Introducing... South LA!

I'm sitting here in the USC library, doing some job searching (since our place doesn't have internet yet). I know you all are so anxious to hear about my new apartment and the neighborhood here in LA! I took a few pictures this morning that I will share with you so you can get an idea of what it's like here!

Our apartment is really great. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it's actually really cute on the inside. It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment in a 4-unit building. I have my own room and my other 2 roommates are sharing a room, and then we have an extra room for guests, relaxing, doing art, praying, etc. So come on out for a visit, please! We have found a bunch of cheap/free furniture on craig's list and from some friends in the area. Our place is starting to come together and really feel like home!

Here's my room:

And here's some more of the place:

And here's the outside and our block:

I haven't had much of a chance to really do any exploring of the area. But we have gone to a couple different grocery stores, the hardware store, and walked around a bit. So far, it really just seems like a pretty regular neighborhood. It's usually pretty quiet, except for the occasional partying from the USC frat house 2-doors down. :) We've gotten to know a bunch of the neighbor kids and they are super fun and friendly. I look forward to getting more settled and meeting more people in the neighborhood!

Despite the first impression of the neighborhood, I have to remember that this isn't my old quiet Denver neighborhood that I would feel totally safe walking around by myself at any hour. This is a totally new and different place all together. Last night I got my first glimpse into the somewhat typical happenings in this neighborhood. I was woken up by loud and repetitive helicopter sounds. I finally got out of bed to see if I could see anything. A police helicopter seemed to be circling over a house just a few blocks south of us. They had their spotlight shining down on the house and continued to circle for about 20 minutes. I've never seen anything like it in my quiet Wash Park neighborhood. I half-expected to hear an officer come over the loud speaker... "Come out with your hands up!", just like you see in the movies. Thankfully, I didn't see anything besides the circling helicopter and was eventually able to get back to sleep after a bathroom break and some reading.

This is definitely a new experience. Please pray that I would be wise and aware of my surroundings as I make my home here in South LA. I'm not always the best at following a bunch of rules and curfews, etc. Please pray that I would submit to the rules and realize that they are all meant to keep me safe. Thanks so much for your love and prayers!