Los Angeles, CA

I'm going to try my best to fill you in on our trip to Los Angeles, CA! I originally intended on going this past summer but, as always, God had other plans. As some of you know, I've dreamed of going to LA for several years to see The Ellen DeGeneres Show so for several months Madi, Rylea and I checked for tickets every single day, waiting for tickets to become available for a date over Christmas break! We submitted our names and waited two weeks for a phone call informing us we had secured tickets to The Ellen DeGeneres Show! Unfortunately, the phone never rang. No tickets for us! However, we decided to plan a trip to Los Angeles anyway with the intention of calling/waiting in line for "Day Of" Tickets every day of the trip...so we booked a flight + hotel to Los Angeles, CA and said "Hello, Hollywood!"

Plan A: We were going to try and get "Day Of" tickets to The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Plan B: Even if we didn't get tickets, we were still going to make the most of our time in California!

 

Day One: Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour Bus
As soon as we got to the hotel, I called the number for Starline Tours that was printed in our brochure to ask about getting tickets for the Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour Bus! It was then that the man at the other end of the line broke the news and informed us that those specific tours only run in the summertime. Curious as to whether we had simply overlooked this important detail, we searched both the brochure and the website but this information was nowhere to be found! Although the first two days of our trip revolved around the Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour Bus, we refused to let that ruin our day! Instead, we decided to walk a few blocks to Hollywood where the Walk of Fame, Chinese Theatre, Dolby Theatre, etc. are located and grab us a bite to eat while we figured out Plan B! Seeing that we had been awake since 2:00AM CA time and it was now 10:00AM CA time, or 12:00PM TX time, we were STARVING! While eating at Johnny Rockets, we decided to take a stroll down Hollywood Boulevard to weigh our options and see what we could do on our first day in Los Angeles, CA since we were unable to take the tour bus! As we were walking down Hollywood Boulevard, we noticed a Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour Bus parked by the curb and a woman working the kiosk nearby. We approached her and began explaining what the man on the phone had told us and asked, despite what the man said, if they were running. With the biggest smile on her face, she told us that they WERE running and we were more than welcome to ride! Overjoyed, we thanked the woman a hundred times and took turns hugging her. We spoke with her for a few minutes while making our payments to find that she had been working at that very kiosk for 14yrs! The amount of kindness this woman showed us in the little time we spoke with her was unreal and it was evident why she had been selected as Starline's "Employer of the Year" several times! After thanking her a few more times and leaning in for one last hug, we began walking towards the bus only for her to stop us and wave us back to the kiosk while she unlocked a cabinet. To our surprise, she pulled out three Starline Tours hats for us to keep and wear as souvenirs! WE WERE BLOWN AWAY BY HER KINDNESS! We immediately rushed up to the top deck, put our "posh" (LA term we learned) hats on and braced ourselves for the ride of a lifetime!

We walked for miles and miles in search of Ellen's star on the Walk of Fame! I can't think of a better cause to get a crick in your neck due to looking down for so long than a search for Ellen's star!

This is the "Urban Light" sculpture that can be seen in the movie No Strings Attached with Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman.

I now understand the "Beverly Hills" song by Weezer and why Beverly Hills is where he wanted to be. It was absolutely beautiful!

