Having your cake and eating it too...

"Don't be cynical, no one in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get but if you work hard and you are kind, amazing things will happen."

This quote really resonates with me. Every time I'm feeling down or needing some encouragement I look to it. It helps me to remember that I need to stop being so hard on myself but also not to get so discouraged that I give up either. Saying that I was excited to write this post would be a lie, but I am relieved to let everyone know my new plans. In two weeks I will be moving home.

I have loved living in New York City and it will always be a wonderful memory and something that I am proud of doing, but it was not as easy as it seems. I knew that the economy would be bad and that graduating in the time that I did was one of the absolute worst times to find a job, but I didn't know it would be this hard. I have been preparing for over a year making connections and contacts, searching for jobs and planning my next move: moving to New York to find a job in journalism.

Since graduation, I feel as though I have been tested more than I have ever been. I have never laughed so much or cried so hard in the 7 months since then. I definitely don't miss the classes, but I miss the college life, my friends and Auburn so much more than I ever thought I would. And I miss home as well. I miss the small things like good Mexican food, being able to drive my car when its raining instead of having to walk or take the subway, fresh air and trees, southern hospitality and being around those that I love. It's funny how it takes getting away from it all to realise that maybe its exactly the place that you were meant to be.

I've given it six months and two internships later, and nothing is giving. So, come March 12, I'll be back in the south. I will continue my job search both in Birmingham and Auburn and have extended my search to PR and communications positions. I am also going to look into freelancing as an option on the side.

All things must come to an end, but it doesn't mean that there isn't a new beginning waiting to start somewhere else. I will be very sad to go. I have loved experiencing the city as a resident and will always consider myself a Manhattanite and a southern girl-two things that I love. I will miss all the amazing food, walking in Central Park, Broadway, the view from my room, living in the West Village, meeting wonderful friends, the energy of the city and so much more. But I know that New York is not going anywhere and will always be there for me to experience again

Life never goes according to plan and well, maybe its better that way. I'll leave you with one last quote that has provided much needed solace lately. “In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on.” Robert Frost
Thanks for reading this lengthy post-see you all in the south very soon!


“I admit it's tempting to wish for the perfect boss - the perfect parent - or the perfect outfit. But maybe the best any of us can do is not quit, play the hand we've been dealt, and accessorize what we've got.”---Carrie Bradshaw

My what beautiful feet you have!

I'm sorry it seems to have been three weeks since my last blog post but I thought I'd fill you in on why I've been so busy lately. Since the job search isn't going as expected, I've had to turn to other things to keep me occupied and help supplement my income. One of those things is babysitting. I have met two families up here that I've been asked to sit for. One is a young couple that live walking distance from me and they have a 7 month old little girl. She might be the most precious thing I have ever seen and I'm pretty much in love with her. I've also been sitting for a family with a 16 month old girl on the Upper East Side. I do three days back to back so I'm pretty much exhausted by the time I am through. I'm glad to be staying busy and I really enjoy working with both families. I have also been continuing to work as a temporary personal assistant to the VP of Glocap Search, a temp agency I went through to try and find some work. I've really been enjoying the recruiting aspect of the job and its been helpful to learn some new skills for my resume. Probably the strangest thing I've done has been foot modeling. Yes, that's right, I said foot modeling. I found out through a friend on twitter (yes, the power of social media is pretty powerful) that a friend was looking for a size 7 foot to model his shoes. He is a rep for two different high end designers. I met with him and tried on some samples and it was a perfect fit (pun intended)! I had my first appointment with a client a week or so ago. I got to try on all sorts of heels and have my foot photographed in them while the buyer decided which shoes to add to her collection for next fall. It was definitely one of the most interesting things I've done in New York and its funny what opportunities might arise when you are open to them.

"Yes, I'd like a cheeseburger, please, large fries and a cosmopolitan."---Carrie Bradshaw

Hotdogs, ice cream, and boardwalking: My trip to Coney Island

With the weather reaching the mid 60s this past week and then plunging back down into the 30s with rain and snow I was a little more than depressed about this sudden weather change we've been having. In desperate need of a change of scenery, pace and hopefully weather to pull me out of my slump, I set off with three friends to visit Coney Island on a Sunday afternoon. We took the F train about 30 stops (a little over an hour) all the way out to the furthest point in Brooklyn, Coney Island. One of the coolest parts of the trip was having the subway train car come above ground once we got into Brooklyn so we had some fabulous views on the way there. Sadly it was still freezing, but it was sunny and beautiful so we didn't care. We walked past Nathan's hot dog stand, home of the hot dog eating contest every 4th of July. Since these dogs are famous we just had to try them so we ended up getting a snack after our walk on the beach. Even though none of the rides were open, it was so relaxing to walk down the boardwalk and see the ocean. Everything and everyone was so chill and even in winter the atmosphere felt beachy. We walked on the sand, saw some of the rides that will be opening up this spring, stopped by the aquarium, walked into the touristy gift shop and even popped into an old fashioned candy store for some treats. And because that wasn't enough, we got ice cream too. I was also surprised by how cheap everything is when you leave the city limits. I know that this day trip will be one of my favorite memories from living in New York and I only wish I could come back to Coney Island when it opens up for the season.

“Despite the fact that there are over eight million people on the island of Manhattan, there are times you still feel shipwrecked and alone. Times even the most resourceful survivor would feel the need to put a message in a bottle, or on an answering machine.”---Sex and the City

I think I'll try defying gravity

Amanda and I have been crossing things of our NYC Bucket list left and right but one of the things still on our to do list was to see another Broadway show, preferably Wicked. When Amanda was temping she met a bunch of actors who told her that many of the Broadway shows do a lottery for discounted tickets the same day of a show. Since I had to work, she decided to try her luck and wait in line to put her name in for the drawing at Wicked's Gershwin Theater. Well, we didn't get tickets the first try so a few days later she decided to go again. No luck the second time so she tried for a third. Surely, the third time would be the charm, right? Wrong, we didn't get tickets a third time either. There weren't many days left before Amanda returned to Atlanta so my mom surprised us both with the most amazing tickets for Friday night. She said if we agreed to pay $60 each, she would front us the rest of the money for the tickets. Of course we said yes, they were front row mezzanine tickets for Wicked on a Friday night. Amanda had seen the show five years ago in Atlanta when they went on a national tour and I saw it at the Gershwin in New York last March when Michael and I came up for spring break. We got dressed up for a night on the town and headed uptown to the theater. Amanda got an awesome souvenier shirt before the show started and we made sure to take lots of pictures to document our night. The show was just as incredible the first time around and I highly suggest it to anyone wanting to see a Broadway show in New York City. Not only is the music and lyrics some of the strongest, but the plot is really amazing and it's so interesting how the story fits together with The Wizard of Oz. Go see the show, you will not be disappointed.

“Sometimes we need to stop analyzing the past, stop planning the future, stop figuring out precisely how we feel, stop deciding exactly what we want, and just see what happens.”---Carrrie Bradshaw