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!

Just an average Saturday.

My pulse beats to “The Violet Hour” by the Civil Wars -- new favorite band thanks to a music-savvy friend who is much more hip than I am.

Guess where I am? My favorite East Village coffee shop, B Cup Café. (if you know me, then you knew that already. Where else would I be?)

Since i've been irresponsibly neglecting my blog for the past year, will start with a quick 30-second posting on life's happenings. I moved back to the Village in August - best decision i could've made. Was drowning in Finance folks living downtown. If I had to overhear one more conversation in an elevator beginning with "dude, gotta tell you about this sweet deal we closed today..." I might have had to beat someone over the head with my blackberry. I'm back where I belong amongst the East Village crazies. In fact... stepped over a homeless man rolling around near Avenue A to get here today.

Quick side note: don't you just love how un-phased city children are by just about anything? "Mom, what's for dinner?" ***cut to naked homeless man mooning everyone*** "ummmmm not sure yet, honey." ***child skirts to other side of Mom to avoid twirling, spitting woman*** "I want hot dogs!"

... What percentage end up in therapy by age 30?!

Other updates - work is going well. Getting great PR / marketing / Communications experience on a project for an industry i never expected to tap into. Also managing projects myself, acting more "strategically," etc. All in all... long hours, but good times.

Starting NYU Stern for my MBA in T-60 days. Will be getting educated during evenings twice a week. Here's hoping I will Iearn something useful! Will meet some interesting new people at the very least. Not sure I remember how to study either (did I ever know how to study?)

(have been seduced by B Cup's music and have given up on my own playlist. How can you turn down a live version of "Layla" followed by Dust in the Wind?)

So that's life. Work. School. Village.

More interestingly (I hope), i recently took a trip to Peru. I'll start with a clip from a frantic email I sent to the family on Day 10:

So tonight we are staying with a Peruvian family in a small town called Puno. Tourism comprises most of their economy. Tour groups (including ours) visit the town to see Lake Titikaka, the highest lake in the world. We are 4000 meters high. I've been drinking muna tea to avoid further altitude sickness! We toured the floating islands earlier... tiny little islands made of mud and straw. A few families live on each. They have their own gov't and elect a president each year (though I can't imagine he has much power since there are probably only about 5 eligible men on each island). We took photos in traditional dress and I bought a few things.

We then met our family.. Satornino picked us up from the boat and his wife Julia served us lunch. Some sort of potato soup, followed by rice with vegetables, cheese and coca (plant that Coca Cola and cocaine are made from). I did tell Neil I had reached my limit at lunch - we are in nowheresville with extremely underprivileged people, we can hardly communicate (they speak Quechua, language of the Incas) and we are eating foreign food 3 times a day while asking each other "what do you think this one is" and batting away flies. I haven't had to go to the bathroom in a hole in the ground.. But close to it. We've met these two couples who have had nearly the same itinerary as us so we've become friends - Brian says he's proud of me for being a city girl willing to come on a trip like this!

We will spend the night in their guest room (I'm becoming pretty good at making myself look presentable without a proper shower) and then continue down the lake with our tour group tomorrow.

... and that's pretty much how it went. Absolutely incredible trip and an amazing experience, but not something I'd feel compelled to do again. We worked with a tour company that planned our full itinerary (it's pretty necessary for this kind of trip), so had a jam-packed schedule of traveling and touring each day. Most of the towns we visited were touristy because they were home base for travelers who then left during the day to explore. Machu Picchu was amazing (obviously). Learned lots about the history of the Incas, but more interestingly, learned how present-day Peruvians live (outside of Lima, of course). It's not so different from how they lived during the time of the Incas (1400s-1500s). 40% illiteracy, 70% below the poverty line in mountainous areas. Unfortunately, Spanish language and culture were imposed on the Quechuans (the correct name for the Incas. Inca actually means King in Quechuan) in the 1500s when the Spanish explored and conquered Peru. Quechuan culture only survives by being passed down from generation to generation in the home.

Trips like this really put things in perspective for me. People who have so little and work so hard are happy because they have their health and their family. It's a nice refresher sometimes of what is really important in life. But that's obvious! I'm in it for the food. :)

Full photo album to come (it's in the post from London). Stay tuned.

It's been too long to even make an excuse.