Day Two: The Ellen DeGeneres Show
We woke up at 4:00AM so we could get to Warner Brothers Studio by 5:30AM. When we arrived at the parking garage, I approached the security guard to ask if she knew how "Day Of" tickets worked. She told me that hundreds of individuals stand in line every single morning and out of those hundreds, MAYBE 10ppl get in...but wait, it gets worse! We learned that in order to be eligible for "Day Of" tickets you had to have received a letter in the mail saying you had received Standby tickets which are first-come, first-served! Our chances went from being slim-to-none to NONEXISTENT! However, we decided to continue waiting in line (we didn't fly 4hrs to LA to leave without trying) until 9:00AM so we could ask a worker what we could do! To kill time we played cards, tweeted at Ellen, and drank coffee we got from this really neat coffee machine they had! As it got closer to 9:00AM, Ellen employees began walking by us on their way to work. I saw Andy (the guy who runs everything out to Ellen and wears the tuxedo suit with dress-shorts at different events) and also one of the Productions Assistant (I think her name was Tracy) who was there when I drove to Denton (see blog post: Divine Moments). ANYWAY, 9:00AM finally rolls around and we see a girl drive up on a golf cart! She walks over to the line (by now there's about 30ppl) and instructs everyone to have both their Standby paper and ID ready...one of which we had and one of which we definitely did NOT have! When the worker (we'll call her...Martha) approached us, we immediately began explaining our situation to her. We told her we flew in from Houston, TX and didn't know we were supposed to receive Standby tickets in the mail if we wished to try and get "Day Of" tickets. Realizing we didn't meet the requirements, she told us she hated to be the heartbreaker and kindly let us know we would be unable to get in because they were completely booked! We thanked her for listening and before she walked away, I asked if there was anyway we'd be able to at least get into the Riff Raff Room. Again, she was so kind and compassionate towards us, but we received the same answer. She said she didn't want to get our hopes up because there was very, very little chance (.005%) of us getting in. Before continuing down the line, however, she said, "Let me get your name and number just in case anything opens up! But again, please, please don't get your hopes up because, with it being the new year, we're overbooked!" She wrote down my name and number, we thanked her for listening to us, and then headed back to the hotel to prepare for Plan B, Santa Monica Pier! We changed clothes, walked the three blocks to the tour bus, and climbed up to our seats again! We were only on the bus for a few minutes when I heard the Friends theme song going off in my right pocket. I frantically pulled my phone out of my shorts pocket and read "Northern Los Angeles" just before it disappeared and my phone stopped ringing. Before I had time to be upset with myself, "Voicemail" flashed onto my phone. I held it up to my ear and repeated to Madi and Rylea everything that was said...and before I was finished listening to the voicemail, the three of us were making our way down the steps to get off at the next stop! It was Martha! THEY HAD ROOM IN THE RIFF RAFF ROOM FOR US! The bus stopped and I pressed "Call Back" as we began running 3mi back to the hotel. Martha said she had Riff Raff Room tickets for us! After I hung up with her, I called my mom (still running, might I add) and began bawling hysterically while I told her everything that had just happened. IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE! Martha said we had to check in by 1:30PM but let's face it, it was 10:30AM and we didn't want to take any chances! We showered at the hotel, made sure we looked "dope" (another LA term we learned) for Ellen, and headed back to Burbank! We picked up our Riff Raff Room ONLY tickets! We got to sing, dance, and "have a little fun (today)" at The Ellen DeGeneres Show! In case you're confused about what the RRR is...we're basically separated by a wall! You're in this room that has TV's everywhere and there are stairs that lead up into the audience! I bawled...multiple times! IT WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE AND JUST AS GOOD AS BEING IN THE AUDIENCE IF YOU ASK ME! WE HAD THE TIME OF OUR LIVES!

This is us in the cab on the way to The Ellen DeGeneres Show!

WE GOT INTO ELLEN'S RIFF RAFF ROOM! We got to watch the show live from a separate room and got to dance as Ellen danced! This was a miracle that ONLY God could have made possible because we had NO chance at ALL! It was too good to be true! We're so thankful for this once in a lifetime opportunity!

This video was posted on YouTube! You can see us dancing in the Riff Raff Room! Bahaha! We had the pleasure of meeting this bundle of fun (I believe her name was Shanell) and she was SUCH a joy to be around! Rylea is in dark brown, Madi is wearing a red flannel, and I have on a black/white flannel with a white vest!

Day Three: Warner Brothers Studio

We also had the opportunity to tour the Warner Brothers Studio! Everybody who knows me knows the three things I love most are Ellen, Friends, and Gilmore Girls...and guess what!? ALL THREE OF THOSE THINGS WERE AT WARNER BROTHERS STUDIO! WE GOT TO SEE EVERYTHING! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

  

This was inside the Geller's (Ross and Monica's parents) house on Friends! This is the same staircase Ross sat on in "The One With The Prom Video" episode when Rachel's date didn't show up so Ross' parents encouraged him to step up and be her date! As you know, this episode was the first time Ross and Rachel got together! 

We got to see Stars Hollow! This is in front of Miss Patty's Dance Studio where they held town meetings! We also saw Luke's Diner, Mrs. Kim's house, AND the Gilmore's house! THIS HAS BEEN THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME!

