The past few days have been an emotional rollercoaster for me. I have, over the past few months, gotten increasingly more sensitive to situations. I've fallen in love with experiencing life...the good and the bad. The last few days have held the best of the best and some of the saddest moments 2018 has already had to offer.
There is a team called The Uwais Team. It's an amazing team lead by Iko Uwais, who happens to be our #3 on our call sheet for our movie Mile 22. He brought one of his closest friends, and team member, with him as his stunt double for the movie. They also hired a translator, who ended up connecting incredibly well with these guys, and the three of them became the reason everyone on set (and in production) smiled daily.
Usually, I don't get too tied up with actors and their teams. I usually say hi and realize that they are living in a different world than I am and leave it at that. However, this team was different, from the very beginning. The three of them always showed up on set with giant smiles, saying thank you to everyone and personally connecting with each individual associated with their day's work. To say that we all loved seeing them show up to work would be an understatement. Actually, I can't think of one person on production who did not fully appreciate the presence of these three gentlemen. And that is exactly what they are...complete gentleman who love what they do, support each other and are incredible humble both on and off set.
Leaving Atlanta and coming to Bogota, I got to spend time with these three guys more and more through out the four weeks here. The more I heard them speak life into each other and those around them, the more I fell for their contagious laughter and presence about life. Honestly, I have never seen a team lead so well. They are always speaking life into each other or laughing or striving for the next goal...together. There was no drama, there was no scolding...there was laughter, motivation, communication and confidence...most importantly, there was humility. Everyone on this show left praying that they would get asked to be apart of the Uwais team or left trying to figure out how to be apart of either the next movie with them or travel to Indonesia themselves. These three guys are very contagious.
After a month of going out to dinners, going on adventures on our day of, working out in the gym and holding conversations with and without laughter...the time came for these three incredible guys to leave. And everyone on the movie was devastated. Everyone involved with their schedules all of a sudden felt an empty gap in their hearts. What were we going to do without our daily does of the Uwais Team?
Me...I cried. I went to tell them goodbye and I sat in their room and cried. It wasn't like loosing a co-worker...it was worse than loosing a friend...it felt like loosing family. Family that lived in a completely different country, opposite time zone and unavailable in every sense of the word. I've never cried or felt like this towards a group of people so quickly but when you find people you can go to five star restaurants in while wearing your work out clothes, after the gym, and feel 100% accepted as yourself, it isn't easy to give that up. But I am very thankful for the lessons, love and support of this team. They have truly impacted my life in ways I could never have imagined. Truly, truly blessed and grateful for each one of them...individually and as a team. They all bring so many important qualities to the table and it's 100% infectious!
The amount of great things I have to say about my experience here is too much to explain...from the people, food, conversations, crew members and the movie itself...its overwhelming. That's the word for this blog...overwhelming.
The insane part is that our entire cast implemented the exact same behavior as the team mentioned above. Mark and his team was another constant highlight to my day. From personal assistants to body guards, every single person said hi, smiled and constantly made my days worth it. Even Mark noticing if someone in our camera team was gone or not made every day easier as a crew. Of course Ronda, Carlo and Lauren all joined in to create the best atmosphere we could have ever asked for...more than we ever expected. If you don't watch Mile 22 for EVERYTHING that it is visually...watch it to support the family that came out of it. It's hard to find genuine human being...yet Peter Berg found nothing but that.
Honestly, going home is making me incredibly nervous. I didn't even want to come to Bogota and now I am incredibly scared of leaving Colombia. Isn't it incredible how God uses the thing that scares us most and turns it into something we don't want to live without? Like leaving a hotel surrounded by the industry you love? Surrounded by joyous people, great food, a gym on the bottom floor and...sorry to say, room service. There is something to be said about food coming to your door and then the mess dissapearing automatically. But seriously, leaving a place where the ups and downs are worth it because you have people who are either going through the same or understand what this industry is...or even cooler, gives a new perspective based on their department.
I've had some of the most profound conversations in this country with people who don't even speak english as their first language...and some, english isn't even their second language. I mean, the fact that God can place two human beings together, from across the world, to sit down and discuss how incredible God is and his workings...that's insanely profound to me. And not only discussions about the inner workings of God, but discussions between the inner workings of God between people of different religions. Seriously, God showed up in Bogota. He changed my life completely! If I could tell you all the things that were said during a first one on one dinner with our actor's coordinator and how the conversation flawlessly spotlighted God...and continued to for the rest of our trip. Or how a conversation between another religion and I was one of the most beautiful and eye opening experiences to the grace and love God allows? NEVER LIMIT A LIMITLESS GOD. Cause, man, can he show up and change the ways of your life.