If it's any indication of how much (or little) time I have for myself, it takes a week-long vacation these days for me to find a few minutes to write. I'm sitting in the living room of my parent's house in AZ watching the news (about the bomb scares on cargo planes) after a relaxing day of bbq-ing, margaritas, and pool-side sunbathing. If a week of relaxation and uber-laziness has convinced me of anything (apart from convincing me to make a living out of being retired), it's that life exists outside of New York. I know I'm on vacation and I fully appreciate that this is not real life. But I'm not in an exotic hut on tahiti with gorgeous waiters catering to me, waking up to birds chirping, sipping my coffee while watching waterfalls and hiking through the rainforest (any ideas on what my next trip should be, anyone?). My trip is pretty close to the reality of lots of regular Americans who don't live in the big city. I'm sleeping on a slowly deflating air mattress in the living room of my parent's "villa" in a retirement community outside of Phoenix and have been waking up to the sound of coyotes (KAY-otes) rummaging through the back yard at 5 a.m. This is real life, folks. It's easy to forget that anything else exists when I'm living in downtown Manhattan, surrounded by corporate America, aspiring super models, future actors and actresses of Hollywood, all the crazies that could only ever exist in New York, and everything in-between. Here in AZ, people start their work days at a reasonable hour, play golf on weekends and head to happy hour at 3 p.m. That's not to mention the drier air, cleaner streets, well-manicured homes (that require less maintenance) and an overall healthier, less stressful lifestyle (they don't even have to mow the lawn and dog-poo bags are conveniently stationed at intervals on the sidewalk). So why do we all fight to survive in NY, when we could live somewhere the sun always shines, where our money goes farther and our lives could be more play and less work? And I don't mean just AZ ... those three (important) considerations apply to most European countries and many places in the states apart from NY and maybe a few other cities. I love New York and have no intention of leaving any time soon, BUT, I'm just saying, there are some tradeoffs to living in the center of the world.

I have a post-vacation resolution: don't let work consume my life. That means balance the long hours better than I've been doing. So more running, more sleeping, more active social life and less 3 a.m. "oh no i forgot to do that for tomorrow!" mini heart attacks. What I'm really saying is, who's free to meet for a drink? Ultimately, my long term goal would be to incorporate something else into my life... maybe joining a soccer team, volunteering at an underprivileged elementary school or possibly studying for the GMAT. But first I need to handle what's already on my plate without going completely nuts (and without resorting to a 4 p.m. candy break to get my energy levels back up).

Time to start my new book - At Home by Bill Bryson. If I check in within the next 3 months, you'll know I'm getting better at work-life balance!

My global life.

It's been a while, but blogging is just not a priority these days. If I'm not at work, there is always something that I could (or should) be doing. As trivial as it sounds, my new goal is ... ready for it?... to finish a book. That's right. Any book. Just want to get to the end of it in a reasonable amount of time. I'm starting with East of Eden by Steinbeck. Then on to Book of Pi.

My global team of new analysts has been training in NY for the past two weeks - has been so great to meet everyone, many of whom I had worked with last summer. For some, it's the first time they've left their home countries. What an experience. Just popping over to NY from India or China for 2 weeks to meet their colleagues. It's amazing, though - we are all so different and from so many different backgrounds, but have had so much fun together. The team is from NY, London, Bangalore, Hong Kong and Singapore. Some are my age, some are years older, some have their master's degrees. But as we've been spending 8 hours a day together over the past two weeks, I've been struck by how similar we are. We have fun together out, help each other in the office and just have a great time, despite huge cultural differences. Most left to head back home today (sigh) but I do plan to meet up with everyone if I get the chance to pop over to their parts of the world. I'm sure London will be first.

Speaking of London, I need to plan a vacation since I've completely dropped the ball my first year working. I've been full time for about 6 months now and have taken 1 official vacation day (was off for 2 more days but got a pass for working on weekends). SO I'm beginning to plan my next trip (whenever I can afford it). Any suggestions are appreciated. I'm thinking I fly into London and hang for about 4 days. Then take a train to Glasgow (5 hours). From there I can take a 2 hour ferry to Belfast (northern Ireland) and can even take a ferry or train home to London (5 hours) to fly out. Thoughts?

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.

Week one of adult life...done!

Week 1 of work was a success. Though, to be fair, I did have an easier transition than may be expected... it was only a four day week and the head of my team was on vacation, so I was able to transition smoothly into the job. Things will definitely be picking up this week, but I'm looking forward to jumping right in. As long as I have time to head to the gym a few days a week, I'm happy.

I don't have much exciting news to post. Have been catching up with a few friends, meeting some friends for drinks, and grabbing coffee at work with colleagues I've missed. I think one of my favorite things to do is catch up with someone I haven't seen in a while. There's always that underlying vibe that the person you're talking to is just great... like, you wouldn't have bothered reconnecting with them unless they were really worth your time, and everything coming out of his/her mouth is confirmation of their impressiveness. I just love that. And it happens all the time at work.

This weekend has been super low key... just the way I like it. Met up with a few friends for a few drinks, went on 2 long runs since the weather was finally beautiful and warm, did some shopping, and that's about it. Tonight is Brothers and Sisters and frozen yogurt. Then back to the grind tomorrow. Yay!

There's poetry in a pint of Guiness.

... so says one of the walls at the Guiness Storehouse. And although swallowing even one swig of a Guiness is still painful for me, I agree with the notion. Kaila and I spent a long-awaited weekend in Dublin and loved every magical minute of it. Coincidentally, we arrived at the start of Dublin's Traditional Music Festival and had the chance to listen to dozens of well known traditional Irish musicians (and even befriended a few ourselves!)

