Little Red Lighthouse / Walk MS

On Saturday, after I was done exploring Trinity Cemetery and Mausoleum, I texted my friend Alisha to see if she wanted to grab dinner. She suggested that we go to Chipotle, and I counter-suggested that she meet me up north and we not only get Chipotle, but we walk over to Fort Washington Park. Being the great friend that she is, she played along and agreed to meet me at 168th/Broadway, where we bought our dinners and took them to go.

I assured her it was a short walk, but anyone that knows me well has long ceased to believe me when I designate something as a "short" walk. About 20 minutes later, we finally arrived at the park, after taking a very indirect, extremely windy and sometimes stabby-feeling roundabout route, Chipotle bags in hand. Fort Washington Park has amazing views of the George Washington Bridge (it runs right under it) and is home to the Little Red Lighthouse. Made famous by a 1942 children's book, it's the last remaining lighthouse on the island of Manhattan.

This is pretty much how it goes with all of my adventures. I have the best of intentions, but somewhere along the way they get out-of-hand, and I end up walking two or three times as much as I originally intended. Luckily for me, I love walking. I actually adore walking. I've run one continuous mile only once in my entire life, but I could walk for days and days (sometimes it feels as if I have).

In fact, walkability is one of the top things I love about New York, and as much as I also love the subway system, if I can walk to my destination then I'm as happy as can be. When I got a new job on the Upper East Side, I was initially bummed that I would have to ride the bus, but ecstatic when I discovered that walking across Central Park took me just about the same amount of time as a bus ride. You see so much more of the city when you walk and it's a sneaky and endlessly entertaining way to exercise without really feeling like you're doing much.

I am grateful every single day for my two, strong and capable legs and for all of the adventures that they take me on. That is why I have decided to draw upon my love of walking to help raise money for the National MS Society. Multiple Sclerosis affects millions of people, some of which no longer have (or live in fear of losing) the luxury of taking a leisurely walk.

My mom and I will be participating in the New York City Walk MS event on May 4th, and I graciously ask for your help in meeting my fundraising goal of $250. This is the first time I've ever done a charity event, and I'm embarrassed it took me this long to start giving back, but I'm excited to help such a worthy cause. If you can spare anything at all, just visit my personal page  and click the "donate to Alexandra" link on the right-hand side — my legs and I really, really appreciate it!

My Eighth Month as a New Yorker

Spoiler alert: I did a lot in February. I know I've been saying this every month since I moved here eight months ago, but holy crap. I have no idea how I even fit all of this into the shortest month of the year, and if you're my friend on Facebook or follow me on Instagram you know that I did even more than what I've recapped below. I probably would have even managed to fit in a few more things if I hadn't spent the last four days of the month quarantined inside of my apartment — sick for the fifth time since I moved to the germ-infested cesspool that is New York City. 

Thankfully I'm starting to feel better, just in time for the beginning of March and yet another big snowstorm. Speaking of snow, February was the second snowiest February that New York has ever had, and we're on track to have one of the snowiest (fourth or second —but probably not first — depending) overall winters on record. You won't hear any complaints about the snow from me, in fact my morning walks to work through the winter wonderland of Central Park have been some of my favorite times since I've moved here. I only fear that I have become impossibly spoiled this winter, since it's unlikely that we'll have another one like it anytime soon (that is, if this one ever ends).

A "few" more highlights from my very full February (you might want to grab a snack, this might take a while):

Trent and I received a private tour of the Hamilton Grange house, toured City College's gorgeous gargoyle-filled campus and drooled over the beautiful houses in Hamilton Heights and Harlem  /  I braved Chinatown for the Chinese Lunar New Year Parade, which was far superior to last year's Firecracker Festival /  I brought cannoli from Little Italy to a Superbowl (aka eat snacks and watch commercials) party  /  The first of many February snowstorms transformed the city streets into a wintery wonderland.

In a rare display of (lingering) affection, Mozart sat on my lap and I had to pee so bad but I refused to get up until she did (it was a very LONG time)  /  Central Park iced over and I walked on top of eight inches of snow without leaving a footprint  /   Katie, Jim and I had one of our regular dinners at Sardi's (my first time), where we shared a beautiful baked Alaska  /  I spotted "love" on the Upper East Side minutes before a little boy threw a snowball right at me  /  After years of walking by it to go to John's Pizzeria, Jim and I had margaritas at the Caliente Cab Co. and took home these super classy souvenir glasses.

