Feeling Energized

Disclaimer: This post isn't interesting. Just writing down what I've been thinking all weekend. Feel free to stop reading... I just saved you 5 minutes.

New look - what do you think? Not sure I'm feelin' it yet.

Ran 8 miles today starting at 7 mph and finishing at 10 mph. Haven't felt healthy / strong enough to do that in a while (and that was after two nights out!) Felt compelled to apply for the NYC marathon this fall. Probably won't be accepted through the lottery, but figured I'd give it a shot. Was so strange being at my old NYU gym. Felt like I am 19 and a student again (I am!)

NYU ski trip this weekend. I plan to sit in the lodge reading a book. Sounds like a great weekend away.

So here's what's bugging me about work (shocking - I know... something is annoying me about work...) Because I still do care about the place where I work and want us all to be successful, I just cannot understand why people think the world is going to end because some meeting or project didn't go the way they wanted it to. I often get frustrated, but even when I'm worked up about something, in the back of my mind I always remember that we are all showing up to the office every day to try to accomplish something. We all have good intentions and whether we agree on the approach is really not the point. Is your family healthy? Can you pay your mortgage?... then why are you yelling?

The one thing that really puts me over the edge is when others don't treat me or someone else respectfully - when good people get so caught up in their day jobs that they are angry with other good people about something that really doesn't matter anyway. I get angry, too... but sometimes I think we all need to take a step back and really put things in perspective.

How will we all behave if leaders (or anyone around us for that matter) don't lead by example? If we don't see behavior around us that we want to emulate, then we aren't inspired to perform. The system breaks down without this sense of respect and admiration. Without it, inefficiency and apathy ensue and people polish off their resumes. The first step (in my humble / ill-informed opinion) is to get back to basics. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Act with integrity. Be empathic.

That's my gripe for the day!

A new look for 2011

I know what you're thinking... "oh great, she's going to go all 'new look, new me' on us..." I won't! Promise!

But it is, at least, appropriate to reflect on last year's new year's resolutions, twist logic to convince myself i've accomplished them, and then forget about them and make some new ones. As I look back through old blog posts, though, lucky for me (and you) I didn't write down any resolutions for 2010. Whatever they might have been, I can say with confidence that they probably did not come to fruition. For me, 2010 was the year of playing catch-up. Just trying to keep up with all of the changes in my life without losing my sense of self. It was my first year in about 19 that I didn't go to school. I moved into a new apartment in a new area of the city. I officially began my career. And with all the change, i reluctantly allowed my passions to subside (party at least). Less running, less reading, less afternoon coffee shop frolicking. And as I begin a new year and think of what changes for the better I recommend for myself over the next 12 months, I realize the importance of the parts of my life that I had written off as optional - the hobbies that have sunk to the bottom of the priority list to make way for longer hours (and happy hours). They don't define me as a person, but I can't fully be me each day without them. So here they are:

1. 1) lead a healthier lifestyle - running, spinning, yoga, fruits and veg, more sleep, less alcohol
2. read more for pleasure - yes, it's important to read The Economist, but if i want to skip it and read A Tale of Two Cities (again)... no big deal! (at least 1 novel per month, preferably 2)

*side note: i'm deathly afraid of losing all conversational skills and becoming mind-numbingly boring, so the aim of this resolution is twofold.

I also hope to travel more, but that's always on the list! Here's my book list for the near future:

1. The Tipping Point -- almost done, LOVE it. Thanks Ash!
2. Why We Need Love -- from a local West Village book shop - spotted by Kaila, so it must be good.
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo -- my friend Em swears by it, so I figure I'll give it a go. And any book as popular as this one deserves a read, regardless of whether I enjoy it - there's something about it that appeals to millions of people, and I want to know what that is!
4. That book by the NYU guy that everyone loves but I don't remember the name.
5. Something random that I would not usually read. Any thoughts?
6. Sarah Palin - Going Rogue. OH WAIT. THAT'S A JOKE.

