cool things I’ve been doing

Since I did some New York-hating in that last post, here’s a catch-up of awesome things I’ve been able to do in this crazy, wonderful city in the past few months:

• Aziz Ansari tweeted about the premiere of his new comedy special, so I tweeted back at him and got invited. We met Donna Meagle of Parks and Rec and Questlove. It was magical.

• Went to a club until 2 a.m. where Leonardo DiCaprio was supposed to show up for his birthday bar crawl. We were “strategically positioned”on the booth by the promoter. Leo chose the club where Rhianna was over ours. Rude.

• Lots of visitors! Chelsea visited in November. We watched a Timeflies and Sammy Adams concert at Madison Square Garden, which was amazing despite the fact that we were two of four people over the age of 17. The next night was my first encounter with the Bay Side Tigers, my now favorite cover band in the city, that play 90’s music every Friday night. We also went on Scott’s Pizza Tours, a famous pizza tour that takes you on a school bus through the boroughs visiting and comparing the most famous NY pizza joints.

• My sister Madeline visited in December. We did lots of Christmas-y things, like Rockefeller Center and Central Park in the snow. This was also during the time of SantaCon, when thousands of drunk people take over the city and make their own bar crawl, all while dressed like Santa. We saw Chicago on Broadway, which was great, and I loved getting to show her some of my favorite places in the city.

• My best friend from high school, Sara, also visited me! We went on a food tour of the West Village that included a rice ball, which I cannot believe I went 23 years of my life without trying. Went clubbing at the Gansvoort on Park Avenue and watched the Empire State Building light up from the rooftop.

• I experienced my first work Christmas party, which was simultaneously really really weird and really really fun.

• Celebrated New Year’s Eve at a Japanese BBQ place and an old-time country bar called Doc Holliday’s.

• Took a weekend trip to Philly with Kevin- my Christmas present to him- which is a 2-hour train ride from the city. We were able to see and do some great stuff, including the Love statue, Rocky steps at the art museum, South Street, lots and lots of cheesesteaks, and befriending Eagles fans in a tiny bar in Rittenhouse Square during the playoffs. Also, a place called Federal Donuts that serves a brunch of fried chicken and donuts. Yes please.

• Took a day trip to Hoboken and found out why they call it Broboken. Marveled at how clean and quiet it was, and the beautiful view of the city.

• Found Belgian waffles in East Village.

• Went to my first-ever professional basketball game. Cassidy and I saw the Knicks play at Madison Square Garden from box seats thanks to her roommate, who is one of their dancers.

• Watched a fantastic drag show in Brooklyn. Hate to say it, but they were definitely more impressive than the ladies of SoCo in Columbia, Missouri.

yes I realize it’s not summer and I’m not in brooklyn but I’m too lazy to start another blog, and other thoughts.

I’m going to “go there” and be a cliche white girl living in New York City for a second. Humor me while I talk about an episode of Girls.

Since I’m too broke to afford a TV, much less Time Warner Cable and much much less HBO, I watched Sunday night’s episode online this morning. As my roommate Elyse pointed out, “Wow. That one hit way too close to home.”

For those not familiar, one of the main characters, Hannah, has to pass up an opportunity to have her book published because her now-deceased ex-publisher still owns the rights. She gets a job at GQ Magazine…but not even really GQ Magazine, actually their paid advertorial department for Neiman Marcus…working for “the man.” She makes it clear that she considers herself a “real” writer, and that this job is temporary to pay the bills. She says this while speaking to a group of her co-workers, accomplished writers who probably said the same thing when the started the job three or four years ago. They assure her that they still write on nights and weekends, but we all know that’s not true because they’re probably too busy living the sliver of a life that happens between work and sleep and drinking to dull the pain of kind of hating their jobs. Cue quarter-life crisis for Hannah and the sudden, painful realization that a good percentage of people don’t ever achieve their dreams, and that she may become one of these people.

