see the light of day.

I still dream about doing stand up one day...but let's be realistic. Instead I settle for sarcastic quips on social media regarding the craziness that is my life.

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