my blog has hit 20,000 views.
Looking/reading back, I loved the first full year of my blog; everything was so exciting to write about and new. I sounded more lively. Well, especially considering that i started this blog to document my move to new york.
I am now a settled 26 year old that just renewed my lease. A dramatic commitment to one city and more importantly, one home (baby steps, mom, baby steps). Although my surroundings wont be changing too drastically for now (or maybe?) there is something 'cooking' that may rekindle the adventurous writer within me soon..
for now...i leave you (or rather, myself) with my favorite lil sentences from blogs April 09'- June 09'. These three months that i spent moving/arriving/somewhat-living in a new city are amongst the best of my life and will always be looked back on with complete fondness...i hope i never outgrow this feeling..
I created a blog named prime23.blogspot.com and I didn't even begin to write in it until I turned 24?!
Step 3(a). If you go to Green Street and see people you know (it's inevitable), decide whether you will avoid them or say hi. ( or avoid them and then get caught and pretend like you just saw them
damn pigs. (or "swine flu spreading over new york and im still jobless")
Im an income development professional, dammit! I take from the rich, and I give to the sick, the poor, and the eldery. I dont take drink orders, I save lives! I've applied to JDRF, Habitat For Humanity, American Red Cross, United Way (the american cancer society arch nemesis but hey..i was running out of options), Muscular Dystrophy Association, and a few others. I guess it might look shady when I have a New York address already listed on my resume but my entire work experience until "present" has been in Miami. minor details..
And now for my next act... (my job as a magician aka income development officer)
Why free? Well, when you ask me what my budget is, the answer is essentially zero. Money spent on the event is money that is taken out of the fundraising income. Since the fundraising income is not hitting, nor exceeding, its goal, the money spent on the event must not exceed zero. You get the math? Good. This is when I have to think back to my days at Houdini Elementary and Copperfield College, when we would snap our fingers and magic would happen right before our eyes and girls would pop out of a coffin without a single scar.
Meet Lily Quinn (thoughts on my sister)
My mother, being thee most phenomenal person that she is, always comforted her and let her know that in the end, what goes around will always come around and that those that trim themselves to suit everyone will eventually whittle themselves away. The hardest year for Andi were her days at St. Thomas. Whats worse than robots? Cuban American Princess Robots. (I love all my CAPs out there, no hard feelings.)
Along with a buffet of bagels and cream cheese was a tiny lil bag that was a color all women around the world have endearingly come to call "Tiffany Blue". I was flabbergasted; bagels, okay yes I understand, that's a persons rite of passage, but a gift from Tiffany's?! That was way too much. Inside the tiny bag was an even tinier box with a silver chain and a butterfly pendant. Attached was a note that read, "We will miss you while you are spreading your wings in NYC, love- FL Dade". If I was a crier, that would have been the perfect moment.
Ashley and I started off like most best friendships start out; I hated her, made fun of her, traumatized her, and then a simple little radish brought us together. Why exactly did I hate her? Well, duh, Ashley was mean to my BFF Cyrina in 7th grade and once even told her,"GET OUT OF MY WAY, IM GONNA DO A CART WHEEL!!"- I mean, how rude is that?
The morning ended even better with a brunch at Smith & Wollensky followed by my favorite drive in Miami; top down, chrome's spinnin through the Grove, a treezy maze. After that, I went to church withKathia. I had promised her about 7 months ago that I would attend her church with her one time and of course, leave it up to me to go the day before I leave town. It was beautiful, exactly what I needed, I even did the whole "flip to a random page and the first thing you read is your destiny" game, and I flipped to Romans 8:31, "If God is with us, who can be against us?" Could I have asked for a better destiny? I think not.
After some dinner, gossip girl and wine, lindsey and I decided to baptise my NY residency with a trip to Butter. You know how I know I was meant to live here? I SAW BRENDA WALSH!! My first night in NY and I see my favorite TV character of all history? Am I in heaven? Other reasons I know I was meant to live here:
-the Costume Institute MET Gala took place last night, the exact day I arrived.
-the S&P 500 hit its highest point since Jan 8th
-I have an interview already set up for tommorow, 11am!
-the Costume Institute MET Gala took place last night, the exact day I arrived.
-the S&P 500 hit its highest point since Jan 8th
-I have an interview already set up for tommorow, 11am!
Shes always not only supported me and my dreams, but pushed me towards them and pushed me hard. I was shipped off to Italy alone when I was 18 and then she sent me again to Paris right after my college graduation. This all from a woman who has never been to Europe herself but has always wanted to. She could have been like some other parents and left me at home to take care of my sisters while she went to Europe but she didnt. She takes the clothes off her back, the food off her plate, and has given the world to me and my sisters. Her beliefs in me and what I am possible of accomplishing are what drive me and motivate me
I went to Sbarro in Times Square. I realized my New Yorker friends would probably never allow me to go there so I had to use the excuse of really loving the Sbarro pizza in Times Square to get me there. (my miami friends know me and my addiction to touristy things such as "Bayside" and "Coco Walk". In my next life, I will be a tour guide.)