Meanwhile, her friends are in their own various stages of life ruin, working at boutiques and getting boyfriends just because they feel like they need to and they’re lonely, and being naked a lot.

Welcome to many young, 20-something professional New Yorker’s lives. It’s ironic that many move here to chase our dreams, the one place where it may be the most difficult to achieve them.

All points aside about the astronomical rent prices (you don’t want to know what I pay to sleep on a twin IKEA bed next to our sink) and the insane prices of food (similarly, not going to divulge how much I paid for a jar of peanut butter yesterday), this city is hard. I’ve had this conversation with every one of my friends here.

Most people come out of college with a truckload of friends, a family bursting with pride, and some idea of what they’re going to do next. It’s a good feeling. Everyone’s supporting you, and they write cards to tell you so, and sometimes these cards even come with presents or cash!

When you move to New York from Missouri, guess what you leave behind? Those friends and family – your entire support system – and that wave of pride and accomplishment that you rode in on, dropping you on an overgrown sidewalk in Greenpoint,Brooklyn. Then there is the competition, the isolation, the apartment hunt, the transit system, the  massive amount of growing up that has to take place in a short amount of time, and yes, of course, the money.

Being the friend who moved to New York City is fun for a while, but then you’re staying in because you’re saving for a flight and going out costs so much damn money, and you see a picture on Instagram of ten of your best friends at your favorite bar in your college town and you feel sad.

However, I think many things apply to fresh-out-0f-college post-grads across the board, no matter where they’re living and what they’re doing. If you were a big deal in your student organization, or a lot of people knew you on campus, or you were only friends with the cOoLeSt FrAt GuYzZ, that doesn’t really translate. Similarly, if you couldn’t wait for the real world, an endless stream of happy hours  and client lunches and using your wealth of learning from college and myriad of talents to be promoted within three months of your start date, you were probably disappointed.

Wouldn’t it be so great if we still got the satisfaction of getting A’s when we worked hard and did well? Or even skimmed the text and half-assed the studying and still did well?

Most of my friends didn’t picture being at the point in their lives where they are now. I know I had this idea of graduating from college, then five or ten years down the road being this super-successful woman with an amazing career, on her way to building a family and writing a book in all her spare time. The entry-level years of my career path were kind of a hazy fog of “I”ll figure it out eventually.”

You know what? That’s okay, though. I think the theme of my 22nd year of life was “I’ll figure it out eventually.” When I first moved to New York, Elyse and I constantly recited the mantra of “Whatever, we’ll make it work.”

We will, and we have.

In Its Place

I’ve changed my commute every day this week because if I do anything for more than three months I start to get bored.

December 9, which marked 90 days at my first full time job, came and went. I still feel like I know nothing, but when I look back to my first day, I know I’ve learned more than I realize. That’s how I’m supposed to feel, I think. I’m 23.

Sleeping on a twin bed is the norm and not the anomaly anymore, and being in the middle of everything has started to lose its luster. But my three-inch mattress is growing a dent around where my body lays every night, so at least it’s getting comfortable with me, even though I’m not comfortable with it.

Everything is starting to have a place. Coffee on top of the rubbermaid drawers, crock pot on the counter, goat cheese in the fridge door, mismatched socks… everywhere.

I’m still having experiences, doing things, creating new memories, but they feel different. They have a different flavor, and I think it’s because the new things don’t feel as new anymore. When I get off a train, I trust my instincts to tell me which way is uptown, instead of turning in small bewildered circles like a trapped bird. I know where the good coffee is. I don’t worry about what someone’s going to think if I’m sitting in a window reading a book by myself.

I’m not a New Yorker, and I don’t think I ever will be, but I do walk fast, wear black, and know where to stand on the subway platform to achieve optimal placement next to the doors.