I spent a lazy Saturday exploring Downtown Manhattan and walked by the icy Hudson and paid my respects to Philip Seymour Hoffman (RIP)  /  I got into the Guggenheim for a dollar (pay-what-you-wish is the best)  /  A snowy morning walk to work through Central Park is far preferable to riding the stinky bus  /  Grace introduced me to Cafe Lalo, aka the cafe from You've Got Mail and I've been there three times since  /  I was the only crazy person walking through Central Park during a(nother) snowstorm that wasn't walking a dog.

I made chocolate-covered strawberries for a Valenfriends Day party, where we sipped grapefruit margaritas and exchanged store-bought Valentines /  My Valentine's Day present from the city was another snowstorm  /  Mozart was my Valentine whether she knew it or not  /  I died of happiness spending three hours at a Strand warehouse sale where you could stuff a whole bag full of books for only $15, which I then carried a mile in (another) snowstorm  /  I took two good Ohio friends on a (snowy) tour of Central Park including the beautiful Ladies' Pavilion.

After weeks of seeing this mystery bag everywhere, finally finding out it was Longchamp and resigning myself to never getting it (because $$$) my mom surprised me with it  /  I spent my Presidents' Day off walking around Greenpoint, Brooklyn where I got Peter Pan donuts, ate them by the waterfront and walked the Pulaski Bridge to Queens  /  I finally bought a "real" camera and tested it out on my two favorite subjects.

Jim and I ate at Katz's Deli, but we didn't have what she had  /  We also ate at the Empire Diner, the first on my list of the last five remaining stand-alone diners in Manhattan  /  I learned the meaning of "zero visibility" on a foggy lunch walk along the East River  /  I finally bought Hunter boots and walked in puddles just because I could  /  I walked past a rose-petal-covered median  /  One of the first designs I worked on at my new job got printed.

Diner #2 — the Pearl Street Diner — down, three to go  /  Jim and I took the Staten Island Ferry on a very beautiful and warm Saturday  /  We visited the weird and wonderful Sailors' Snug Harbor (my second time there), caught a gorgeous sunset on the way back to Manhattan and ended the night with cheese and wine at the oldest bar in Manhattan, Fraunces Tavern (est. 1726), which is right by the US Stock Exchange.

I took the subway to Queens and hiked to the gorgeous Calvary Cemetery, where I spent a long time searching for Vito Corleone's gravesite from the Godfather, only to find it a few feet from where I had been looking  /  I saw one of the creepiest tombs I've ever seen  /  I took my mom to a drag show, hosted by Japanese Fucking Bitch  /  I spent the last four days of the month sick in bed, eating nothing but ramen and watching Meg Ryan romantic comedies (You've Got Mail is always number one).

Whew. If you made it through all that and you aren't related to me, I thank you for your dedication. Although I'd probably be content if it just kept snowing forever and New York basically became Narnia, I'm still excited for the prospect of Spring, especially after the small taste of it we had last week. I'm mostly looking forward to taking the exact same photos of the exact same things I've photographed hundreds of times before — but with my new camera and hopefully a few hints of greenery in the distant future.

Lucky in Love

I love Valentine's Day. I know it can be kind of fun to be one of those "I hate Valentine's Day" single girls, but even when I find myself "unattached" as February 14th rolls around, I still can't drum up anything but love for a day that's all about love. Even when I was a kid I remember my crafty mother and I having so much fun going way overboard decorating my Valentine's shoebox. Finding the perfect cards to hand out to classmates was always a fun challenge and the "everyone gets one" mentality of school Valentines always soothed my fear of being left out.

I have very specific feelings about the meanings and celebrations of different holidays, and for me Valentine's Day has always been about thoughtfulness. While expensive gifts are always appreciated, I think the real goal of the holiday (and any other day, really) should be to make sure the people you love really know how you feel about them. Yes, Valentine's Day has become incredibly commercial and contrived, but is there really anything wrong with reminding people how much they mean to you — something all of us should probably do a little bit more frequently.

