a year in review

Today is my one year anniversary of living in the Wonder City. I don't necessarily like the saying "Time flies when you're having fun" but I guess people say it for a reason - because it's sometimes true. When I think back about when things happened in my life or the last time I saw someone, I have a marker: before or after I moved to NYC. Unfortunately, most things have happened over a year ago - like the last time I saw a lot of my old friends. But I've experienced a lot of new things that I would have never gotten to experience in East TN. So far, I've been blessed beyond what I could have imagined. And I know this is where I'm supposed to be at this point in my life.

Here are a few highlights since my last post:

In November, my mom and her friend Tammy came to visit! It was absolutely wonderful to have them here and lots of fun was had by all. Dad was upset though because it was deemed a "girls' trip" and he was excluded from the festivities...better luck next time. I'm not used to so much activity/sightseeing/running around when I'm doing my day-to-day routine so I was absolutely exhausted by the time they left! My general routine consists of me waking up, working out, going to work, coming home, cooking dinner, watching a bit of TV, then going to bed. During their visit, this was not the case at all. I worked during the day while they ran around doing touristy things but I joined them in the evenings after work. We saw The Lion King on Broadway, which was a fantastic show. It was interesting to see how they converted an animated film with animals as the main characters into a live stage show with people as the characters. Other highlights included: seeing the New Year's Eve ball they drop in Times Square inside Macy's, eating world-famous Junior's cheesecake (it's famous for a reason), going to Brooklyn Tabernacle (their favorite part!), and Mom and Tammy looking like homeless people.

I went home for Thanksgiving for an entire week! I think it was the longest time I'd spent at home at one time since I moved to NYC. So I actually had the chance to fly home, settle in, and enjoy my visit before turning around and flying back to the city. We traveled to Nashville to visit with Sara and her in-laws on Friday and visited Opryland Hotel while we were there. And, of course, we had a huge Vermillion family dinner. It was delicious even though it wasn't on the real Thanksgiving Day.

At the beginning of December, I experienced the first snow of my first winter here. It's been cold...so cold. But, thanks to my puffy down coat, a few extra layers, and radiators that work almost TOO well, I've stayed pretty warm. Special shout-outs to my family and friends who have come to visit during these super cold winter months: Natalie, Zac, Dustin, Bernard, Sara, Simone, and multiple members of Samantha's family.

I was fortunate enough to go home for two weeks at Christmas (thanks to Euro giving us 8 days off work for the holidays!!). I enjoyed some relaxing time at home with the family and got to see some old friends as well. I went to Nashville for New Year's Eve to see my dear friend Hannah. We rang in the new year at P.F. Chang's (weird) and had a grand old time at a dueling piano bar in downtown Nashville. Before I headed back to NYC, my coworker/friend Tiffany came to TN because her dad randomly wanted to drive all the way down from Boston to have a mountain vacation. I met her in Gatlinburg for Calhoun's BBQ, ski lift ride to the top of the mountain, and general East TN fun. She bought two pairs of cowboy boots and wore them to work the first day back after the holidays. I don't think she's worn them since.

I tried to get away from the cold for a little while by taking a trip to Houston in January to see my dear friend Ashley. I took my bathing suit with me, just on principle. Unfortunately, they were painting the pool in Ashley and Ben's apartment complex so I didn't get to use it. The visit was slightly interrupted when Ashley was admitted to the hospital for a day or two (she's ok!) but I still had a delightful time riding bikes around Rice University's beautiful campus, eating outside in the sunshine at a sidewalk cafe, and not wearing a coat, scarf, and gloves at all times.

I had to eventually return to the snow and wind of the North. But it didn't stop me from from hanging out with new friends to celebrate birthdays and have special "outings" this winter.

So far it's been a fun time: lots of laughing, some crying, and in general, lots of new and exciting experiences. We'll see what happens next...

one fish, two fish..... red fish, blue fish

I have the privilege of seeing the Statue of Liberty every morning when I ride the subway to work. I don't know what it's like for many New Yorkers who had family that came to America through Ellis Island and feel a deep connection to what Lady Liberty represents - freedom, hope, a brighter future, the American Dream. But even though I'm usually listening to music or reading and, in general, shutting out the rest of the world, I typically stop for a moment to peer out the window as we cross the bridge, just to catch a momentary glimpse of this famous statue. I see her next to the skyline of one of the world's greatest cities every morning and evening but I don't think she ever loses her magic.


So, in the spirit of being American- I voted today!! It was one of the most rewarding and exciting things I've done since I've been here. I successfully registered to vote in the state of NY with only a couple of weeks to spare. So today I voted at P.S. 321 two blocks away from my apartment where they have the flea market every weekend (it's so versatile!). Samantha and I literally woke up at the crack of dawn and headed to the polls, hoping to beat the crowds. But, alas, there was already a line to the end of the street and down the block when we arrived at 6:02am. It actually didn't take as long as I expected and the end result was worth it of course. I haven't felt this American in a long time.