9 Pieces Of Advice For Freshmen From A Girl Who Wishes She Was Still A Freshman

The first picture I took in college: the Tiger Walk on the Quad. I knew no one. I was completely alone. Pretty sure I went back to my dorm room after this and cried. 4 years later, I walked back through the columns in the Senior Sendoff with 30 of my best friends. College is magical.

On the day my youngest sibling moves into his new dorm: a list of 9 pieces of advice I have for everyone starting college.

1. Be the person you want to be. It sounds simple, but it’s incredibly powerful to be at a point in your life where you can determine who you are for the next four years, and beyond. College presents this opportunity, so seize it.

2. Learn the art of balance- between your friends and your girlfriend; your need for sleep and your need for a social life; your homework and your part-time job. Time management is a skill that is far more valued in the “real world” than anything you’ll learn in the classroom.

3. Find out what you’re passionate about, and own it. For me, I was passionate about hanging out in frat house basements and drinking punch out of trash cans. (Just kidding mom and future employers.) But honestly- if you know what you love going into college, great. Take classes about it, join a club about it, plaster your cinder block-cell dorm room with it, talk about it to everyone who will listen and you’ll find someone who’s just as passionate about it as you. And if you don’t know what it is, then try everything, and you’ll figure it out. (Hot tip: “you’ll figure it out” can apply to many aspects of your freshman year.)

4. Have school spirit. Stand in line for the t-shirt, go to football games, participate in traditions. Or at least stay long enough to get the free stuff and tweet a picture. You get out of your school what you put into it, so embrace it for what it is. Love it, and it will love you back.

5. Befriend people you never would have in high school. Give everyone a chance, because…why not? My best friends in college were weirdos, but guess what, I’m weird, and they brought out the best parts of me. Those are the kinds of people you should surround yourself with. They’ll make you better, and make your college experience better.

6. Don’t be stupid. Remember that one bad decision can affect you for the rest of your life. You got into college, so you have a brain- don’t go to the $10 bottomless wine mixer the night before your bio final. Don’t vandalize the school statue as a pledge class bonding event during Rush Week. Do NOT drink and drive, under any circumstances, ever. This is the most freedom you’ve ever had before. Treasure it as a precious gift that can be taken away from you very, very easily.

7. Lead. You don’t have to start your own organization or be president of your Student Board. But with whatever you choose, take the initiative and step up as a leader at least once. You’ll thank yourself later.

8. Have fun. Make every minute count. There is such a thing as studying too hard. Know when it’s time to put down your highlighter and get fro-yo instead. Learn what class you can skip to stand in line for $10 tickets to the Imagine Dragons show and still get an A. When there’s a free craft studio day on campus, make a freaking craft. You should work hard, but guess what… you have the rest of your life to work hard, too.

9. Keep it all in perspective. If your college experience is anything like mine, it’s going to be rocky at times. But trust me when I say those valley times will be counteracted with the highest of mountains. You can go from feeling like the lowest of the low to invincible in the time it takes to say “3 am Taco Bell.” It’s just one class. It’s just one girl. It’s just one night. It may seem like the end of the world, but it isn’t. As a post-graduate, I can safely say that everyone who’s not in college wishes they were you right now.

Love every second, make the most of every opportunity. Be who you are. And don’t be stupid.

And PS. I am insanely jealous of you.

Today. Thoughts On My First Day of Unemployment.

Today, I am unemployed.

Today, I wait to hear if the fellowship where I reported every morning for the last 10 weeks, iced coffee in hand and hope in my heart, wants me to stay on full-time.

Today, I wandered around New York with fresh eyes.

Today, I came to the realization that I could live here for two more weeks or two more years, depending on one single choice.

Today marks the day I will be homeless in less than a week.

Today, I laid on a bench in Williamsburg, talked to my mom on the phone, and contemplated my life.

Today, I really missed my friends.

Today, I learned my sink was broken when I turned it on and a spray of water hit me in the face/the opposite wall.

Today, I applied for jobs on LinkedIn at a desktop computer in the New York City public library and tourists took pictures of me on their iPads.

