I”M HOME! And while I may not see this as a good thing, you all should. Why? Because that means you’re finally going to get a blog post out of me. I’ve been getting messages about this one for over a week now…you guys are impatient!(I say this with love.)

Most of you already know that I was in Los Angeles last week. If you know that, you also probably know at least a little bit about what I was up to. And if you don’t, no worries, you’re about to know!

I flew out to LA last Sunday, (August 6) which happened to be the day of the TCAs (Television Critics Association). This event is held in Beverly Hills every winter and summer, and there’s usually someone from Grey’s Anatomy there. You know what that means. YEP. I literally got off the plane, went to the friend’s house I was staying at, changed out of my gross plane clothes, and jumped into an Uber.

After the Uber dropped us off at the wrong hotel, we walked to the correct one, hoping to get there before the cast started to arrive. We did. Barely.

*I guess I should tell you who was with me: it was Carrie. I’ve talked about her on here before, so you should know who she is. 

Anyways. While we were waiting for people to arrive, Carrie and I were waiting for another friend (thanks, Twitter!) to meet us there, too. This was the first time I’d met Romy, but she’s great. And hilarious. All of a sudden, Carrie and I see her walking up to the entrance and she’s on the phone. She wasn’t really on the phone, though. One of the Grey’s actors, Camilla Luddington, had just driven past her so this was her subtle escape from humiliation or something… I don’t know. But she got there just in time.

And now I’ll show you some pictures from the star-studded night I guess.

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*Other Shondaland members attended but are not pictured, including Viola Davis, James Pickens Jr., and Katie Lowes. 

I think I’m still in a little bit of shock over this night, not going to lie. I’ve got most of the cast under my belt now… I’m still waiting for Kate Burton or THE ELLIS GREY! You all know how much I love her.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

One of my favorite LA activities is hiking in Griffith Park, and a lot of people don’t know that there’s a famous Grey’s landmark tucked away back there. Well, I went to it (finally) and it wasn’t all that exciting, but still cool to see. Also, it’s as close to Ellis Grey as I’ve gotten so far, so that’s good.

It’s closed.
You can’t get on or off.

“The carousel never stops turning. You can’t get off.” -Ellis Grey

And now what I think is the most exciting part of the whole trip… SEATTLE GRACE HOSPITAL. I don’t know if this was better than meeting the casts, but it certainly was special. And before I show the pictures, let me tell you why it was so special.

Since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a doctor. I got my first doctor’s kit at age 2, and according to my grandma, I was attached to it. By the time I was 8, I was convinced I would be Dr. Rowland one day. And then I walked into the living room where my mom was watching a tiny little medical drama on TV. I’ve been watching Grey’s since it aired. I was not quite 9 years old. And it stuck.

I’m almost 20 now, and I finally got to live out one of my dreams.

*Although, I definitely don’t want to be a doctor anymore. 

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The exterior of Seattle Grace Hospital. If you zoom in, you can tell how excited I was to be there.
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The catwalk where Derek Shepherd was shot.
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And of course, we had to stop for an inconspicuous selfie. And no, I’m not looking at the camera.

 

 

 

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I really wanted to jump up on this windowsill and say, “we’re gonna survive this, right?” But I didn’t because, 1) I really wasn’t in the mood to get yelled at, and 2) those ledges are actually pretty high and I knew it wouldn’t feel very good sliding down.

 

 

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And I’m only including this one because my sunglasses are hiding my tear-filled eyes as I went on and on about how George O’Malley deserved better. I can only assume I was making hand gestures, too, which is why my arms look so awkward. Ask Carrie.

 

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Behind me in this picture is the waiting room one of my favorite scenes from season one took place in. Cristina Yang and Meredith are looking at Izzie’s Bethany Whisper ad and describing how photoshopped she was… actually a very important scene if you think about it. Izzie knew she was airbrushed and thinned down and she acknowledged that and even laughed about it. SHONDA RHIMES GOLD if you ask me.

 

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This is just another angle of the back of the building. Cristina’s farewell scene (her in the taxi and Meredith trying not to cry… yeah that one) was filmed here. And you all know how much of a Cristina Yang stan I am, so this was pretty rough.

 

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Please tell me I don’t have to explain this.
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And of course, I couldn’t come here and NOT take the iconic jumping picture.
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So many things have gone down on these benches… And this one? The next caption will explain it all.
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So this bench is the iconic Meredith/Derek bench from season 2. The scene where Meredith realizes Derek has chosen Addison? Oh yes. They sit here and Meredith asks him if he loves her. She accepts that he’s trying and then she gets up to leave. Derek saying “goodbye Meredith” just kept playing on repeat in my head. I sat here for a good ten minutes before I got up.

 

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I think this is the best selfie I’ve ever taken and the fact that I took it here is just icing on the cake. Nothing to see, really. We’re facing the road and the back of the hospital is behind us.

 

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And here’s me, walking away from a place I’d grown to love through a TV screen. This picture will always be one of my favorites and I have plans for it, but I’m not going to tell you anything about them. It’s a surprise. And, hopefully, it’s still years away from happening.

I have more pictures I could include, but I don’t want this post to go on forever.

This day was one of the best days of my life. I’m not being dramatic either. When you grow up watching something on TV, growing attached to characters, seeing them as family, getting to see where it happened is such a magical moment. It’s something I will cherish for the rest of my life. And I’m so glad I got to experience it with one of my best friends by my side. (She also helped with the whole picture thing…)

I hope this post holds you over until the season starts and my reviews come back, (yes, I will write them again this season!) and I’m so happy I get to share some of my trip with you all. If you want to know anything else I did or things to do in LA if you decide to make the visit, leave me a comment and I’ll answer any questions you have!

xoxo,
J

2 Comments

  1. So neat! What a special experience! I would so give just about anything to be able.to do this. And Arizona is one my favs. Loved the picture with Jessica.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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