Hello New York

Well I am finally in New York and cannot believe it!  After barely making it through the check in with my 2 bags that came to exactly 50 lbs. each, I had a pretty uneventful flight.  The most challenging part was trying to wheel 3 suitcases and a purse through a maze of people to get to the end of the cab line.  My bag kept getting stuck in the grooves in the sidewalk and I must have bumped into at least 50 people.  However, not to worry, I made it to the cab and successfully arrived to my friend’s mom’s apartment to spend my first night in the city.  We had a delicious dinner at Koi, a trendy sushi, seafood, and Kobe beef restaurant near Bryant Park and then enjoyed the evening chatting on her balcony.  It was the perfect, relaxing way to spend my first night in the city.  I can already say without a doubt that I am officially in love with New York.  The energy is contagious and I can tell there will never be a dull moment.  I can’t wait to see what the next ten weeks will hold!

Just a warning my dad took these pictures on his Blackberry so they are not the best quality...

 Taking BART to the airport.

 Rearranging my bags so I could put my 3 extra lb. of luggage in my suitcase that was 3 lb. under the limit.

 Dad sending me off.

Into the security line and I am off.

 Views from the balcony...



Time To Pack My Bags

I have realized that in the past year and a half I have not lived in one place for more than four months.  Between California, Texas, and Madrid, packing my life into the allotted two suitcases has become the norm.  I guess that is why it has not really hit me yet that I am actually going to New York City tomorrow!  This is the place that I have dreamed of living my entire life, but now, being the great procrastinator that I am, I am doing some last minute packing as if this next journey in my life is nothing more than a little day trip.  I have come to learn though that this mentality can be a good thing because it allows me to live in the moment and enjoy what I am currently doing instead of always thinking about what is coming next.

 Goal: To get above and below into...

These without going over the 50 lb. weight limit.

This summer I will be interning with Goldman Sachs in New York in their Human Capital Management division.  I cannot wait for this unbelievable opportunity and am planning on going into it with the mindset that I am a sponge who will soak up information every second that I am there.  I have my suits and business clothes ready and am prepared for the challenge.  And as always, I still have my dad’s travel bug and plan on exploring the city of New York and the areas around it as much as possible in my free time!

My loyal packing buddy who doesn't want me to leave.

To send me off, my 5 little cousins came over and they are probably the most adorable kids on the planet so I could not help but post a few pictures of themJ

Peter

 Coco

Patrick

 Caroline and I decided to make the rainbow cakes in a jar.

 Someone was making a little trouble in the kitchen.

 Like father like son....

 Had to take a family shot before I left.

 Somewhat to my mom's dismay her pretty living room has been turned into a band room complete with drums, pianos, keyboards, and tons of guitars.

 Dessert Time

 Coco loves her Aunt Linda aka my mom

All the cousins!

Little kids are just precious.  I walked out into our living room to find Coco and Peter dancing to music playing on the keyboard.  Their dad even decided to join in on the fun!

If Weddings Were Holidays...

If weddings were a holiday, they would most definitely be my favorite holiday of the year.  However the problem with holidays is that they only occur once a year so I guess it is better that weddings aren’t holidays because that means I can experience them more than once a year.  They are such a joyous celebration and whether I am working at one with my cousin who is a caterer or attending one, I love them equally.  Last night I attended the wedding of my friend Annie’s older sister, Sharon.  I have known them since I was in seventh grade so it was hard to believe that Sharon was actually getting married.  She looked stunning and her husband seemed like a wonderful guy.  The reception took place at the Crooked Vine winery in Livermore which was the perfect setting for this low-key, special reception.  One of the highlights was when her maid of honor pulled out a flat brim hat and sunglasses and preformed a rap she had written about Sharon and her husband.

 The cute party favors.

 Me with my friends Marielle and Annie.

 Entering the dance floor for the first dance.

The bridal party watching the first dance.

 Proud mother of the bride watching the father daughter and mother son dances.

 I couldn't help tearing up during the father daughter dance.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Parker!

A "Quoting" Obsession

Remember back in middle school when the cool thing to do was bend your index and middle fingers on both hands to physically quote, unquote “quote” something?  It probably took me a year to fully understand how to use the “quoting fingers” so I am pretty sure I would just quote things that made absolutely no sense like the words “and” or “so”.  After a while I finally asked someone what the “quoting fingers" were that everyone but me seemed to know about and received a proper explanation.  Anyways I absolutely love quotes; any type of quotes…happy, sad, inspirational, funny.  Here are just a few of the ones I love which I thought you might enjoy.

This is a special quote from my friend Kristina!

Farmer's Market Time

If I had to choose one way to spend my Saturday mornings for the rest of my life it would be this:  wake up early for a nice workout, grab a cup of coffee, and head to the farmer’s market.  Our town has the most wonderful farmer’s market complete with every type of fruit and vegetable imaginable, gourmet crepes, fresh bread, meat, and eggs, a street musician, and tons of free samples.  The samples are our favorite part so we always do a “sample lap” around the entire market before we ever purchase anything.  This morning, after a little bit of work, I was able to convince my dad and brother Brian to join me.  We walked away with delicious strawberries, nectarines, cherries, brussel sprouts, popcorn, and even some flowers.

 Samples...the best part of any market.

 Brian grabbed my camera and snapped this one mid-bite.

 My dad explaining to Brian how he could buy a flat of strawberries for $8 and then walk to the other side of the market and sell the individual six baskets for $3 and make some money. 
Brian didn't go for it.

 A lady getting off of my favorite bike trail for biking, running, and rollerblading.

 A family doing their weekly shopping. 

I felt somewhat creepy snapping this pic but I thought they looked cute.

 I have no idea what these are, but I thought their stems looked pretty.

The lavendar lady...she always wears something purple.

A new use for English peas....

I have never seen a truck need a blanket for while it is resting.

The old railroad station which is now a historical museum.  The bike trail I go on used to be the train tracks.

My dad has always secretly wished he could walk around town and hang out in biker clothes at the farmer's market and Peet's Coffee, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.