Today, I wished I could be back at home, helping my brother pack for his first day of college.

Today, I ate potatoes and Sun Chips for dinner.

Today could have been just any other Monday, at my comfortable full-time job, surrounded my friends, had I chosen a different path.

Today I know I am stronger.

Today I know I am blessed.

And today, I am happy to be here.

Things That Have Happened To Me

This is a perfect moment to update everyone on the glamorous party that is my life in New York, considering it’s the Home Run Derby and we only get 8 channels, and half of them are in Spanish and none of them are sports. The one we’re currently watching, while lounging in our couch bed that has never been a couch, is turned to the Bachelorette. I can’t watch a full minute without cringing, so I’ll take this opportunity to update you on what has happened in my life this past month or so.

– Survived several apartment meltdowns. Mold growing in the corners. Pouring detergent on said mold. The dehumidifier creating a lake across the floor. Having to unclog burned bowtie pasta out of our sink with my bare hands. The shower turning into a bath every time we run it. Every day is an…adventure. Ah, it’s a great day to live in Greenpoint.

– Became a thrift clothing connoisseur. Did I buy a pair of green chevron granny shorts in Williamsburg this weekend? Maybe.

– Watched the World Hot Dog eating contest at Coney Island. Ate a real Nathan’s Famous Hotdog. Basked in the glory of being in the midst of the cheeseburger, hot dog, and pepperoni roll-eating champions of the world. Got burnt to a crisp.

– Had my wallet stolen. Broke my life into shambles. Put it back together again. Mostly.

– Found out my MacBook committed suicide two days after my wallet was stolen.

– Met a lot of interesting, creative and intelligent people, and given out my snapchat name to pretty much all of them.

– Got lost in the throws of Corona, Queens. Had to utilize my long-lost Spanish skills to get un-lost.

– Spoke to Matt Lauer and made my cameo on the Today Show behind his left shoulder for approximately 2 minutes- Holding a poster shaped like a slurpee and wearing a powder blue tux t-shirt.

– Did a lot of touristy things and stood in a lot of long lines in the middle of an NYC-style heat wave. I have to admit…the Empire State Building at dusk is worth it.

– Took a bikram yoga class, fainted 10 minutes into it, threw up, then got fro-yo.

– Ate things. Tater tots at a wine bar, watermelon in Central Park, half off sushi, chocolate covered potato chips, Milk Bar shakes at Shmorgasburg, more Nutella than is healthy for any sane person. But it’s okay, because I walk 72 miles a day.

– Had a quarter-life crisis about having no passions and no skills over cheap wine on a porch on the Upper East Side.

– Saw a rat miss running over my foot in the subway by NO MORE THAN AN INCH.

– Became the star of my company kickball league, and by star, I mean I wasn’t picked last, and by not picked last, I mean that they were forced to make me play. I redeemed myself in the post-game flip cup championship.

– Got caught in the shuttle bus doors on my commute.

– Watched fireworks on the Fourth of July from an East Village rooftop.

– Wanted a dog every day of my life.

– Quoted Girls way too much.

– Asked everyone I met how much they pay in rent.

– Hated New York.

– Loved New York.

– Tried to figure out my life, failed, ordered Seamless instead.

Center of the Universe

*** NOTE: This was supposed to be posted two weeks ago. I am the ultimate failure, I get it.*****

There’s a quote from Girls (yes I’m quoting Girls- this isn’t my first time and it wont’ be my last) that says something about how this city just keeps trying to push us out, but we just keep trying to last and loving it anyways. I can definitely see why this is true on all accounts.

People ask me if I know if I want to stay here yet, and I have a few answers for that. 1- I don’t even know if I will be able to stay here yet. 2- I’ve been here two weeks, and that is a miniscule amount of time to decide something like that, and ….

