Fridays often give me a big case of the Anywhere But Here’s. Here’s one I thought of while wishing my day would fly by a little faster.
This is a real life anywhere but here I had when I was like 13. If we are of the same generation, it is likely you also had a Leonardo Dicaprio crush when you were in middle school, starting after Titanic’s release (if not before). This was my first real celeb crush. Never before had I needed posters of boys on my wall although I did occasionally gaze at photos Jonathon Taylor Thomas in Tiger Beat.
But this was serious. I watched Titanic five times in theaters (well, one was a drive in but it counts too). I pre-ordered the two VHS set from Blockbuster. It was love.
Of course, around this same time I also was daydreaming about being a full fledged grown up and all that might incur. Like driving. So imagine a beautiful summer’s day. I’m in California, Los Angeles, in fact. I’m driving a too-cute convertible through the worst traffic jam in the history of mankind. I’m pissed. I’m probably going to miss an appointment for work because I’m a hotshot something. Who cares what. It looks like it’s going to be hours so people start getting out of there cars, leaning or milling about. I am in the far right lane which is going no where fast. I notice the man to my left, who would be going the opposite direction if we were going anywhere, is staring at me. Who is it but Leo, my one true love?! We are the same age, of course, because I am an adult now and have finally gotten boobs.
After a lengthy conversation during the world’s worst traffic jam, the cars start to move. I let him pull a U-turn in front of me so I can follow him to a restaurant where all celebrities go. After dinner we sit on the car at the top of a hill that is always in movies about LA where we can look out over the city as if we were looking at the stars.
It won’t be long before he asks me to move into his million dollar mansion on the beach. Oh, the good life.
Seeking Misadventure 
Love it!
I owned ONE copy of a teen-Bop or Bop or whatever the hell it was called. There was a big picture of several hottie young male celebs, but the highlight was Leo. I think this was pre-Titanic, because it was 4th or 5th grade. Using the teen-mag pic as a reference, I drew his likeness in my sketchbook with colored pencils. I carried my sketchbook everywhere, and people would look at that picture and compliment me on my skills. I feel like that picture was a hallmark moment in getting enough encouragement to pursue art. That’s totally corny but it’s totally true. And I was 9, so I refuse to be embarrassed by that.