Last night my friends Jim and Katie hosted a Valenfriends Day party (I'm the only one calling it that) and it was such a great time. We all exchanged cheesy, (mostly) store-bought cards, drank grapefruit margaritas and basically ate nothing but desserts and candy (my contribution was two plates of chocolate-covered strawberries). It was a great group of wonderful people — some are married, some have children, others have boyfriends, girlfriends or fiances and some of us are single — but none of that really mattered.

I brought Little Mermaid valentines (with stickers!), which the four-year-old in me was thrilled to find at Duane Reade, especially 25 years (!) after the movie came out. My haul included a Disney Princess (with bookmark ruler!), a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sticker, a super adorable gray cat, a wrestler, a beautiful hand-painted card (for once I wasn't the one to go overboard in this department) and a very funny, very 90s valentine. I can't remember the last time I actually participated in a valentine exchange, but it was so fun and easy that I don't see why I shouldn't organize one every year.

Earlier in the day I had eaten Chinese for lunch, and got the fortune "You will be lucky in love," and I can't help but think that that has always, and continues to be, very true. No matter what my relationship status has been, currently is or will be in the future, all that really matters is that I'm surrounded by people that I love and adore. I have amazing friends, caring family and so many people in my life that I love and are loved by in return.

Very lucky indeed.

My Seventh Month as a New Yorker

January has never been one of my favorite months — there's the inevitable post-holiday blues, winter seems like it's never going to end and after starting off with a holiday, there's not much to look forward to until Valentine's Day (if that can even be considered a good thing).

Last year I moved to New York (albeit temporarily)  a week into the new year, and it felt wonderful and so very right to ring in this new year in New York again, knowing I am here for good. Thanks to a few decent snowstorms, and despite the bone-chilling cold, I actually spent a lot of time outdoors in January, which went a long way towards quelling any winter blues that were trying to sneak into my life. After a few weeks of Polar Vortex-y cold I did start to wonder if I should just hibernate until spring, but I forced myself outside, where I find it nearly impossible to be grumpy amidst the snowy landscape of the city.

A few more highlights from my snowy January:

We got a "six-inch blizzard" that the Weather Channel dubbed "Hercules" and I walked through Central Park on the way to work, on my lunch break and on the way home; I took advantage of my new membership to the New York Botanical Garden and took a snowy hike through the Thain Family Forest; I walked home through Riverside Park and caught an amazing sunset and I met a lot of new snowy friends.

Trent and I ventured to Long Island City where we mourned the loss of 5Pointz and saw the weird but sort of cool Mike Kelley exhibit at MOMA PS1; I walked on my lunch break to see the ice floes on the Hudson River; On another lunch walk I explored the grounds of Bellevue Hospital and was creeped out by the old Psychiatric Hospital; Mozart stared at me a lot for no reason and I went searching for remaining Banksy works from his October in the city to find that there isn't much left.

Jim and I went to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens and explored the Unisphere, New York State Pavilion ruins and the New York Panorama at the Queens Museum; I continued to be obsessed with finding unique manhole covers around the city; I walked to a piece of the Berlin Wall on my lunch break and we tried the famous soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown.

I squeezed the last bit out of Midtown on my lunch walks before changing jobs and saw the original Winnie-the-Pooh and friends at the New York Public Library (Piglet kills me); I said goodbye to my daily views of the Chrysler Building; I went to a Clue-themed party dressed as Colonel Mustard and brought pigs-in-a-blanket with a variety of mustard dipping sauces; I spotted a few old, beautiful starry manhole covers in Brooklyn; I was creeped on by a spooky black cat while creeping on the ruins of Admiral's Row in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and I walked across the Manhattan Bridge and remembered how much I love walking bridges.

I started a new job and took another horrible ID photo; we got an actual blizzard and I wasn't mad about it; I got up early to take a snowy, sunrise walk through Central Park to work on the East Side; I walked by the snowy MET Museum on my lunch break and realized after reading The Goldfinch that I'll never be able to look at the building the same way; I continued my obsession with snowy bridges and smushed some pennies at the Central Park Zoo.