3- I’m not sure. There are so many things that are so different about this city, and hard, and inconvenient, and uncomfortable. A man cracked out on cocaine falls into your lap on the subway. You pay $19 for a mediocre sandwich. It takes 3 different subway transfers to just get to Central Park from Greenpoint. There is nowhere to buy nail polish remover in the entire vicinity of my neighborhood.

But this city has a way of getting under your skin and inflating you from the inside. I turned to Anjelica today and said, “Do you realize that we’re living at the center of the universe? Everything is happening right now. Everything is changing around us.” Maybe I’m dramatic, but a part of it is true. This city is hard, and it can be cruel, but it is contagious.

So to that point, this week has been busy, as most of our weeks will be, as I’m finding out. I’ll start from the most recent.

Today was pretty uneventful. We woke up and went to brunch around 11 at Greenpoint Heights, the bar and restaurant right across from our apartment and our self-established “local bar.” We’ve had a drink there before, but hadn’t tried the food- and it was absolutely delicious. I had the “BLEAT”- bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado and egg- and we sat at the most adorable porch in the back. I have a huge affinity for outdoor seating, good coffee, and mismatched thrift-store tableware, and G-point Heights has it all.

We made our first Trader Joes excursion today, then hopped back on the G to go meet Julia in Central Park. 4 trains later (it usually takes us 3, but we got on an express D instead of a local C- I’m not going to bother trying to explain) and walked around, then grabbed some Pinkberry froyo and headed back home. One good laundromat excursion later, I’m tucked into bed and ready to start the week!

Yesterday began with an hour wait at the Court Square station for Cassidy to get off of her babysitting trial run in Tribeca, but progressively got better after that. We met Julia and Arielle, then headed to an ADPi Alumni barbecue on the Upper East Side. Good food, fun people, a great space, and there were TWO DOGS present. Naturally, I was in heaven.

We kept the party going at a beer garden on the river in the Financial District called the Beekman Beach Club, which felt similar to a frat party with more expensive beer and a WAY better view (and possibly creepier guys.) We finished off with dinner at a grill nearby, and had all intentions of going out after- but the 8 hours of straight drinking, plus the fact that Cassidy and I would have to make the long journey back to Brooklyn to change before heading out, made bed sound much more appealing.

To continue the lame trend, Cassidy and I spent Friday night walking to the Brooklyn Taco Bell (yes that exists) to get Baja Blasts and then a bag of salt and vinegar chips. To be fair, we both had about 3 hours of sleep the night before- Cassidy because she attempted to go the Maroon 5 Today Show concert at 5 in the morning, and me because I sleep on the pullout couch in our living room so was essentially part of the party when Cassidy and Sean started pregaming at 3 am. Still, we made up for it by a pretty eventful week before.

Thursday night can be classified as one of the weirdest experiences I’ve ever had. Can’t say I’d want to do it again, but glad we did it. Our great host at our apartment gave us two tickets to a show at the Warsaw- a really famous venue in Greenpoint- for a show featuring The Swans and Chelsea Wolfe.

When I say that Cassidy and I were the only ones wearing color, I am not exaggerating. I have never seen more black, more combat boots, or more piercings. We stayed for three beers’ worth of music and grabbed a cab back. In typical Missouri fashion, we struck up a friendly conversation with our cab driver, who was surprised that we weren’t Polish (because we lived in Greenpoint) and taught us some Polish words.

Happy Week of Happy Hours

Has it only been a week and a half since I came here? When I look back, my first day at Ketchum seems like ages ago. I’m basically a pro at the office now- I only get off the elevator on the wrong floor about every other day.

I’m excited to say I met my first real deadlines on client work, and that I submitted my first billable report this week! Keeping track of what I’m doing every 15 minutes has definitely been a new experience, but something I’m getting used to. I’m working on two different corporate accounts, plus the Issues and Crisis team- which means that I work on a lot of different clients who may have “issues” or “crises” at any given time. All my co-workers are great, and have gone out of their way to make sure I feel welcome and integrated as part of the team.