That's why I am worried about going back. I feel like I am in the midst of one of the greatest moments in my life...and I am scared for that to end. I'm terrified to go back to Atlanta and become another number to a city. To wake up and not have a job with people who challenge me to be better. To live so close to my dream only to come back and realize none of it mattered. Especially, not to go home and go out to eat or go to the gym with people who understand my schedule, daily stressors and opportunities of the future. It's weird that all I wanted was to stay in Atlanta and now, all I can think about is never letting this project go.
Yet it has to go.
From the hardest day most people have EVER had on set, to the funniest day most people have had on set...this project held it all. The entire cast, crew and production made this project very difficult to give up. Peter Berg and Mark Wahlburg were not only incredible to work with but were insanely considerate of their crew, who they were and what they were going through. I'm shocked by their love and compassion for not only their jobs but for the people they keep around them. Again...I expected to learn about their craft but instead, I learned about how to hold myself in life, how to be a leader and, most importantly, how to treat each person around me. A smile goes a long way on a hard day. Every single actor (and their teams) knew that. Thank you for making our lives so much easier by just being genuine human beings, smiling and truly caring!
Ok...after spending a month in Bogota, Colombia, I've had enough support to actually announce this. I haven't wanted to because it may hurt where I am in the camera department if people do not read this following statement correctly.
Official announcement, I've tried to keep it quiet until this project was completed...
Once I get back to Atlanta, I will be pursuing my dream of becoming a film actress.
This means taking lessons, which I will be back at Blank Stages Acting Studios on Sunday to train and have missed it SO incredibly much. On Tuesday I have an audition with an agency and have been submitting to other agencies while in Colombia. So, prayers are being said and my fingers are crossed. This is a very old, near and dear dream of mine so we shall see how it all plays out.
***I am still working as a 2nd AC***
The greatest thing is, even if acting doesn't work out, this job, alone, has taught me that impact is based on your attitude. If you work hard, find the joy in the day and keep people around you who are genuine, supportive and also hard working...you never loose. Especially with the leadership in my camera department during Mile 22...honestly, I don't think I can loose. Either I'm in front of the camera or I am behind it. Both are absolutely incredible and have supplied me with so many stories, life lessons and opportunities I could have never imagined.
Basically, Bogota is amazing! This movie was phenomenal! The people, both from this country and not, were indescribably infectious, supportive, humble and caring. We have seen the best and worst of each other, yet, we have been through the best and worst with each other...and we all can now say that, for a least 4 months, we were family. Which, honestly, that is enough to turn a coworker into a life long friend, if you ask me.
I cannot believe I will be back home with all of my friends and el gato in almost 12 hours. It's insane. God defiantly showed up here in Bogota and I am 100% fortunate that he did. Honestly, I have learned so much about myself, my industry and life. I cannot say thank you enough to my camera team, the Uwais Team, the Mile 22 crew of both Atlanta and Colombia, Bogota itself and the hotel we spent the last month of our lives living in. Now, to go home and try not to buy a dog because of how FREAKIN CUTE all of the "gaurd dog" golden retrievers are!
I'm back in Atlanta. It has been a tougher transition back than I expected. I've spent the past few days alone, trying to come down off of the emotional high colombia provided. My baby girl (el gato) and I have been reorganizing, cooking and cuddling. I've been face timing Mile 22 family, my family and being overwhelmed by all of the love and gifts brought back with me. I'm already missing all of the chaos and living within the industry walls.
I have been able to jump straight into Blank Stage's acting studio again. Started lessons up yesterday and found a monologue to memorize and work on today for an audition on Tuesday. It's been good to work on a story and get emotionally connected to it's content. I also got to ride the motorcycle...also dropped it...600lb bike, me and a parking lot on a hill. I finally got it, but my knee, palm and handlebar suffered. Nothing makes me feel weaker than being 145lbs and trying to move this baby backwards.
Soon, it'll all work out. It did feel amazing to go back to church yesterday. Even better to listen to Elevation online last night while in my living room. It's been a weird transition but I've found myself taking every opportunity to catch up on sleep. Each day is going to be better. I do miss Bogota and all that were involved in the project. I cannot wait to see what opportunities God brings about in the next few months. It's going to be stories that only he can write...undeniably so.
Here is to MILE 22 and the adventure of a life time. I am very honored to be apart of this project and was incredibly blessed to work under a camera team that has more talent, more skill and more experience than I could ever hope to have. To be able to learn and grow from our A Team guys was an absolute privilege. My personal team gave me so many opportunities to learn more about life, the camera and work on not only focus pulling but also operating. Also, they helped me with Spanish...which I am still working on. I cannot think the camera team or the entire production enough for this oppertunity. Very, very, very grateful. Thank you!!!
Desde Colombia te Deseo muchos éxitos, no te conocí, pero las palabras tan bellas con las que describes tu experiencia en Bogota son lo mas hermoso que he leido en mucho tiempo, Dios te Bendiga y espero que logres cumplir con tu sueño de ser Actriz, te lo mereces
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