February has already gotten off to a good start, and I'm equally excited for the possibility of more snow (yes, I'm an addict) as I am for the impending spring. Spring is the last season that I haven't experienced fully as a resident of New York and as usual I have a ton of fun things on my to-do list. I finally broke down and ordered a real deal pair of rain boots, so I no longer fear rainy days — in fact I may even be looking forward to them because I love my boots that much. I couldn't have asked for a better beginning to 2014, and I have no reason to believe that the rest of this year won't be just as wonderful.

Goodbye forever, 2013.

I've become fond of referring to 2013 as the unluckiest and luckiest year of my entire life. Sure, I've only lived a little more than 28 whole years — and I hope to live many more — but I doubt (or maybe hope?) that 2013 will not have much competition for a long time.

I started the new year out much like I had the previous five: in Ohio with my man, in the home we shared with our two cats. By January 11th, I was with my dad, in his truck, headed to New York City. I subletted an apartment near Columbia University for two months, still working (remotely) for 427 Design while I test-drove a life for myself in New York. On March 11th, I was once again in my dad's truck, headed back to my home in Ohio. I was reunited with Mozart and threw myself into work, designing and planning 427's annual Open House.

I had planned to move back to New York as soon as possible, but the universe stepped in and gave me a medical issue that, by the time it had resolved itself in mid-May, put me through a level of stress and worry that I had never experienced in my healthy life thus far.

On July 1st, I was headed to New York again, this time with a one-way airline ticket, without job or place to live and far more baggage than the two suitcases I was carrying. On the day I started my first New York job (August 5th), I also signed the lease papers for my first New York apartment.

So now, twelve months later, I sit in that apartment, with Mozart by my side. I've survived losing (or moving on from) my relationship, a very dear friend, my potential health, my home and my job — and in turn, moved to the city of my dreams, started a new job, found a new home, met new friends and strengthened ties with old ones. I'm not one to dwell on the bad, and I try to revel in the good, however small. I'm constantly Instagramming and blogging about my city adventures, but there's another side to life that keeps everything in balance. Breakdowns, crying fits, packing up 27 years of possessions, entire days when I don't get out of bed, long, painful conversations and equally painful personal realizations aren't particularly easy to capture in a photo, but they matter too.

I've been making a habit of reviewing my months here in New York, but I thought I'd pay equal attention the the six months of this year and all the moments big and small that led up to me finally booking that one-way ticket:

I moved to New York and set up an office in my room  |  I tried Magnolia Bakery's famous (and amazing) banana pudding for the first time  |  I bought a hat that changed my life  |  Trent and I explored Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens  |  I warmed up with City Bakery's hot chocolate |  I paid off one (of my minor) student loans.

We got nearly a foot a of snow and I took a snowy tour of three parks |  Trent and I braved the cold (and Chinatown) to see the Chinese New Year Firecracker Festival |  I had my first (and second, and third...) macaron | I walked the Manhattan Bridge |  I explored Roosevelt Island for the first time |  Trent and I searched for Meryl and ate cupcakes during the Oscars.

I had my best restaurant experience ever at Tom's, which ended with a (free) egg cream (my first!)  |  My uncle came to visit and took me to the MET Opera for the first time (and we took a backstage tour)  |  We went to the gorgeous Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden  |  I said "goodbye for now" to New York and headed back to Ohio over the George Washington Bridge  |  I tried to settle back into my Ohio life with a little help from lattes and Martha  |  Reunited and it felt so good.

I had my third, and final Blue Carrot Shop sale on Fab.com  |  I designed materials for the 427 Design Open House |  I enjoyed outside lunches with Swenson's (oh Swenson's, I do miss you) and Jessica Mitford  |  We silkscreened (and glittered!) some posters  |  I packed a lot of packages as I liquidated Blue Carrot Shop in preparation of moving  |  Hung out with this beauty.

I managed to stick to a gluten-free, (mostly) dairy-free diet for a few months and made a LOT of smoothies  |  Tried to get outside once in a while and appreciate spring  |  Took a lot of contemplative nature walks  |  Had a massive garage sale and sold most of my earthly possessions including a surprising amount of Reagan campaign buttons  |  I tried to sneak in extra snug time with the other one |  I made intimidating lists and began the process of changing my whole life, one thing at a time.

