lily of the west

as far back as i can remember, i've always wanted to be a gangster. hhmmm... so far i've lived in northern cali, england, new england, new york and southern cali... LA. (moving a few times in each location). i was raised mostly on a biodynamic farm (even cooler than organic) in the berkshires, MA. yes i know how to plant and grow stuff. and how to take care of a plethora of animals. my parents studied esoteric philosophies and the teaching of rudolph steiner, and i went to a waldorf school. i grew up with fairies and magic. and yes, i was a hippie (well as much as one can be, having entirely missed the 60's most of the 70's and the sexual/political revolution). but i did just fine at new england prep-schools, with my cords, vests, colgs, hiking boots and hair down past my butt. using dr. bronners to bathe in rivers and homeopathic remedies for anything and everything... college was perhaps the best time of my life. (although now is pretty good too!) i made some of my best friends during those 4 yrs. and followed the skiddies to nyc a few months after graduation. new york and i clicked. the energy and people are amazing! i love the lights and the sounds. the cabs and the food! and the east village became my home. i studied acting at nyu and the atlantic theater company. and then became a certified holistic health counselor at the institute for integrative nutrition. as well as attending the chef training program at the natural gourmet cooking school. that was a highlight in my life! and the union square farmers market is phenomenal! i was on the pool team for sophies bar, and frequented monas (sophies sister bar). and made more permanent, life long friends. someday i should write a book about our experiences. i bet they'd file it under fiction... after four fabulous years in nyc, i finally headed west... with a "brief" visit to florida to spend some time with my family. i was supposed to be there a few weeks, but ended up staying for 8 months! my grandmother has a fridge magnate that says "we plan. god laughs." and i'm learning to not get too attached to how i envision things happening, and allow life to know what's best for me. recently, that idea has shown it's self to be all too true. it really doesn't work to fight against life, but you'd be amazed at what can come your way when you just go with the flow (i know, annoying saying...). actually the words i say to myself when things seem hectic or spiraling to who knows where, are "just keep swimming, just keep swimming...". it's a whole lot more light hearted than "keep putting one foot in front of the other." and in the dark, sad moments, when my 'finding nemo' quote isn't doing the trick, i find comfort in the passage "this too shall pass." but fortunately those moments are few. i love my life, my friends, my family. and i'm blessed in so many ways. my time in los angeles has been outrageous, exciting and so much fun. and the personal growth and changes i have lived through in the past few years, have enrich my life and experience of myself, in ways i cannot convey. i'm not sure what comes next, but i am sure it involves acting and will be fantastic! AS A SIDE NOTE, my middle name is anish, which in native american means "human/human being". so when my parents named me lily anish, they were reaching for flower human, flower child. and this is all true...