Where does Monica Go?
Better to be busy than bored. Try everything twice. Two very big mottos that I have used over and over and keep ringing true in my life. I read a quote once that said "If I'm bored, it means I want to be doing something else" So I say, LET'S DO IT! I was the girl at school that signed up for every sport, every club, and every group I could. Can't say I excelled at all of them (or any of them for that matter), but I'll try it all! What's that saying? Jack of all trades, master of none...That's me! But not even jack of all trades...more like, willing to look stupid doing things I have no business doing but determined to have a great time and give it my best.
When I was 20 I started working at the Double JJ Resort. It was a real life dude ranch and resort and seemed straight out of Hey Dude with a bunch of 20-somethings spending their summer in a rundown barn house working 16 hour days and making $170/week. It was GLORIOUS! I was hired for the summer as an entertainer which in my mind meant actor/singer but on my first day there I fell through the "mansion" floor painting and doing manual labor. We were thrown into cowboy stunt shows, ziplining and jumping off buildings. I was, and still am, terrified of heights and after one bad fall my first summer that landed me in a neck brace, I had to do one more jump just to prove I could (and not end on a traumatic note). I suddenly was learning line dances so that I could teach them as if I was a professional, doing improv and sketch comedy shows, training and riding a live bull, hosting hayrides, and party-perking at night (which was a fancy word for taking shots and dancing with the guests). The Double JJ taught me I was more capable of anything I'd imagined, bigger than the limits I put on myself, and had a great time doing things I never thought I'd enjoy! One of the most memorable experiences for me was when my boss handed me a 60lb speaker and pointed at the speaker box 40 feet above the rodeo arena and said my job was to get the speaker up there. When I pointed out that there was no ladder and this was impossible, he said "You'll figure out a way. See you at dinner when you're done" and that was that. To this day, I have no idea how I managed to get that speaker in the box but I did. And I learned that sometimes "impossible" just means that you can't see a way yet.
The summer after the Double JJ, I moved to England for 6 months. I spent three weeks backpacking through Europe. I learned to surf (meaning I learned how to bob in the ocean without plugging my nose and stand up on a surfboard once), hiked my first mountain (Y Garn in Wales), rafted in Slovenia, 4-wheeled in Greece and so much more! I learned about other cultures and just how beautiful this world is.
I've chased stage dreams in Chicago, country music dreams in Nashville, and am now in Hollywood living the dream. I'm passionate about getting people out of their comfort zone and experiencing life to the fullest. So join me on this crazy journey and let's see what kind of trouble we can get into!