My mom and I visited New York to scout apartments and I had my first Nathan's hot dog at Coney Island  |  Trent, Alisha and I waited nearly three hours to see the Rain Room at MOMA |  I took my first trip to Governors Island  |  I explored George Washington Bridge park and the Little Red Lighthouse  |  I said "goodbye for now" to my best furry friend  |  I left my home, my family and job to follow my dreams.

So, tonight we all say goodbye to 2013, the year I found out that I was stronger than I ever could have imagined, more fragile than I ever want to admit, that real friends have a way of revealing themselves to you when you least expect, that my family's unconditional love and support is unparalleled, that I really don't care for papaya juice and that the right hat can make all the difference. I could have done without the really terrible things, but I'm grateful for every second of it.

Happy New Year, indeed.

My Sixth Month as a New Yorker

Whew. December was a busy month. By the time Christmas rolled around, I felt as though I had successfully "petted" the entire holiday season to death. I saw the holiday window displays more times than I can count, braved the crowds at Rockefeller Center more times than I ever needed to and watched all of the Christmas movies (including repeat viewings of Home Alone 2).

On Christmas morning I opened a few presents, watched the SNL Christmas special, went to the movies (American Hustle) and had dim sum for dinner in Chinatown like a good New Yorker. It was a pretty anticlimactic end to the holidays, but it felt like the perfect way to spend my first New York Christmas.

A few highlights from the rest of my December:

I discovered a new, beautiful place in Central Park on one of my many weekend walks, saw the holiday windows (Bergdorf's were my favorite, but the Saks Yeti is pretty charming), happened upon a vintage subway car and took it a few stops out of my way, enjoyed my first apartment tree in the company of the Pigeon Lady and tried my first ever "fancy" ramen (it was good!).

I ate nuggets breaded with Cheez-its, found Meryl on 14th Street, my Uncle visited for the second time since I moved and we had box seats at the opera, I introduced him to the delight that is Absolute Bagels, we took a tour of Gracie Mansion before the DeBlasio's move in, and I braved Macy's to go Christmas shopping on my lunch break.

I went to my first-ever corporate Christmas party at the Roosevelt Hotel and ate cake while everyone else danced, we went to Dyker Heights to marvel at their oh-so-tacky-but-amazing Christmas light displays, I took a magical snowy walk through Central Park and made some friends with some beautiful cardinals, I hosted a Christmas Vacation viewing party complete with moose mugs filled with spiked nog and I sent out a New York-themed package as part of the Christmas City Swap.

I walked by the beautiful Bryant Park tree every day, finally noticed the creepy glowing-eyed owls outside of Macy's, pushed my way through the crowds at Rockefeller Center to get my tree photo, had a weekend visit from a friend who wanted to see a Banksy, took her on a tour of obscure movie filming locations, including the arch in Central Park from Home Alone 2, and tried out Georgetown Cupcakes (meh).

We saw the tree at Washington Square, walked the Brooklyn Bridge and became obsessed with all of the locks, visited Carrie Bradshaw's apartment on Perry Street, went to the holiday train show at the New York Botanical Garden (I also became a member!), explored the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and I had my first hot-dog-and-papaya-juice experience at Papaya King for Christmas Eve dinner.

I enjoyed new (and old) gifts, saw an amazing sunset in Chinatown on Christmas day, visited the Bergdorf's windows one last time and was creeped out by "Groundhog Day," waited in line to see Barney's "Floating City" display and spent a rainy day with friends going back in time at the New York Transit Museum.

I'll be posting a recap of 2013 in the next few days, and it's an understatement to say that this year was eventful. I spent a full two-thirds of this year actually living in New York, and it was all better than I'd ever even imagined it would be. I look forward to starting a new, full year living and breathing and loving and dreaming in the city of my dreams. The first six months have been some of the best of my life — here's to many, many more.

My Fifth Month as a New Yorker

I didn't have a ton of exciting plans for November, but looking back it turned out to be a really fun and full month. I was worried that by Halloween I had already petted fall to death, but the fall delights just kept coming. A major highlight of course was seeing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the second year in a row, although this time I was in the front row. It was freezing and I may just now be regaining feeling in my toes, but it was definitely worth it.