"That's not running! LET'S GOOOOOO!" We got to recreate "The One Where Phoebe Runs" episode from F•R•I•E•N•D•S!

"I'll be there for you when the rain starts to pour! I'll be there for you like I've been there before! I'll be there for you 'cause you're there for me, too!" We got to sit on *THE* F•R•I•E•N•D•S couch at *THE* Central Perk at *THE* Warner Brothers Studio! WE ARE SO BLESSED AND THANKFUL FOR THIS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY! God is so good!

As if sitting on the couch wasn't enough, we got to recreate this famous picture of the six F•R•I•E•N•D•S walking down the street with their arms linked and smiles on their faces! THIS HAS BEEN THE BEST TRIP EVER! I'm so thankful for the memories we've made and the opportunities we received while in Los Angeles!

Friends ran for 10 seasons, 236 episodes!

Day Four: Hollywood Sign

We hiked up to the Hollywood Sign Friday morning before we headed back to Texas! IT WAS BREATHTAKING! I thoroughly enjoyed climbing up mountains "to look through God's window" but I don't plan on taking up hiking anytime soon! HAHAHA!

H O L L Y W O O D

"Climb every mountain, ford every stream! Follow every rainbow 'til you find your dream!"

California Crosses: 

I wanted to conclude this blog post by pointing it in the right direction, and that's towards God! He had His hand in EVERY detail of this trip and it is my prayer that all glory goes to Him! We went to Los Angeles with the assumption that we'd be experiencing a culture shock but instead, we received the total opposite! EVERYONE WAS SO KIND TO US AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK! From being told the Hop-Off, Hop-On tours only run in the summer to being told there was a .005% chance of us getting into the Riff Raff Room, the tables were not turned by human hand. God personally guided every situation! No matter what comes from this specific adventure, I know I am more than ready for the adventure God, the ultimate Tour Guide, has mapped out for my life!

This is the view from the entrance to our hotel and was, by far, my favorite view! Though the culture in Los Angeles was a TAD different than White Oak/College Station, TX (wink, wink), God used this cross to remind us of His presence which was made known the entire trip. I was blown away by it's beauty! You can witness God's presence ANYWHERE when you take the time to look!

I took this picture because, if you'll notice, there is a giant silver cross on the right side of that building shown in the middle. As I mentioned before, God was/is present in Los Angeles, CA! Both this cross and the one in the mountains were reminders that we're not in this alone, for God is always, ALWAYS right by our side!

That's me crying while talking to a guy who works for Ellen! We flew 4hrs to simply TRY and get "Day Of" tickets to Ellen! Long story short, we make plans but God rearranges our schedule to match HIS agenda which is ALWAYS bigger and better than our own! Words cannot express how grateful I am for the kindness we received from EVERY worker at The Ellen DeGeneres Show! It means the WORLD to us! We went from having nothing to having, what seemed like, everything! Many tears of joy and gratefulness were shed the past few days and I know they will shed in the days to come! Dancing in Ellen's Riff Raff Room is a moment I'll NEVER forget! I AM SO THANKFUL AND STILL IN AWE, and I know without a doubt that the Lord was the one who divinely planned this trip well in advance! It may have been a surprise to us, but it was no surprise to God! He has done nothing but encourage me and reassure my hopes and dreams! I left Los Angeles with a "peaceful, easy feeling" and am even more excited about moving out there after I graduate!

GOD IS GOOD! 

 "Many are the plans in a man's heart but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails!"

Proverbs 19:21

Toodaloo 2014

For the past three years I've been introducing myself by saying: "HOWDY! My name is Kristin Koonce and I'm a (insert class year) Communication major from White Oak, TX! But more importantly, I am the LOUDEST and PROUDEST member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2015!" Why am I telling you this, you ask? Well, as you can see by my Howdy Intro, 2015 is a special year because it's the year I GRADUATE from Texas A&M University! WHOOP! This will be a year of firsts as I finish up my college career and "go confidently in the direction of [my] dreams!" God has blessed me beyond measure and to say I'm thrilled/excited/happy/pumped to see what He has in store for my life this new year would be an understatement!

While the rest of the world scurried up and down the isles of their nearest grocery store gathering last minute items needed to kick off their New Year's Eve, I thought I'd kick back, relax and reflect on the lessons I learned this past year.