On that note, here's to 2011 and a new decade. May it bring us all more happiness and good fortune than the last.

Spring Fling!

I can't believe I haven't written in almost a month! Have been working working working. BUT, I have been lucky enough to get Sunday off. So you know what the means! I can sleep in after my Senior Formal!

Now I know what you're thinking... Kristin? Actually going to her senior formal? There's no way. BUT, I've decided... why not be in college for one last weekend? And it's at the Hilton, so how cheesy can it be? Plus, free food and free drinks... what could beat that?! And get to spend some much needed relaxation and letting loose time with Andy, Lisa and Lyda.

I'm going to go for a run today before the rain hits. I tried kickboxing for the first time last week... great in concept, but I chose the wrong place. Sort of sketchy. I won't be going back.

.......

Post-run update: I tripped and scraped up my knees. Right before formal. Perfect timing, as usual. Almost as good as the time I broke my leg before moving out of a country.

Happy Four Day Work Week!

It feels like Christmas. I get a ride home from the 'rents on Friday, AND I only need 4 clean outfits for work this week. That's better than malted milk balls on Easter.

This will be a short post, since I don't have much to write. Had a great weekend... met up with an old friend I haven't seen in a while for a drink and ended up making a night of it. Went to 4 village favorites.. Agozar, Madam Geneva, Garage and 49 Grove. And finally checked out Bamboleo with Andy on Bleecker and Sullivan... free guacamole and chips with a pitcher of sangria? Yes please.

I'm tired, so done writing. But, just want to mention I just saw a commercial for the Brothers and Sister's 2 hour movie on April 11. I c a n n o t w a i t .

I want to join a running club. Anyone know of any? They're harder to come by than you may think.

I really know how to pick 'em.

... weekends to go home, that is. I decided to spend some quality time with the fam this weekend... and I did. I spent lots of quality time tripping over Mom and Dad while searching for candles and flashlights when the power went out. And I spent even more quality time standing in the dark hoping Ash didn't die while driving to pick me up for our dinner date (it only took her 45 minutes to navigate through the brush of fallen trees between Merrick and Sunrise). BUT, I did have a few laughs with Grandma and Grandpa ("Water makes the blood coagulate in your veins. It's much healthier to drink Coors") and eventually made it to Mercato for a much-needed catch up session with Ash and Jenna. Good food and good company.

SO. I have officially taken the first step toward emerging from my year-long lethargy induced by a broken leg (it has been a long time since that excuse were valid). I entered the lottery for the New York City Marathon. It's highly unlikely I'll be selected... but I can dream. Whether I run NYC or not, I'm confident I will run a marathon this fall. I'll find something. I need to have a race on the calendar to make running a priority. That's not to say I'm too lazy to run... it's more that I can't justify choosing to run over other activities. Like, if my friends want to get drinks on a Wednesday night, if I choose to run instead then I'm being anti-social. But, if I'm training for a race, then I'm just being regimented and disciplined by choosing to run over choosing to do something else. That's the trick! And hopefully the weather will soon be warm enough for me to begin running outside. It's just not the same trying to get a real workout on a treadmill.

This will be a busy work week for me... working this Sunday and next from 7 a.m. But I think any job, especially in an office, is only as rewarding as the people you're fortunate enough (or unfortunate enough) to work with. And lucky for me, I work with a great bunch. Everyone in my division has a super interesting and unique background. I feel like I'm surrounded by brilliance every day, which inspires me to work smartly. I can't wait to see where my career will take me over the next few years. At the firm, and particularly in my division, everyone is very dynamic and roles are always changing. I think project management is one of the central skills acquired in our line of work, so it's possible to start on an entirely unfamiliar project but be well-equipped for the assignment. I'm going to be driving a new project in the next few months... looking forward to diving in!

Speaking of work, I've really got to start some. Maybe I'll just watch 60 minutes first...

Also, Kaila come home! 2 months left.

My state of mind is completely dependent upon the season.

