Whirlwind

As indicated in the title of this particular post, the past week has been just crazy! There has been so much going on that I can hardly keep track of what day it is.

On Friday, the day started off in an interesting manner. I made it to work, only to hear a symphony of sirens outside and soon followed by whispers around the office about a nearby shooting at the Empire State Building. Since we are just a few avenues down 34th St, the morning was a bit hectic and worrisome as details finally began to emerge about the incident.

I was joined in that night by my metals/jewelry buddy Sam as well as Peter and Patrick, my longtime besties. I'm sure Peter felt right at home with the morning's random outbreak of violence- it always seemed that he would visit me in Savannah after one of our charming little incidences of gang violence or who knows what. We spent Friday night out and about in East Village. It was a blast! The next morning we brunched before Peter and Patrick headed back to Boston for school. 

I spent Saturday catching up with girlfriends from SCAD. That night, we were joined by Hugo, my roommate Dan, and some of his friends from undergrad. Our group meandered down to Chinatown where we feasted on soup dumplings, lo mein, duck, broccoli, and my current addiction- bubble tea.

On Sunday, Sam and I met up with a fellow Metals/Jewelry alum, Olivia. We all brunch while discussing trying to make it in the big city as a designer. Its nice to sit and chat with people chasing similar dreams in this city. We spent the rest of the day strolling through soho. Then Sam and I met up with Hugo for a delicious Pizza at Nicoletta.

Sadly the fun ended a bit prematurely as I was suddenly overcome with sniffles and a sore throat. Monday morning, I had to wish my roommate Dan safe travels home and say farewell as he left the city to return to school in SC. I then went into work with two pharmacy bags full of cold medicine, tissues, and chicken noodle soup. The day was hectic and I finished all of my work by 4:00 so that I could head  home, chug some NyQuil and call it a day. I spent Tuesday in bed recovering. When I returned on Wednesday, I opened my email to find a rather saddening email from my boss/mentor stating that he was resigning on the spot. Its unfortunate for me- as he was a great teacher and I still feel I could learn so much from him. But I'll hang in and see what unfolds from these recent and unexpected turn of events. I guess life throws you curveballs every now and then.

Thursday was kind of a somber day at work. As I took over the projects from where my boss had left off. So this long weekend will be a much needed break for all of us from the stress at work. And hopefully when we come back Tuesday, we will be recharged and ready to tackle new projects as well as our new circumstances.

This weekend, my new roommate is moving in on Saturday. A bunch of us are getting together to watch the first FSU game of the season. (Because I just love football...) But it'll be fun (as long as there are snacks). Hahaha And on Monday, my mom and sister are coming to the city for a visit and I cannot wait!

Cheers to a much needed long weekend! Enjoy, everybody.

Ramen. Even the delivery food is delicious here.

My precious feline children.

My besties. And a very tasty beverage.

Me, Sam, and Pammie

My besties again.

A most delightful Caprese Benedict.

Carbonara Pizza

A crisp beautiful- almost Autumn-y morning.

Dine

"Dine, v: to eat a good dinner in good company, and eat it slow."

I had a magnificent weekend. It was simple, but it was wonderful. It was one of those rare times when you have not a care in the world and nothing matters other than what is happening as it is happening. Ah, what a feeling to exist in the now!

We met up with some people on Saturday afternoon and posted up at our favorite neighborhood bar/hangout. It's a bit like Cheers- where everybody knows your name. The bartender greets us by name and immediately starts to concoct our usual drink. We sat around visiting with friends, nibbling, and sipping away the afternoon. We sat perched on our stools for 3-4 hours. When we go to close, the bartender tells us $10 each.