1. We're called to be a light in the darkness...not just when it's hard but ESPECIALLY when it's hard.

People constantly watch your reactions to circumstances. They pay attention to how you treat others when things aren't going your way and take note of the way you act when you think nobody's looking. It is in those times of darkness you must let your light shine the most! The harder it is to be a light, the more you will stick out to others because they will begin to notice that there is something different about you. They may not be able to put their finger on it, but they'll notice. Let your light shine at ALL times...ESPECIALLY when it's hard!

2. Practice makes permanent.

I learned that becoming like Christ is a lifelong process. How can we become more like Him if we don't practice developing Christlike attributes? If we're impatient, we need to practice patience. If we're ungrateful, we need to practice thanking God for things throughout our day. If we have the tendency to be unkind, we need to practice showing kindness. If we find others hard to love, we need to practice loving others. Again, it's a process! There's a difference between knowing what to do and doing it! We've already been taught how to respond to situations, treat those around us, etc., but unless we apply it to our lives, we'll never change for the better.

3. Don't rush things. Trust God's timing.

I was ahead of schedule (in my eyes) by the end of my junior year and could graduate a semester early if I decided to. However, God will rearrange our plans so they match HIS schedule rather than our own! Because I didn't rush graduating, God was able to work in and through my life in ways I never could have imagined! In other words, God's clock is never a "few minutes fast" or a "few minutes behind" but is, instead,  always right on time! He knows what is best for our lives long before we do and it's important to trust his timing!

4. God is love.

As Christians, the most important lesson we could ever learn is what it means to love. We can go our entire lives claiming to be disciples of Jesus Christ but if we don't show the love that Christ showed us to EVERYONE we meet, we can't truly know God because God IS love. It is hatred that pulls others away from Christ; it is LOVE that draws them near. As Christians, we need to love, love, LOVE!

5. There's no sense in being jealous of anyone.

God has given each of us a variety of spiritual gifts, talents, and abilities! When you are jealous of another's characteristics, you miss out on your own unique characteristics! You were uniquely made. There is no other person in this world like you. Learn to love yourself because you, (insert name here), have so much to offer the world! Stop worrying about not having this skill or that spiritual gift, be grateful for what you DO have! Don't take your talent for granted! Accept the person God made you to be so you can become all He intends you to be! Be inspired by those around you, not intimidated!

6. There is no comfortable way to tan your underarms.

I think the above statement speaks for itself.

7. Actions really do speak louder than words.

You don't have to talk about God 24/7 for others to know you're a Christian. People will be able to tell who it is you live for by your actions and the life you live. The world has plenty of people that SAY they love Christ. The world needs more people to SHOW they love Christ. We're called to "Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words."

8. God needs Christians everywhere.

You have the potential to make a difference right where you are. Yes, you read that correctly! Whether you're scrubbing tables, bagging groceries, taking blood, or selling perfume, you're in position to change a life. Someone who has never witnessed the love of Christ may walk through the doors today and experience Him for the first time through an interaction with you! You never know what one simple smile, conversation, or kind gesture can do to a person's life! Trust that God has you exactly where he wants you and know that it's your responsibility to make the most of the opportunities he has given you! Shine your light "every day, every day" in any and every way possible!

9. Happiness is a choice.

You choose every day whether you will walk through life with a chip on your shoulder or a smile on your face. Joy is not circumstantial. It's experienced as a result of looking at situations from God's perspective and trusting His bigger picture. Wake up every morning and make the decision to be happy and live a joy-filled life!

10. Don't wait for the new year to make a change.

Every day is a new day. You don't have to wait for a new year to do better, to be better! Today can be special...just say the word! Life is too short to put something off for tomorrow if you can get it done today!

In closing...
Here is my favorite quote from the movie New Years Eve in regards to last night and the new year ahead of us: "And as you all can see, the ball has stopped half way to its perch. It's suspended there to remind us, before we pop the [Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice] and celebrate the new year, to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by, to remember both our triumphs and our missteps, our promises made and broken, the times we opened ourselves up to great adventures...or closed ourselves down for fear of getting hurt. Because that's what New Year's is all about...getting another chance...a chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more, and to stop worrying about what if and start embracing what will be. So when that ball drops at midnight, and it will drop, let's remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other, and not just tonight but all year long."

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR! As always, God Bless and Gig 'Em!