Autumn is so wonderful. It makes me want to abandon my reading, go for a two-hour run and sit on the couch with my feet on the coffee table and eat a turkey sandwich whilst watching the Cosby Show and reminiscing about how lovely my day outside in the crisp autumn weather has been (even if my ankle may or may not have developed its own incessant pulse).

And what a lovely weekend it was. Apartment "gathering" as Kaila calls it, Alice's tea cup (best pumpkin scones in the world), Soho shopping, buttnernut squash ravioli, Gatsby's Bar and Firefly, and, of course, a two-hour run down and up East / West side highways. Now that is my kind of weekend. Especially in great company, of course.

I really do need to get some of my reading done. But the coffee table with my book on it is so far away...

As Summer Ends and Autumn Begins

This has been a whirlwind summer for me. So busy I haven't had time to post! Even now that I have a few days to relax and catch up with all of the little things that need to get done before school, I made sure to get up at 7 a.m. this morning and hit the ground running. I am frantically trying to finish this blog post while watching the news (maximizing productivity by multi-tasking), even though I have nowhere to be! I guess old habits die hard.

The internship this summer was super intense, but that's the way I like it. It was my 5th internship at the firm, and definitely the most time consuming and challenging... but also the most rewarding. Looking back, I made some really great friends and learned a ton of new things. Most importantly, as I move on to internship # 6 I'm more confident in my abilities and feel more empowered to make decisions and really contribute. Ever since my experience interning in London, I feel more comfortable and knowledgeable in my role, which is great!

After being so busy at work, I definitely over-indulged. There was no time for exercise (hence stopping my 10-mile run at mile 5 yesterday). Any day that I didn't work late meant going out with work friends or school friends or friends from home in the city for the summer.... which also meant lots of food, drinks and not enough sleep. So this fall, my aim is to get back into shape and pursue overall good health. And if I can't do it, then shame on me. I was able to successfully train for a marathon last fall, so I can at least drag my ass to the gym a few times a week for the next few months and not eat gyros in the middle of the night.

Moving on to the exciting stuff... GREECE! Best trip EVER. No exaggeration. When you think of absolute paradise - beauty, beaches, amazing views, restaurants, wonderful people.. everything you can imagine, you are really thinking of Greece. Nothing at all was lacking. The one caveat I will add is that we went to very touristy islands, so I'm sure the local villages hundreds of miles outside of Athens do not resemble any of the places we went to. Let me break it down quickly...

Athens is wonderful, but you only need a few days there. We walked the whole city the afternoon we arrived (only takes about an hour), then visited the Acropolis the next morning. The Acropolis was obviously amazing. Absolutely massive and one of those very humbling and breathtaking moments. One of those times when you're thinking, "Wow, I'm at the Parthenon, that building I've seen in every history and architecture textbook since I was 7." Other than that, we spent most of our time on the "K" Street. We still can't pronounce the name, but basically this one street has all of the restaurants and bars (sort of like Hoboken!). Amazing food, beautiful cafes, and much-needed relaxation before the other islands.

Next we flew to Santorini. It definitely suits its nickname - the honeymoon island. The main town where most people stay, Fira, is aboslutely beautiful and built into the side of a massive cliff hanging over the edge of the island and looking out on a beautiful volcano. No matter where you are in Fira, you have an amazing view of the water, the volcano, and other Cycladic islands. You can walk through the whole town for hours - it's filled with shops, wine stores, restuarants, cafes, bars and clubs. We spent most of our time walking down the paths on the side of the cliffs to restaurants and cafes, drinking a glass of wine and just taking in the beautiful views. It's a great thing I was with my best friend - it was not awkward at all to sit in silence for long stretches and just look out at the water, completely lost in our own worlds.

We also hiked up the side of a mountain to see the ruins of Ancient Thira. Being the idiot that I am, I wore two right sneakers, thinking that I had forgotten the left-foot sneaker... I found it later that day in my bag. But anyway, it was great to see the ruins of a city from the 6th Century BC... and now I know why the Greek empire fell. Everyone was so tired after hiking up the mountain to their homes that they couldn't do any work.

