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.

Online shopping is my new favorite past time.

... which is why I'm sitting in a coffee shop (believe it or not, Kay and I have found a real WINNER in Massapequa: Massapequa Perk) browsing Bloomingdales.com to get some Christmas shopping done. We'll see if I actually like any of this stuff when I open the boxes. You're all getting this stuff as gifts either way, so be forewarned. Ugly, torn, smells like cats? Oh well. Go exchange it ;-)

I'm going to shamelessly steal from the blog of a friend who is infinitely more stylish than me, but here are my (her) three rules of shopping:

1. Can I think of three occasions when I will wear this?
2. Would I have bought this sale item at full price?
3. If something feels tight in the dressing room, it will feel tighter outside of the dressing room.

Also, when in doubt, buy shoes, but that one's obvious (speaking of shoes, just got some sweet Franco Sarto brown and green plaid oxfords). The only problem with rule #1 is I concoct fabulous and completely ridiculous occasions for me to wear my hot new item... "This would be perfect if I end up at a swanky club for an invite-only fashion week party if I meet someone who invites me while I'm hanging outside of Bryant park staring at celebs from 100 yards away. Okay, so that's 1. Let's think of 2 more..." Right. Keep dreaming.

Time to finish my overdue library book (one of them). Extremely excited for Harry Potter tonight... even if it is only the first half of the last book. I am fully prepared - over the past week I've watched the entire movie series (wonder why I'm so behind on my work?). I leave you with a photo of the handsomest couple at Aunt J's Thanksgiving shindig, a view from my desk at work at sunrise (because I'm usually there at sunrise), and a firefighter boat spotted whilst running on the west side highway.

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?

Only in New York

Finally blogging while watching the U.S. Ghana match and waiting for Ashley to get her lazy butt over here to my lounge!! Exciting already and it's only the second minute.

Only in New York do you hear opera music while slightly buzzed at a bar you stumbled upon in the West Village on Sunday night. So Kay and I are wandering around after hitting up a seafood bar (the mexican restaurant we were looking for was closed down) and finally decided to go into one of the only places in the area that looks lively after walking all the way up from tribeca. Suddenly, we're friends with the bartender / owner, and some girl's mother (who is throwing a going away party for her opera-singer daughter) is buying us sangria and introducing us to all of her friends. To top off this twister scenario, after the impromptu concert, we sat down for a drink with the CEO of an advertising agency to chat about kaila's brilliant advertising ideas.

I would write more, but have to start paying attention to the game!!!

Only in New York will you hear no apology when you're almost hit by a flying piece of raw fish as you walk down the sidewalk. So there I am, hoping to hit little Italy at some point on my walk downtown from Union Square. Instead, I'm stuck in China for too many blocks to count and avoiding the fish being thrown across the street from one nasty fish market to another.

More doing, less writing!

Sorry to all of my readers (all 2 of you). I promise to catch up soon!

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.