We departed. Hugo and I headed out of Manhattan towards Queens where our feast awaited us. After several people had mentioned to us over the past few months that the "best greek restaurant" in all of NYC was in Astoria, we decided we would try it for ourselves. We cabbed it deep into Astoria until we reached Taverna Kyclades. The street was virtually deserted with the exception of the throng of people piled out the door and down the sidewalk in front of this particular Greek restaurant. It was apparent that nothing else on the street was drawing in any of the crowd. Every one had made the trek for one reason and that reason was good food. We waited for an hour an a half before being seated but could immediately tell that it was an hour and a half well spent. The food looked incredible. We started off with a carafe of red wine and a loaf of fresh baked bread sitting on a plate of herbs and olive oil. Next was our greek salad. It was the closest thing I have had to the greek salad that I ate in Santorini while overlooking the Mediterranean. No lettuce, no dressing. Just the ripest tomatos and mildest feta overtop a bed of cucumbers and onions with some seasoning. Next came the grilled octopus. I could have eaten three plates of it with no help from my dining companion. It was incredible. It lacked the semi-rubbery consistency that octopus often has. Instead is was the most tender and delectable meat I have ever tasted. It was absolutely phenomenal. And I would wait another hour and a half any day for another serving of this particular dish. At this point in the meal, we were already nearing a food coma. Then our entree arrived: A fillet of sole, lobster tail, sea scallops, crab stuffed  shrimp, and crab stuffed clams. Ohh- it was good. And we were so grateful that we had decided to split one. Somehow we were able to finish the meal feast. We were fortunate enough to snag a cab right in front of the restaurant- which is nothing short of a miracle considering how deep into Astoria we were. I woke up when the cab driver stopped back in East Village. We were both too stuffed to stay awake for the ride. When I woke up the next morning, I still had on my shoes and was clutching my purse- still in the exact same position I had sat down in upon my arrival back to the city.

I had nearly convinced myself that I wouldn't eat at all the next day after tossing and turning- completely wallowing in the food induced misery I had inflicted upon myself. But! we decided to go on yet another food adventure instead.

"I am not a glutton- I am an explorer of food". (My new excuse)

We decided to go sample a breakfast sandwich from Russ & Daughters- an iconic NYC spot that has been run by the same family for over 100 years. They specialize in smoked fish, caviar, and bagels. We had a lox bagel with one of their many varieties of smoked salmon. Fresh bagel, chive cream cheese, salmon, fresh tomatoes, onion, and capers. Oh! You have not experienced a breakfast bagel until you have had one here. It was delightfully delicious. We took our bagel and OJ to a nearby park and sat on a park bench to indulge in our morning treat while watching people walk their dogs, shoot some hoops, and slowly begin to start their Sunday mornings. It was so relaxing and such a perfect little meal.

The rest of the afternoon was spent planted on the sofa watching tv, napping,  and squeezing every last bit of laziness out of the weekend before Monday arrived.

What a great weekend it was.

 

8.16.12

“They say life's what happens when you're busy making other plans. But sometimes in New York, life is what happens when you're waiting for a table."        -Carrie Bradshaw: Sex and the CIty

Time passes so quickly here in NYC! Its hard to fathom that it was seven months ago that I pulled up to East Village in a stretch limo with two suitcases and a plan. While riding in front of the glistening Manhattan skyline in the limo (that was mistakenly sent to the Newark Airport for me), I probably did feel a little bit fabulous like Carrie Bradshaw. Life felt like the movies: There I was- the protagonist- alone in a city of strangers with nothing but a dream to pursue. It was magical. 

But then I realized: Life is not Sex and The City. I didn't have a walk in closet: I had a water pipe that conveniently could support some clothes hangers. I limped out of the E train in heels for weeks before I ran out of bandaids and patience for fabulosity. Carrie never mentioned that buying a pair of Manolo's (or an Alexis Bittar Ring in my case) would be a challenge when your paycheck goes mostly towards covering rent and your affinity for weekend brunch. Carrie also didn't prepare me for radiators breaking on 13 degree winter nights or waking up to rat poop on my pillow. (True story)

Let's face it: Life as a 20-something in NYC is a lot more like the HBO show, Girls.

Life in NYC can be so outrageously un-fabulous at times, but that's precisely what makes it so fabulously and quintessentially New York City. This morning, my train was delayed for 20 minutes. And as I stared at the rodent eating from a soggy bag of cheetos on the subway track, I finally decided to leave the platform to try to hail a cab. It took 30 minutes, 10 streets, and three avenues until I found a cab. And I thought, "God, it must be nice to live somewhere normal where you can walk 10 feet to your garage, climb in your air conditioned car, and drive yourself to work". But then we drove past the flat iron building. I tried to talk on my cell phone over the sound of blaring horns on the street and cawing seagulls on the Hudson. I waited in the line outside of the coffee shop, until I was greeted by name and with my usual latte by the barista. I put my coffee and breakfast down on my desk, only to be summoned to a meeting before I could take a bite. As I left the office, I saw an Orthodox Jew, a hipster covered in tattoos, and a man in drag holding the same pole on the subway car. When we arrived at the 8th Avenue stop, the herd of people all rushed off to transfer trains. We walked past the acapella group who always performs at the station around the time everyone gets off of work. Seldom does anyone stop. We all have our headphones in. But everyday, I pause my music so that I can hear the four men singing as I walk by. I get home, and have my dinner delivered to my house. I have approximately 600 different restaurants to chose from. I get a call to go to happy hour and get some wine. Its a weekday. But it doesn't matter: the city never sleeps. In the cab (which thankfully takes less than 30 minutes to find this time) I drive past some graffiti.

