I don't DO Chrismas Cards...

Mostly because they will inevitably be late. And who wants to brag about the past when you can celebrate the future with a New Year letter? Or, in most cases, a "somewhere around late February" letter...

Lifestyles: 2004 Summary Report
I know it's rather lengthy, but it's all true. And entertaining.
Mad love. Farrah.

Last year we found our heroine seeking a new direction. Farrah quit her home financing job in San Francisco and started a journey that wrapped itself down the coast of California, to her beloved friends in Las Vegas, and all the way over to the Walkers in Boston and Cape Cod, plus New York, and DC. She was in Florida in time for the countdown for 2004, and rang it in with kayaking, snorkeling, and all the dancing and eating that accompanies a cruise to the Bahamas with about 200 new friends.

Rather than return to reality, she took some extra time via train from Palo Alto to snowboard in Utah and Colorado. While the responsibility to settle into pharmaceutical sales seemed like the journey she had been groomed for, Farrah continued to seek something more fulfilling as she compiled her portfolio. She returned to DC and sought further counsel with wise and equally dazzling friends who were ecstatic over their fulfilling jobs. Taking her New Year's Resolutions very seriously, she finally decided what 2004 would be all about: Lifestyle. With no job, no career, but a few pearls, a great party dress, inappropriate footwear, and great friends willing to humor you, one could feasibly create a pretty fabulous Lifestyle. With that resolve, upon her return to Palo Alto, she filled the corset of "Ernestina" in the musical, "Hello, Dolly!" (Now available on DVD.) She also made a return to film in a short mocumentary, "Pimpin' for Dummies," as well as completing a semester of graduate studies in Philosophy of Religion at Stanford. And she finally agreed with her friend to start a funk band.

Immediately following these productions, Farrah and friends camped for a weekend in Monte Reyes and continued down to LA with one of her best travel buddies. In San Diego, she had the experience of a lifetime and (with the help of her favourite pilot) flew a small piper plane over San Diego's deserts. The experience was incredibly thrilling, and, with much prayer, she was able to refrain from throwing up. Her adventure crossed over again to the east coast, where she reunited with her Bahama's friends in DC to the infamous Duck Beach. This year, over 800 single LDS friends spent their Memorial Day weekend having luaus (complete with roasted pig and fresh cotton candy) kayaking, sunbathing, swimming, dancing, dolphin watching, and, in our house, YES! the karaoke machine was fully employed. Every morning. Every meal. Every night. It was the nearest thing to heaven.

While still on the eastern side of our country, Farrah thought it best to revisit New York, since it had thawed since December. Not only did she finally get to see Broadway's "Phantom of the Opera," but she fulfilled the goals of: 1) eating all the street food she could find (falafel is so good!) 2) had New York cherry cheesecake IN New York IN Central Park and 3) saw real rats in a very real New York subway. Wow. Like a dream come true.

In June, Farrah and a few close friends flew to Arizona and drove down to Los Cabos, Mexico, where they went boating, snorkeling (of course!), and tried deep sea fishing for the incredible jumping marlin that reside in the waters there. On that expedition, she fulfilled a life-long dream when a school of friendly dolphins surrounded their boat and she jumped out to join over 50 wild dolphins in their ocean. It was a spiritual experience. Really. While the trip was only supposed to last for a few days, she was able to reunite with some dear friends in Arizona, and decided to stay long enough to include a side trip to attend a very special wedding in Salt Lake. While there, she was also able to try wakeboarding for the first time, refusing to quit until she could have a few successful runs.

On the way home, with much prodding from her ongoing love affair with Eclipse Marketing, Farrah agreed to a brief, two week stint selling pest control in Huntington Beach. By the third day, she agreed that she needed to go home (there's only so long you can go on a few bathing suits and five days of underwear, even in the OC) and she contracted to work for the rest of the summer. By that weekend, she had decided to stay permanently, and with a lot of faith, by that Sunday she had decided upon a new home. The move to Huntington Beach was surprising, and while she would miss the Bay Area's culture, people, and 50 cent movies on Terrific Tuesdays, but knowing she'd return often, made the leap forward. She had a great final send-off, camping, wakeboarding, tubing like mad, and even went wakesurfing (definitely the COOLEST thing ever). Eclipse gave Farrah complete flexibility, and a wonderful amount of support. Of course, once she settled in long enough to make her bed, she had very special weddings to attend in Arizona and Texas, and a few trips to Las Vegas for fun (no weddings included). Not to mention that appearance cheering for a friend on "The Price is Right!" She won. Thanks for noticing. Bob Barker is scary.

In November, she finally had time to return to work- in Hawaii. While visiting her mom and reuniting with other visiting friends, she was able to go surfing and parasailing (some more firsts!) in between sales. She returned just in time to turn 28 and celebrate with a weekend celebration in Mexico with friends joining from Palo Alto, LA, Las Vegas, New York, Utah, and even some locals from Huntington. The photos are uncut, uncensored, and are now available online and spreading rapidly. She was also blessed to spend yet another leg in the Bay Area and actually completed all her Christmas shopping before December! Definitely a first.

This December has me winding down in the OC. Sunbathing (in December!), running on the beach, that danged artificial tree! and a whole lot of Christmas music makes for a new kind of era. I haven't ingested anything that wasn't chocolate, hot chocolate, or caramel corn in the last five days. I finally managed to get wrapped gifts from my trunk to the post office by Christmas Eve, but no one got those pretty little cards in the mail. YOURS were lovely, by the way. Thank you. I think this letter is overcompensating for that blip in responsibility. And while I hoped to be in Mexico or Costa Rica for this New Year's, I think 2005 is setting a precedent that involves less moving around and a lot more quality time devoted to 1) finally organizing that stuff in my garage 2) keeping in better contact with my friends and family (without necessarily driving or flying to do so) 3) starting my own business. Yeah. All that traveling was kinda for a reason. I hoped I'd have a website up and running by now, but for now, let's have an agreement- you and me. You send me all your contact information, and I'll send you the latest photojournals of my escapades and more frequent updates on life in the OC. Everyone down here is beautiful and have great personalities, so they're quite amusing.

As for what's slated in 2005, I have a few goals. To have my events travel service, "Hot Spot Entertainment" up and running. Extend my good will and love for music into my own promo service as "Shameless Self-Promotions" (check out www.beshameless.com and www.myspace.com/shamelessselfpromotions). Also, since I'm now embracing the SoCal lifestyle, return to acting. Might as well. I've also been volunteering with a new international relief project called, "East Meets West," and come February, will be producing an art auction and helping to organize a concert to benefit "Reach the Children" in Africa. Let me know if you or friends would like to contribute in any way. And, seriously, after years of complaints and confusion from those nearest and dearest, I have resolved to improve the updates on my whereabouts. And bless your heart for all you do to maintain that communication. Seriously. 2005 is payback time. Hopefully soon, I'll have a website to refer you to, like most people of this century do.

So lots of stuff is already heading me into the New Year. Now I'm mostly figuring out how to organize my 7th Annual Traditional Post-Christmas Christmas Party for January 9th. You're totally invited. Plus, I've decided it's about time for me to start dating. (My mom will be so delighted.) So, go for it. I know you've been thinking it. Go ahead. Have him call me.

And the saga continues...