We decided to go to the other main town on Santorini, called Oia (EE-ah), so of course we stopped at some small wineries on the way and had some amazing wine. Vinsanto is very popular in Greece - it's a dessert wine like Port. Delicious.

Though we only spent one night in Oia, it may have been my favorite night of the trip. We watched the sunset, went to a great restaurant on the opposite side of the island overlooking the water, and then went to the most quaint and fun bar of the whole trip. We stumbled upon a cute bar overflowing with people because of some fantastic live music. We decided to stop in for one drink and ended up staying the entire night. Fabulous mojitos, but an even more fabulous Venezuelan jazz band. We danced the whole night and became friends with the band members (of course). I loved the beautiful Greek saxophonist and Jess befriended the salsa-dancing Venezuelan singer. We have their e-mail addresses and will hopefully keep in touch. The funniest part of the night just epitomizes Greek culture to me... anything goes. At about midnight (the party was just getting started!) a gigantic stray dog, maybe a German shepherd, sidled his way through the crowds in the bar and lied down right in the middle of the very small dance floor. He covered pretty much the whole floor and decided to go to sleep, despite the loud music right behind his head. So everyone just shifted aside and danced in the corners of the room since the center was blocked. No one kicked the dog out or tried to get him to move. And as soon as the band finished, the dog stood up and left! Only in Greece!

I could go on for hours about Santorini, but I'll move on to Mykonos. It was beautiful as well, but there is less culture in Mykonos. It's mostly just beaches and partying. And partying at beaches. We went to one day-time beach party, but even for us, drinking hard liquor at 3 in the afternoon is a bit much. We did stay and dance for a bit. Lucky for us, we did not head to any of the trashy clubs at night. Instead, we met some really great people who showed us where the nicer places to hang out are. And one of them knows my manager - what are the odds! But once again, we had an amazing time and met amazing people...

These are the types of things that make me want to move abroad. Traveling has such an effect on me, as I'm sure it does on everyone else. I judge people less, certainly don't judge people before I get to know them, avoid protocol and standards when it comes to other people, etc. I think when you're taken out of the culture and society that you know (which I realize now is even smaller than I thought) there is no choice but to abandon all pre-determined notions and ideas of how conversations should flow and what boundaries between new acquaintances should exist. It's so tough to describe, but I think basically I've learned to only consider the substance of what someone says in forming any opinions... I might someone, speak to them, not worry if they say something that doesn't match the standards of what I have been taught can or cannot be said in an initial conversation, not worry if they are different or "weird" and just appreciate the value of what they've said and where they are coming from. The world is simultaneously much larger and smaller that way. And I love it.

So that was my trip. Wonderful, memorable and definitely something I'd like to repeat. I'd like to go to Thailand or Sydney next. Anyone available to show me around?!

Now it's back to getting ready for school / work, which both begin next week. It will be a money spending week. I need:

new ipod

new Mac

new camera

sign up for Pilates classes

new clothes (well, I guess I don't need these...)

I just got my new iphone, which I am super psyched about. My friend Ade told me an iphone is "not just a phone.. it's a way of life." Totally true! I can't wait to download the wine application so I can look up all of the wines and definitions I don't understand (oaky?) at restaurants. Mom will be proud.

I'm doing something new this semester... instead of partying in NYC every weekend, I'm traveling to other colleges in my last semester! My trips include...

visiting Kristen at Cornell (and hosting her in NYC)

visiting Jess at Binghamton (hopefully for Halloween!)

visiting Case at Umass

taking a weekend trip to D.C. with my parents and grandparents

so fun! I'll be very busy during the week with school and work, and I'm hoping to spend whatever weekends I have in NY catching up on work, running, etc., to be able to slack off when I take those weekend trips. Theme of my autumn... moderation and health. Getting myself back on track after this summer of indulgence!

Phew. Done with a long overdue post. Will post again soon (really).

Just my luck.