A few more things I did in November:

I caught a beautiful sunset when they still happened after I got out of work, the Hudson River continued to provide all of the fall delights, Trent, Alisha and I went to Roosevelt Island on the tram where we saw the Smallpox Hospital ruins, Four Freedoms Park and I was surprised by the beautiful foliage.

I got my second cold in two months but broke out of my sickbed for a beautiful walk in Central Park, cider donuts and hot cider under the gorgeous leaves in Prospect Park, got my senses assaulted again at Panna II Indian Garden Restaurant, had my share of snugs and foot chewing with Mozart and saw the ever-nutty but insanely talented Cat Power.

My friend Brianna visited and I took her to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, we ate brunch in Brooklyn Heights where I spotted a starry manhole cover, then walked to the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene where we had double dessert including a lemon poppy seed donut at Dough, and dinner at John's of Bleecker Street. I scored some great finds in the dollar bins at the Strand and started spotting holiday delights under the Time Warner Center's stars.

My obsession with free samples was indulged at two of Bryant Park's Tasting Tuesdays, I killed some time at Grand Central and got to see the Holiday Light show in action, I walked by this googly-eyed column on my way home, coveted this sign in Brooklyn, decided that I wanted to cover everything in pennies like this table I saw at the Brooklyn Flea, and discovered the beautiful Fort Greene park.

I finally saw Tom the Turkey up close and personal, along with the Macy stars, Richard Simmons and the Fireman balloon, even if they were all flying about half as high because of winds, I put up my very first New York apartment tree with a sock monkey Santa topper and attended the third annual Treeyoncé lighting at Trent's.

The next few weeks will probably fly by, but I'm trying to slow things down a bit and really enjoy Christmas in the city. I have an embarrassing amount of time off from work in the coming weeks so there'll be a lot of time to window shop, actually shop and take in all of the holiday festivities. Gift-giving is one of my very favorite things to do, so I naturally love the holiday season. The weather has been pretty mild (except for that arctic blast on Thanksgiving), but I'm always not-so-secretly hoping for a big snowstorm. I spotted a few flakes on Black Friday, but I can't be sure that they weren't manufactured by Macy's to add to the holiday spirit. I've already broken out the life-saving hat this year, so I say bring on the flurries.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A few things I'm thankful for lately:

When Mozart curls up on the bed and then backs up until she's sure she's touching me.

Walking by someone on the street that smells so very good.

The always-cheerful lady who hands out AM New York by the Bryant Park BDFM/7 subway station every morning.

Dogs in rain boots.

Fleece.

Emoji.

Cereal for dinner.

When the photo I take looks exactly (or even better) than I imagined it would.

Lemon desserts.

Making plans.

Double socks.

Text messaging.

Experiencing all of the seasons in the city.

Surprising friends with gifts.

Pulling off the perfect double-feature.

Anticipating what book(s) I'm reading next.

Free samples.

Diner regulars.

Finding cash in jeans pockets.

Knowing I dressed 100% appropriately for the weather.

Of course I'm also thankful for the standard things: family, friends, health, etc. but most of the times it's the little things that make the biggest impact in my day (for better or worse). Speaking of lemon desserts, I made these to take over Trent's for Thanksgiving with Friends — that is, if I don't eat them all myself on the way there.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Get Off My Lawn and Out of My Subway Seat

If you follow me on Twitter, or know me in real life you may have the impression that I don't really like children. You would be correct: I don't like kids. I worked at McDonald's instead of babysitting, I was the youngest child (of two) and I have a very small family. I didn't have many friends growing up so I probably started hating children while I was still one myself.

They're sticky and they're loud and they just generally get on my nerves. It may seem surprising that I've always wanted children of my own, however, and my mom assures me that I'll feel very differently about them when they actually originate inside of me. But until that day comes, other people's children are pretty much a daily annoyance for me, especially in a city filled with so many of them.