After working all day I’ve been going to bed at around 11 every night, which as most of you know, hardly ever happens for me. As exhausted as I am, I’ve been able to squeeze in a little time for a few happy hours after work- one with the Fellows at Tequilaville on Thursday and one at Johnny Utah’s on Friday. (If anyone was wondering who was wolfing down free appetizers of cheese fries and sliders in the middle of the bar while all the other sophisticated patrons looked on horrified, it was us.

Wednesday after work, Julia, Cassidy and I met up at Bryant Park to watch an interview with Hoda and Laura Weinberger, the author of The Devil Wears Prada. It was really interesting to hear the behind-the-scenes from an author, aka my dream job- plus, I was totally star struck by Hoda.

Friday brought a few other highlights of my work week. I was able to go to lunch with my supervisor, another coworker and a Wall Street Journal reporter to discuss media and get some tips on pitching. It was an informative and delicious meeting! 

Speaking of delicious, a Ketchum NY tradition that I have to say I enjoy is the weekly drink cart- a cart of beer and mixed drinks pushed around the office every Friday afternoon. My turn to push the cart is the last week in July, and I’m definitely pumped.

Allison was visiting from St. Louis this weekend, so we got a little bit of sight seeing in after apple frittatas at Le Barricou in Williamsburg.

After a pit stop in Times Square, we trekked over 3 miles to Chinatown and Little Italy. The walk was kind of a struggle, but we got to see some cool parts of the city I hadn’t seen before, like the NYU dorms and Nolita. Then Anjelica, Cassidy and I got back on the train to Brooklyn to go to Smorgasburg, a food flea market that is quite possibly the best thing I’ve ever been to. We did a little bit of thrift store shopping, popping tags, the usual, before heading back to Greenpoint to get ready for the night (and buying a box of Sangria Franzia, of course).

 

Ice cream sandwiches at Smorgasburg.

Last night was probably one of the best nights I’ve had out in a while, and definitely the best one I’ve had here. We started off at the Blue and Gold and drank a few $3 cans of PBR (classic). Then we headed to Bedlam, the club opened by Anderson Cooper’s boyfriend in Alphabet City, to dance the night away. Plus, we got free drink tickets from the doorman, a friend of a friend- scoreeee.

Today has been a day of errands, baking, and some reading in the park. Oh, and coming to the discovery that there are officially no grocery stores around us where you can get anything frozen. Looks like we’ll be either eating a lot of organic greens or making a lot of subway trips to Target. A beautiful way to spend a beautiful Saturday! 

McGolrick Park- a few blocks away from my apartment.

I’m looking forward to a busy week next week- my first Ketchum Kickball game on Monday, a Mets-Cardinals game, the Museum Mile Festival, and the Swans concert. I’ll update when I can!

Working Girl

What a long, but rewarding, two first days at Ketchum! Who knew you could cram so much info into two days of orientation- and that I could be so exhausted from sitting in a conference room?

The last two days have been a blur, in the same way as basically the last week has. The 12 of us Fellows, plus 5 Ketchum interns, have been going through training on the different departments and the ins and outs of the company. There are 16 women and one man- pretty typical for the PR industry. It’s led to several joking questions about if they even allow guys to apply.

So far I’ve only gone the wrong way on the train to and from work once, which I count as a  win. Plus, two of my favorite places are within steps of my beautiful building: Starbucks, an old favorite I visited this morning with my manager, and Chop’t!– a new favorite where the Fellows ate today. It definitely won’t be my last time.

1285 Avenue of the Americas- my place of work for the next 9 weeks!

To celebrate our first day, Cassidy, Anjelica, Sean and I went to Grimaldi’s, a famous pizza place under the Brooklyn bridge. The pizza was great, the free wine we got from our waiter who was in love with Anjelica was fabulous, but the views of the Brooklyn Bridge after we ate were breathtaking.