And this is when I remember: I'm glad I don't live somewhere normal, where I can walk 10 feet to my garage, hop in my air conditioned car, and drive to work. Sure, the city can be frustrating. Sometimes I miss seeing trees. But where else could I live and experience so much randomness, so much intensity, and so much diversity in one day? Every day is an adventure. Sometimes its a great adventure: like transporting an expensive parcel of diamonds across Manhattan, watching a stranger give up his seat on the train for  a woman and her child, spotting a celebrity, or unexpectedly bumping into an old friend in the middle of a crowded street. Sometimes the adventure isn't so great: like watching a bum pick lint out of his belly button on a crowded train, causing a fender bender while jaywalking across tenth avenue, or even waking up to rat poop on your pillow. But! Its an adventure nonetheless. A story to tell. 

And that is my rant of the day. Perhaps tomorrow, as I spill my coffee, miss my train, or have my umbrella blown inside out, I will smile at my frustration instead of having a fleeting (but overwhelming) desire to return to a place of normalcy where morning commutes aren't a mental and physical test of endurance.

Summer: A recap

Today, I am breaking my silence!

I've spent many nights trying to plan how to attack this particular blog entry and trying to determine how in the world I can possibly fit all of May, June, and July into anything smaller than a novel. 

I'll start with an abbreviated account:

Last month I celebrated my 6 month anniversary with the city I love. The past 6 months have been quite a ride. I've learned, grown, and discovered so much in only half a year. I moved here rather spontaneously without much more than two suitcases and a plan... landed an internship a few days after, met beautiful & inspiring new friends, stomped through the snow, signed a lease without the guarantee of a permanent position, landed the job, rediscovered myself, basked in the sweltering heat of summer, fell apart a little, but consequently saw great things fall together, visited home, and began a new chapter of life!

It has been such a journey- and certainly one that I'm glad I decided to make.

Alright now comes the long recap...

May:

- Saw the space shuttle fly over Manhattan.

-Enjoyed the day with my former teacher who chaperoned one of my first visits to NYC... 9 years ago (Yikes).

-Became single for the first time in nearly 3 years.

-Enjoyed some southern food at an annual NYC crawfish boil!
-Found someone I couldn't get enough of right under my nose.

June:

-Flew home to St. Teresa and Tally to celebrate my 22nd birthday and "graduation". Spent the weekend on the boat and with my family.

-Toured the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island with friends.

-Said farewell to my two favorite Australians.

-Went to see Anthony Bourdain give a lecture on my two favorite things: food and travel.

-Saw Foster the People in Central Park.
-My friend, Patrick, came to the city for a weekend. Between Book of Mormon, the Yankee's game, and two jam packed evenings out, we had a very successful reunion.

July:
-Watched the fireworks over the Hudson with a crew of Tallahassee people.
-Went to the Museum of Modern Art where I saw Monet, Picasso, Rothko, Newman, Warhol, and Pollock in person!
-Tried out the iconic Carnegie Deli and the mound of pastrami goodness that they serve.
-Returned to Florida to see my friend Sarah get married. I reunited with family and friends, teared up a little bit, and had a blast!

August (so far):
-Worked hard and ate well- and squeezing as much fun as possible out of the last month of my Summer.
-Enjoyed a visit from my family. Saw "A Bullet for Adolf" as well as Cirque du Soleil's "Zarkana". Both were excellent. Had a Chinatown adventure. Saw The Campaign...hilarious. And had great meals and fun times with my family.

Speaking of great meals: I think I will soon be starting a blog entirely dedicated to the things I eat! It seems to be one of my favorite activities and certainly one of the greatest advantages to living in NYC, so I think it deserves its own blog. So stay tuned for that.

Additionally, I vow to keep blah, blah, blogging on a much more regular basis! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Here's some snapshots of my Summer!