There is something thrilling about being buried more than 50 feet underground in a tunnel inside a fast moving train with complete random strangers who are basically sitting on top of you. I love to observe the different characters and wonder where they are going and where they are from. I think at any given moment I am smothered with people representing over 25 different countries. I like to observe their mannerisms and behaviors and laugh at how no one ever wants to sit directly next to each other unless they absolutely have to. People will literally sit with one full chair between them but you bet than when its 5pm they would rather sit on your lap than have to stand. Its so great. I just sit and stare at them while they sit and stare at a book or just close their eyes. I'm sure ill get over my fascination sometime soon and just drift off into space but at the moment I am way too intrigued by these mystical strangers who frequent the 7 train.
My Name is Nicole and I am an addict. (thoughts on hair dye)
Of course, once you put me in the cape and sit me on the seat, my mind starts racing and thinking back to old facebook pictures of all my different hair colors. She verifies that we are only doing a touch up when I use my famous " no wait! how about..." line and then she joins me in the journey through past profile pics. We decide its summer, Im in a new city, I already landed a job, so why not go blonder? And there we go..on came the bleach and out went my inhibitions. I felt the life rush into me, I was instantly more fun or shall I say 'funner' since I am in fact a blond again. (if you dont get that joke, step away from this blog)
Until I die -- Im reading, writing, learning, loving, laughing, crying, pandering, eating, conquering, falling, working, sneezing, giggling, whispering, driving,lolly gagging, partying, wondering, playing, dreaming, feeling, blogging....
Top 7 things I wanted to do in New York and have already done.
( Some more shallow than others)
1. Went to a Charity Benefit at Ciprianis- Wall St. and another one in a trendy loft
2. Walked around for hours at Central Park by my lonesome and thought deep thoughts.
3. Thoroughly explored the Guggenheim and the MET. Asked people "what do you think the artist was trying to say?"
4. Spent a weekend in the Hamptons. Sorry I never blogged about it, there wasn't much to tell. except that one night Teddy said "we just wanna dance"- but you had to be there to appreciate that.
5. Attended a rooftop party/bbq and met artsy people.
6. Ate at Sbarro in Times Square.
7. Saw my favorite celebrity, Shannen Doherty. Brenda Walsh will forever be my idol in life. She tamed Dylan McKay, I mean come on.
( Some more shallow than others)
1. Went to a Charity Benefit at Ciprianis- Wall St. and another one in a trendy loft
2. Walked around for hours at Central Park by my lonesome and thought deep thoughts.
3. Thoroughly explored the Guggenheim and the MET. Asked people "what do you think the artist was trying to say?"
4. Spent a weekend in the Hamptons. Sorry I never blogged about it, there wasn't much to tell. except that one night Teddy said "we just wanna dance"- but you had to be there to appreciate that.
5. Attended a rooftop party/bbq and met artsy people.
6. Ate at Sbarro in Times Square.
7. Saw my favorite celebrity, Shannen Doherty. Brenda Walsh will forever be my idol in life. She tamed Dylan McKay, I mean come on.
So I was riding home on the train the other day, glancing around, covertly trying to scope out the scene when I spotted this quiet, quaint, mid 20s Asian girl. She sat there in complete silence and stillness and my mind wandered off into Nictopia wondering," where is she from? Why can't I tell the difference between Asian countries and their native people? Does she speak English? Is she really sad or does she just naturally look sad? Why am I so dumb and stereotyping people?" All of a sudden, out of nowhere, she whipped out her uber high tech cell phone (stereotyping again, Im sure it was just a blackberry )and started taking pictures of herself. But I mean like sexy 'stare at the camera with that 'deer in the headlights' type of look. I was flabbergasted that I had thought that was the last thing shed all of a sudden do but I was even more surprised that she had the audacity to do that right there, on the 7 train amongst its 37 passengers.
I took the pictures I would normally take at Times Square (even if I went every single day for the rest of my life) and I was off to find my own works of art. I sat on a bench on the Avenues of the Americas and just observed. It wasnt too long before my first subject came bustling by. It was the hairiest man Ive ever seen carrying a HUGE Tiffany's box. He was a character straight out of a Jim Henson Movie (the one with actual people). And his strut wasnt just a quick step, he was stomping the grounds at a ferocious pace and had the biggest smile from ear to ear. Either he was really happy he was about to be forgivven for his misdeed because whatever was in that Tiffany's box was great, or he was on his way to proclaim his undieing love to the woman hes waited his entire life for. Whatever it was, it was beautiful. I didnt have the audacity to capture the image full frontal so I waited till he passed right by me and got a side angle. Practice will make perfect.
Chantel : Hey Nicole, Im Chantel, and im leaving westminster next year to go to a new school so how about on our last day of school, we dress up as spice girls and do a dance performance for the entire student body right here in the courtyard.
Nicole: Sure. As long as I can be Posh Spice.
Nicole: Sure. As long as I can be Posh Spice.
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