Similarities Attract

Life never really meets your expectations. I came to London four months ago to culturally expand myself and gain a new perspective on my life. I’d been so used to my routine in New York and uprooted my life to start fresh for a few months. I expected to have the time of my life and not give a fuck. It was basically a vacation. The academic classes I had to take weren’t my main concern, but rather a reminder to be a responsible adult while exploring the UK and Europe. The one thing I did not expect was to meet people and make lifelong friends. Now, I don’t just mean casually meeting “friends of friends” out one night at a club and being able to remember them the next time I see them out. I mean creative, likeminded, rebellious, passionate individuals who I will forever be connected to. I met people who took me under their arm and lead me into their world. I met people I care about and who care about me. I feel like it’s such a difficult thing nowadays to meet individuals who aren’t wrapped up in their own ego, so much so that they don’t have time for anyone else. Yet, I’ve been fortunate enough to find those rare gems here in London. I’m the youngest of most of my friends and sometimes feel like I’m behind in my career because of their success. I feel almost embarrassed being this kid in theatre school while they’re out in the world running things, yet they still hang out with me. I think to myself, why do these people want to hang out with me?  I realized it was for the same reason that I wanted to be around them. Creative people feed off each other. I’ve always been (somewhat) good at reading energies and knowing who I want to be friends with based on their vibe. I instantly gravitate toward people in my magnetic field who are similar to me. Ironic, since who would’ve thought two protons could attract? It’s not that the attraction or friendship is forced, but rather that it’s a conversation, a struggle, or a debate between two likeminded forces. It isn’t difficult but it is rewarding. There is no conversation between a proton and electron. They attach because they are told they are compatible and supposed to agree with each other, and so they do. It’s a static, boring relationship. I enjoy being challenged. It’s what pushes me to be greater than I am, to be better than my best. Tomorrow morning I am going back to America motivated to return to my craft and dig deeper into who it is that I am as an actor. It is because of the friends I’ve met here, watching them commit themselves fully to what they love, that I go back not only ready to be better, but with encouragement. I came to London unaware of who I would meet or what I would learn, but I’m leaving London with lessons tucked away that I may not even realize I learned until years from now. I want to thank my friends in London once again for taking me in and giving me a new home here in the UK and believing in me as much as I believe in them.