First Day in the City

So it's 12:40am New York time and what a day it's been! I'm going to try and keep it short this time. Promise :)

I woke up around 7am and just stayed in bed for awhile, made a sandwhich and around 8 I finally pounced on Kaitlin to wake up. We got in our bikinis and went to the Jersey Shore to lay out and walk around a bit. When we got there, you had to pay 5 bucks to get a bracelet in order to walk on the beach which was new to me. We stayed in the sun for a good amount of time, enough time for me to get color on my chest and cheeks. It was getting too hot for us so we got up to head back to the boardwalk. As we were packing up the lifeguard started cheering and hollering and everyone was kind of like, what's wrong with this kid? Then he started shouting, "yeah USA!" which then I think everyone realized he was listening to the soccer game because then everyone started cheering.

On the boardwalk were SO many little shops with jersey type shirts and shorts with piercing and tattoo deals. Then there were a bunch of carnival rides and carnival type foods all over the place. It smelled like beach and funnel cake. Yummy.

At the end of the boardwalk we took this lift back to the other side which was so nice and relaxing. We were basically on top of the sand with a nice breeze blowing. When we got off we decided to keep walking and got some free samples of this flavored ice/ice cream.... It was so yummy! It reminded me of those freeze icy pops I used to have as a kid.

We went back to Kaitlin's house to take showers and I got ready to head to New York. Kaitlin drove me to the station and it wasn't as bad as I thought. maybe a 40 minute train ride with one stop. I actually enjoyed it. It made me feel like I was back in Europe again. Once I got in at Penn Station, I met up with Olivia and we went to a small diner close to her apartment (and close to the first Macy's too!). We were able to gossip and laugh and eat amazing grilled cheese sandwiches! Afterwards we only has a little less than an hour till the show we were going to see started. So we walked across the street to the place she was staying at to drop off her Disney bag (she had just come back from some sort of Disney convention for her work where she got free stuff) and I got a tour of her place which was literally the size of a small one bedroom dorm room. Cute non-the-less! I loved the building too.

We took the subway to the New World Stages Theater where we saw Avenue Q. Holy crap, it was such a wonderful show! If the girls in front of us would have stopped talking, laughing and using their cell phones to text it probably would have been much better. I told Olivia at intermission that I should have put a hand gun in my purse so if I told the girl to shush and she gave me attitude, I wouldn't have to say anything. I could just pull the gun out. After a great show, I bought a shirt to remember the show buy which cost me a good 30 bucks... For a shirt with the letter "Q" on it...

Then it was off to the subway to say bye to Olivia and get on my train to meet up with Kaitlin and her boyfriend. Now we're home and I'm exhausted! I'm going to pass out because tomorrow should be another long day :)

HELLO NEW YORK.... Kinda :)

Okay so I'm not exactly in New York city but I am close! Just got in today around 5 and have had a great day so far! I've gotten no sleep at all thanks to yesterday:

I ended up going to a friend's house to drop off a goodbye present. He invited me to go to Agora with a friend of his to play some backgammon. I was already set on going there anyways before he asked so I got there early to start reading a new book, "The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living" (Yeah I'm on this whole new spiritual growth thing), then later played some backgammon when they got there. Agora closed early so we went back to my friend's house, played some pool, guitar band, drank some wine, and listened to music. The night went on into the morning and I realized as the sun was coming up that I hadn't packed anything for a flight that was leaving in seven hours. So I came home, packed, watched a bit of the Mexico-Uruguay soccer match, went to CVS to buy some last minute things, and pulled out some money from the bank. My flight left at 12 and I passed out only to wake up a couple of times as my head was falling all over the place... Worst Sleep Ever!

Anyways so we landed in Newark and I was so exhausted and waited for everyone to get off the plane so I could drag myself up and somehow manage to pull my carryon down from the compartment. A man saw my struggle and helped me haha. So turns out because I waited, I was able to see Adam Brody! I was walking past the security checkpoint area of people coming in and low and behold, there is a guy getting himself situated afer getting his bag from the sensors and he looks very familiar. He probably thought I was a lunatic with dead-beat eyes that would not stop staring at him. I later put two and two together and realized who he was.

Okay yeah yeah blah blah I talk too much. Anyways so Kaitlin picked me up from the airport in her big ass truck and we headed to her house in Jersey. I fell in love. I felt like I stepped into an antique shop where everything was useable. She showed me around and I got to meet her guinnea pig along with her new goldfish. We went to the basement where she showed me some more items they had that were very antique. I died when I saw two 1950s refrigerators. I could go on and on about the items in her house. Tomorrow I'm going to take some pictures because I'm kind of obsessed.

We got out of the house (and outside of her house were a bunch of those lightning bugs, you know the ones that light up. Absolutely beautiful!) and went to eat at this really cute diner. I can't remember the name of it. Kaitlin's sleeping so I'll ask her tomorrow but after that we came back home, looked up movie times and went to this big mall where they had an amc theater. We had some time to spare so we visited the Victoria's Secret store and tried on their new padded bra... This bra was padded from every angle you can imagine. My boobs had taken a life of their own, but it was way too much to handle for me. We went back to the theater and watched Jonah Hex which wasn't really my kind of movie but okay non-the-less. I was entertained for the most part. Megan Fox in that corsette made me feel like I was suffocating... Ridiculous

So now we're back at Kaitlin's and I'm all ready for bed. A little nervous cause she told me a story about a spirit in the home belonging to her grandmother I think, but no worries. I'm so looking forward to tomorrow. We're going to the JERSEY SHORE!! and then I'm off to the city to meet up with Olivia, have some drinks possibly and go see Avenue Q! Hopefully the weather lets up. It's been drizzling all day :(

Finally, time for some shut eye. Goodnight world!