After a stressful and whirlwind of a semester, I was very much looking forward to coming home to relax, run, and party with friends for a few weeks before work starts in June. I wanted nothing more than to hit the gym every morning, watch tv, read, and then head to local bars or to the city each night to meet up with friends. 

Well, at least I can do two of those things while elevating my leg on the couch. Yep. I broke my ankle. How? Well... I was being attacked by two mad dogs, so I hopped a fence... after I landed on the dumpster and jumped down a taxi came out of nowhere and ran me over... 

That's the real story. It is totally NOT true that I was walking to the train station in the rain and slipped on a west stone in the pavement. And it is NOT true that a guy who looks just like the obnoxious, skinny, blonde guy on How I Met Your Mother helped me up and I "walked it off" out of embarrassment. 

So anyway... no more running, no dancing, no walking, no wearing jeans or any decent-looking pants, no driving, no shopping, no high heels, no drinking - can't be drunk while operating my vehicle (crutches / swivel chair / hopping around on my good leg). Going to be a fun time! 

And that is all the complaining I will do. That's IT! Done. Now it is time to be positive and focus on recovery and figuring out how to live a normal life with one leg. I have to move into a new apartment. Get oral surgery. Start work. Commute to work. Walk around at work. Get myself to meetings at work. Figure out how to hold something while walking - i.e. lunch at work. Not completely destroy my other leg while hopping around on it. And, lastly, stop worrying myself to the point of sickness that I will never be able to run at full strength again. Oh, and cancel my entry into the NY marathon. 

Positivity starts now. (I'll post when I find the bright side). 

Going for the Gold

Just wanted to mention... Andy and I ran the Newham Classic 10K on Sunday. And now I can officially say I have run around the 2012 Olympic Stadium in London (even though it is only half built!) 

How cool is that?! Also got to see Andy's school (very nice!). I ran it in somewhere around 50 minutes. Andy ran it in 47. He is a running machine! 

I will be home in 22 days. But I'm not counting or anything.

Plan of action upon return:

1) eat pancakes at Grandma and Grandpa's

2) tell my life story to friends (and Kay) over an excessive amount of wine

3) get wisdom teeth out 

4) try not to die

5) get an apartment

6) shop til I drop 

Speaking of shopping, I'm off to the DSUK designer sale on Brick Lane. Cheers!

The pre-marathon Running Crunch

So today is October 12... which means there are 27 days until the day I am so excited for / dreading is here. Marathon day. November 9. I was supposed to run the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC later this month, but when my marine friend was injured, I decided to run a much smaller venue in Harrisburg, PA. 

According to the website (credible source?), it seems like an intimate setting, small (800 people), lots of foliage, and very mom-and-pop-esque. I was becoming increasingly more nervous about running the HUGE Marine Corps marathon, filled with military men and intense runners, so the thought of running this smaller one has definitely made me less anxious. 

I don't know whether I feel relieved and comforted or even more anxious now that my parents and sister have decided to accompany me. I guess it is much easier than finding my own way down there and my own hotel room, but what if I don't make it to the finish line?! They will have trekked all the way down there to see me fail. I have been training - but in all honesty, what do I know about training for a marathon? My training regimen is as follows: Run. Run a lot. 

Today I ran about 18 miles. That is definitely a decent amount, and I felt pretty good post-run, so I take that to mean I could have gone a few miles further. I just hope I could have run at least 6 miles further. But I don't know what the protocol is for these long runs... should I stuff myself beforehand? Should I stuff myself afterward? I opted for cereal and oatmeal before, omelet and fries after. 

Most people eat "goo" during the race - neon green globs of carbs with peanut butter consistency and drink lots of water. I have never done either. I just run. Would these tricks help me out or should I keep to my routine? They say not to switch anything up for the big race.... but what if I am putting myself at a disadvantage?!

So many questions. So many worries. Apologies if this post is excruciatingly boring, but this is always in the back of my mind and it's time I start getting answers! Any suggestions, by all means let me know.