8 months

Lots of things have changed in the past 8 months I've lived here (has it been that long already?!) So here are some updates about a few areas of interest:
SUMMER
This summer was lots of fun, although I didn't get to spend much time just enjoying the city. I did, however, have the opportunity to do lots of traveling, mainly around the Northeast, which happens to be pretty spectacular during the summer. I kicked off the summer with a Memorial Day weekend trip to Ocean City, Maryland, and hitched a ride back with my roommate Samantha as she moved up to NYC from TN. I took a couple of trips to upstate NY to visit a friend in Syracuse. The 5-hour bus ride was a little excruciating but redeemed itself because of the breathtaking ride through the mountains. I wasn't used to seeing that much green (!) and it reminded me so much of home. I made a couple of trips home: one for Mom's 50th birthday bash in mid-June (Mom- you still look and act much younger than 50! love you!) and one for a family friend's wedding in mid-July. I celebrated July 4th in the Hamptons with my cousin Dee Dee, her kids, and some other friends. Unfortunately, the only fireworks I saw were the Macy's 4th of July fireworks on tv (which I could have easily seen in person had I been in the city!). Something a little out of the ordinary that I did was go to a convent in Scarsdale, NY, which is only about a 30-minute train ride north of NYC towards Albany. Samantha's great-aunt is a Sister of Charity there so we spent a lovely afternoon with her. I also took my first (and second!) trip to the Shake Shack here in the city. It was quite a momentous occasion because, after waiting an hour in line by myself on a random Saturday afternoon, I had the most amazing shake EVER (a Black & White shake, which is vanilla ice cream with hot fudge swirled in!). Do not miss this place when you come visit. The worst part of the summer was having my best friend Ashley move away to Houston. Fortunately, we were able to have a few afternoons in Central Park and general running around Manhattan before she left. I wrapped up the summer by spending Labor Day at home in TN with lots of friends and family.

HOME
About a month and a half ago, I moved to Brooklyn to a neighborhood called Park Slope. Don't get too worried.... Not all of Brooklyn is what you hear about or see in the movies. My neighborhood is safe and is mostly families; in fact, every other person is carrying a baby or pushing a stroller. I moved in with my roommate from TN, Samantha. We share a newly renovated 4 bed/2 bath apartment in a 4-story walk up building on an adorable tree-lined street with lots of other brownstones (which IS what you see in the movies). It's about one block from Prospect Park (the Brooklyn equivalent of Central Park) and an avenue away from lots of cute shops and restaurants. The first day I went to see the apartment, I spent the afternoon walking around the neighborhood and fell in love. It's so quiet and peaceful and a WORLD away from the hustle and bustle of the city. My room is nestled in the back of the apartment and I have my very own fire escape (safety first!). I'm enjoying having my own space, cooking my own dinners, and watching primetime tv with my roommate.

WORK
I'm still working at the same company and have a little over 7 months under my belt. I'm hoping to get promoted sometime in the near future, so let's keep our fingers crossed. It might not be a possibility at this point with the economy the way it is going though.For those of you in the healthcare field (or about to enter it!), here is something you might find interesting: my company's holding company, Havas, has just launched a new "agency" of sorts known as Havas Drive. This operation will bring pharmaceutical companies in closer contact with health care professionals through the use of licensed virtual communication tools, such as a 3-D Virtual Convention Booth and Virtual Hospital. I first heard about these new creative initiatives a few weeks ago at an agency meeting, so it's exciting to see them come to life. You can read more about Havas Drive here: http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/agency/e3idef185a6ef750b735ebfdaafa7dec55a

"EXTRACURRICULAR"
In my free time, I've started taking ballroom dance classes. It's something I've always wanted to do and is way better than watching tv. I took salsa classes last month and just started the tango this month. My roommate is taking classes with me too. I've also started attending Brooklyn Tabernacle church. You may have heard of the world-famous Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir or Pastor Jim Cymbala's books Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire and Fresh Faith. I am fortunate enough to hear beautiful music and unbelievably good preaching every time I go. It's been such a blessing to have a church like that just around the corner because, at times, it feels a little bit like I imagine heaven would feel. And, as a final note, I registered to vote here! Guess I'll be one little red fish swimming in the overwhelming sea of blue fish.

Please write, email, or call anytime. And let me know if you ever want to come visit! I'll be back in TN again for about a week at Thanksgiving and around 2 weeks for Christmas. Hope you are all well and that I will be blessed by your presence in the very near future.

xx