Death: Lessons Learned

Last night, a close friend of mine told me that his friend had passed away. He had a heart attack while playing soccer. Talking to him about it, I found myself thinking more about death. It is such a normal everyday occurrence and it's happening all around us when we don't even realize it. I am so lucky that at this moment, while typing this, I am breathing another breath. As cliché as this sounds, life is precious and it is so short.
I have been reading a book called "Zen and and the Art of Happiness." Before my friend told me about his friend's passing, I had just finished reading something that was eye-opening for me, even though I knew it all along:

"We imagine an endless future stretching out ahead of us and an endless past stretching out behind. We believe that where we exist is the moment we call now, a moment that is a tiny hairline separating the future from the past. In actuality, the reverse is true; all there is and was and ever will be is an endless now. Is it not always now? The wise ones understand this truth: This moment we call now is all that exists" (Prentiss).

In that realization and in reading the rest of the chapter, I gained a more solid awareness that what I do in the present should be celebrated. I know it's not going to happen overnight, but I really want to work on not taking things so seriously and going for what makes me happy. I don't know what is going to happen to me five/ten minutes from now. I could walk into the kitchen and my heart could stop. But right before that moment, I want to make sure that I was in good spirits. Doesn't everyone?
I could go on and on about my thoughts on death and new life. I am constantly growing in my spirituality which makes the thought of death a little bit easier for me. Don't get me wrong, every time I see a picture of my grandfather I get very emotional, but I learn not to dwell on it and to say a prayer for him. He brought me so much happiness and taught me so much when he was alive and I take those experiences to my present day. All good and bad things from my past make today the best day :)


"Seeing through to essential nature is the window of enlightenment." -Hakuun Yasutani Roshi

Eff the Radio

What has happened to music nowadays?? On my way to and from Austin Tuesday and today, I could not find one single good thing on the radio. It almost feels like people are running out of things to say and are talking about useless information that I could give a damn about... Who cares if you're riding solo and have the need to repeat this phrase 3/4 times over and over again to make your chorus. Who cares if shawty is an eenie meenie miney moe lover, let her do her thing. And I'm sorry Katy Perry, as much as this California Gurls song (because it wouldn't be as cool to spell it correctly) is kind of a cute head-bopper, you sound like you have a cold when you're singing it. Blow your nose. Usher, great dancer but how many times do I have to turn on the radio to hear you say "oh my gosh?" I understand, she got it all with a booty and what not but I don't need to hear omg omg omg repetitively.
I will say that that "Airplanes" song has been stuck in my head a couple times but only because I think Hayley Williams has such a beautiful voice. So you can keep repeating over and over how much you could use a wish because you got some pipes on you.

And please... Don't get me started on Ke$ha... The dollar sign is enough...

AND WHY do these Bravo Housewives make songs that somehow get stuck into my head?? This "Money Can't Buy You Class" crap would not get out of my head for the life of me after watching the Real Housewives of New York City. Must admit, such an addicting show that I will never ever stop watching.

What happened to the days where people would land singing contracts because of their ability as great vocalists?? Now it's all about the artist's look/style and how we can make money off of you. Screw that. It doesn't last. A great voice lasts decades (Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday). Maybe I'm just saying this because I love old classic music but it's so much more engaging to my ear. Even house music has great vocalists that put you in some sort of trance. Songs with great lyrics and singers will never get old but hey, everyone has their preferences.

Zen

I'm here at Agora still and enjoying my time with my cappuccino and chewing on ice... Why is ice chewing so addicting?

Ran into a few friends over here. I can't put into words how much I love places like this. You can relax and chat to close friends without having to yell over loud music. I like going to a nice lounge once in awhile but that can get boring after going repetitively. You can't really see or hear the person you're talking to. What's the point in that? And the music nowadays isn't really my cup of tea. Davenport however is a different story. I will never get tired of that place most likely because I loooooove the music and the people. It's a very small, low-key type of place. If you ever want to hear good music with a nice atmosphere, check it out on Wednesday or Sunday nights.

I should get back to being social. Hopefully I can leave early to get some rest for tomorrow morning's game!! Portugal and Ivory-Coast! And then it's off to Austin.

Ciao <3

Just Getting Started!

I'm so excited to be starting this blog. Even if it's for no one else to read, it's something that I have been wanting to do for awhile now since my memory tends to fade. Now I can write down what's on my mind and what's been happening to me and I can always look back to remember!

Heading to my favorite spot in Houston before I go back to Austin tomorrow. Agora is one of the most relaxing places for me to just read, have a good cappuccino and play some backgammon. Not to mention, the guy who works there loves me to bits :) They have a jukebox inside so if you want to hear some nice brazilian music or some Billie Holiday, then punch in some numbers!