Whirlwind

Here it is, already the night before I start my Fellowship, and I still haven’t posted. 

It’s really not all my fault. To say the last few days have been crazy is an understatement. Exploding carry-on bags, abandoned streets, and homelessness have all been part of our first days in the Big Apple…. but I can already tell that I will, and do, love it here.

The night before leaving, I was basically a wreck. I re-packed 3 times and still couldn’t fit everything I wanted in my bags- and if you ask my parents, they will still say that my bedroom at home looks like I didn’t bring anything. I have way too many clothes.

After a 5 am wake up call, Kevin, Mom, Dad and I were on our way to the airport. The flight went well, and I’m pretty sure my heart skipped a beat when I got my first glimpse at the city from the air. 

Another first followed soon after that- seeing our apartment for the first time! We took a cab from LaGuardia to our apartment in Greenpoint. Our baggage pickup and ride there took way less time than we expected, so we had to wait on our front stoop for Kristin (name changed-the woman we are renting from) and her daughter to meet us. We definitely got a few strange looks while chilling with three massive suitcases on a Brooklyn sidewalk on a 95 degree day.

We got a quick glance at our apartment,  promptly fell in love with it, then it was off to Julia’s! We bought our 30-day unlimited subway passes, and it only took us 7 tries to figure out how to use them.. yesssssss.

Our first day of sightseeing was great, and Julia was an awesome tour guide. We grabbed coffee from an Upper East Side shop near Madison Ave, and walked around Central Park for a while.

Around 7, we met up with some of Julia’s friends for dinner at a beautiful restaurant on the Hudson called Pier I Cafe. Cassidy and I passed on the $35 Sangria and decided on Blue Moons and splitting a yummy veggie burger and fries.

View from Pier I

Sightseeing in Greenwich after a snack of falafel at Taim. This is the apartment where Sex and the City was filmed.

A friend’s sister was graciously allowing us to crash on her couch in Crown Heights that night, so after a quick shower we headed there. She and her boyfriend turned out to be so sweet, and we had a few drinks with them before going to meet another friend from home who was interning in the city, Sean.

Suffice it to say that the night did not turn out how we’d expected it. We met Sean and his friend at a bar in Fort Greene, the Brooklyn Tavern. This part was great, but it took a turn for the worst when the guys convinced us to go with them to a dance club in Midtown called Pacha. 

They definitely underestimated the subway ride and didn’t realize how far we were from Manhattan (hint: far.) We ended up arriving around 1 am, and once we got a look at the clientele of Pacha, realized it wasn’t really our scene… and the $40 cover price definitely wasn’t in our budget. Cassidy and I got turned around, got lost on the subway, hailed a cab, and almost had to spend the night in a 24-hour diner until our hostess for the night saved the day again, letting the pitiful girls sitting on her front stoop nursing our sore feet in to sleep on her couch. She deserves the bottle of Riesling we bought her, and so much more. 

(Oh, also forgot to mention that Cassidy was wearing her high heels this night, at one point took them off and was walking barefoot through the station, then promptly put them back on after stepping on something questionable.)

It was around 9 am the next day when we woke up and realized that we hadn’t eaten anything in about 20 hours-struggle-so we grabbed some delicious smoothies and sandwiches at Purple Berry in Prospect Park. Then, we finally got to start moving into our apartment!

After a few trips to Target and Burlington the last two days, it’s really starting to hit me that this is where I’ll be staying for the summer- and actually, our apartment is starting to feel like ours. We’ve hit up a few local bars and made friends with girls who work in boutiques on our street. We even already know the best produce and delis in our neighborhood! Best of all, after our run in the dog park today, I’m working on getting my roommates to let me get a puppy. Stay tuned.

Brownstones in Greenpoint

Today was a Jewish holiday- there were streets shut down and parades all over the city.

Dylan’s Candy Bar!

A few apartment pics…

 

 

 

 

Changing room/makeup room