Though the lifestyle of Dublin was what I expected - pubs, live music, lots of beer, un-noteworthy food - the warmth and quality of the culture exceeded my expectations. Not only were the (many) people we met very friendly and happy to give us advice and directions, but everyone was happy to stay and chat with us and most people were genuine and have led really interesting lives. Just the kind of people to philosophize with over a few beers. And hopefully I made a few friends along the way.

I enjoyed the Guiness Storehouse (minus the Guiness), the Dublin Castle, and the James Joyce Monuments, but the most memorable moments of the trip for me were at the pubs (not because of the beer). It's impossible not to get the sense that you're experiencing what life is really about when you're singing along with 300 people to Lynard Skynard, David Gray, and U2 acoustic covers. It evokes that "this is what it's all about" feeling that I'll never forget.

Overall, my "hiatus from life," as I've dubbed it, was, of course, a positive one. Three weeks in London plus 5 days in Dublin makes for a relaxing, rich, cultural vacation... but most importantly, just a vacation. I've got about a week before I begin my real life, so I'm soaking up the laziness for as long as I can. Then it's back to the grind. Or rather, beginning a whole new grind. I'm excited about it, but also nervous about the demands. It won't be just a change for me. I will really need to step up my game, and I don't mean just at work. This whole working thing really changes a lot. Like, paying bills and loans, finding my own dentist, paying for a gym membership, etc. Who knew being an adult entailed so much responsibility?

Anyway, onto other matters. Had a fabulous time exploring St. Francis college yesterday with Jen. Not only do I think it is a perfect fit for Jen, but I'm so relieved/excited that the school is so safe, beautiful, and really fosters a sense of community and progress. As Aunt Joan (constantly) reminded us, St. Francis is "a small school with big dreams." And it couldn't be more true! Brooklyn Heights is absolutely gorgeous (way too rich for my blood) and it seems like there is tons of culture (and bars!). But the big city feel is balanced by the college, which is 8 floors in 1 building with lots of lounges and eateries to hang out and meet people. Seems like the perfect combination! I'm so happy that Jennifer really felt a connection to the school... I think the most important thing when selecting a college is really feeling comfortable on the campus so you have something to look forward to before shipping off. I did not feel nearly as strongly as Jen when I decided to attend NYU and it definitely hindered my pre-college months. And the BEST part is it's only a few subway stops from me! Now I have an excuse to get lunch/coffee in one of the most beautiful parts of the city.

This post is getting too long, so I'll just mention quickly... super excited for Grandpa's birthday lunch at Johnny McGorey's. And for Hoboken tonight with some friends! And obviously, superbowl tomorrow. I wonder who's playing?

The End of the End

Two posts in one day? It must be finals (procrastination) time. Two final exams until I am officially done with school... forever. Well, for a few years. I'll be a real person in the real world now.

Big news: just bought a new MacBook Pro and the new Office 2008 for Mac. Super excited.

I'm watching "It's a Wonderful Life." What could be better?! Jimmy Stuart, chocolate chip cookies and red wine.

I can't wait to head home for Christmas... every time I pass the trees being sold on the street (or a drunken Santa wandering around) I can't wait to spend time with the family and catch up with friends at home. We're starting a new tradition this year... Christmas in Manhattan. How modern. As long as there's ham and the smell of pine trees, I'm all set.

Can't wait for my long-awaited trip to London. Catching up with friends, eating meat pies, and meeting friendly and interesting people as is always the case at the pub. And I am infinitely excited to bum around Dublin with Kay. A city with old-world charm, a beautiful, natural landscape, AND casual, flannel-shirt appropriate social scene? Yes, please.

But more than anything I'm looking forward to a new chapter in my life. Beginning in February, I'll be working full time, which is more than just having a more regular daily schedule. No more breaks from normal life without having to take vacation time. No more Wednesday afternoons off to hit the gym. And no more casual attire.

But, more importantly, I think I'll have more control over the direction my life takes. I'm not progressing toward one goal (getting a degree) with thousands of other people all heading toward the same thing. It's up to me now to carve out my future. To take on particular projects, to enter a new social circle, to recognize the impact that small decisions along the way will have on where my life goes. It's exciting. Scary, too, but more exciting.

On that note, time to get dressed and head to the bar. Professor Tom's tonight.

I would be such a good housewife.

Not really.. I don't cook. BUT, I do have a new addiction to the Container Store. It is SO awesome!

So here's my shopping list for my new full-time employment life.

Compartmentalized lunch boxes (for my sandwiches, almonds, grapes at work)

Shoe rack for my closet (so I'll be able to see the floor again)

on-the-go soup containers (for my New England clam chowder)

twist assist jar opener (for those pesky applesauce jars)

dripless wine pourer and stopper

Keyboard vacuum

and also, one of those space saver food vacuum things. Not from container store, but still awesome.

Stop laughing.

No, really. Stop.

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).