I've come to realize recently that it's not really even the child that I hate, but the parent(s) — I'm of the belief that most bad children can be directly traced back to bad parenting. Every once in a while there is a child and their parent that makes me totally rethink my blanket hatred, and even maybe crack a smile on my eternal bitch-face. For this reason, I give every little booger-eater the chance to win me over, but unfortunately most end up just reaffirming why they're mostly terrible creatures who should be avoided at all costs.

I've read a lot of "Subway Etiquette" articles since moving to the city, and people seem to be divided on the issue of giving up your seat for a child. I don't know one person that would argue that you shouldn't immediately give up your seat for an elderly, disabled or pregnant woman, but kids (ones not currently inside of their mothers, that is) are another story. I am of the opinion that if your kid can walk and stand then they should definitely do so on a crowded subway. I've seen plenty of kids in subway seats, and I very rarely see them actually sitting still. They're fidgety and wiggly and I've seen may of them treat their seat neighbors (aka complete strangers) as nothing more than human jungle gyms.

A few weeks ago, a family got on the train: mom, dad, two kids and grandma. A woman got up, offering her seat to the elderly grandma, like any kind person should do. The mom, instead of letting her mom sit, shoved one of her children into the empty seat. I was standing at the end of the car, and as the train pulled away from the station, the elderly woman FLEW into me, pinning me between her body and the door (one of my top subway fears: realized). The mom pulled her mother off of me, asking if she was ok (she didn't bother to ask me, but whatever I was fine). Seeing this, another good samaritan offered up their seat to the grandmother. The young mom then proceeded to shove her second child into the free seat, leaving her elderly mother still standing, even after she had clearly proven her need to be seated while the train was in motion.

Am I being a total "get-off-my-lawn" grumpy old person to think that children should stand like the rest of us? I actually feel horrible when I have my nose in a book or I'm just zoned out and don't notice a person in need of my seat before someone else does. Shouldn't parents be teaching their children to respect their elders and help those in need? It's ok if you just think I'm a total kid-hating monster, but I'm probably still not going to give up my seat to your able-bodied kid. Don't even make me tell you what I thought of the kid riding next to me recently whose parents thought it would be an awesome idea to give him a noisemaker. And yes, he definitely knew how to use it.

My Fourth Month as a New Yorker

Whew. October was one busy, crazy, wonderful month. Especially after my rough September, October was a total gift filled with more fall delights than I can even possibly recap. There is something I love about all the seasons, but if I had to pick just one, fall would edge ahead due to its amazing weather, crazy colorful leaves, apple cider and Halloween-related activities.

At the beginning of the month I made fun of my friend Katie for saying that all of her weekends in October were already booked, and not soon after the same thing happened to me. Some things didn't end up happening, some last-minute plans were made and suddenly it's November and I've officially been a New Yorker for four whole months. Add that to the two months I spent here in the winter, and I've now been in New York for more than half of this year.

Here's how I spent some of my fourth month:

I visited Randall's Island for the first time and went to the saddest fall festival I've ever seen, spent a gloomy Sunday at Rockaway Beach, impulsively bought candy corn and ate it for breakfast, had the most amazing vodka sauce pizza from Rubirosa, cannoli from Little Italy and saw the Poe exhibit at the Morgan Library.

I spent two days pilfering the free samples at the Martha Stewart American Made event, stood five feet from Martha Stewart while she shared packing tips and I tried not to die of happiness, my uncle came to visit and we went to pick up eBay purchases from a guy who lived with the most amazing view of Manhattan, then we went to the Japanese garden show at the New York Botanical Garden and finally saw the Four Seasons sculptures up close.

We wandered through the Haunted Pumpkin Garden at the NYBG and took a tour of the beautiful grounds, I went leaf peeping in Central Park and found the most amazing tree, had my first street nuts of the season, took a work field trip to New England and had an enormous bed and fancy suite in the cutest little inn all to myself.

I went to a free Architecture Week lecture about Grand Central Terminal (and will never look at the building in the same way again), found our way out of the Amazing Maize Maze at the Queens County Farm and rewarded ourselves with apple cider and an apple cinnamon doughnut, Mozart took a liking to my end table crate and we shared a lot of special moments (as always).

We took a day trip to Sleepy Hollow including a stop at Washington Irving's Sunnyside, the gorgeous Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, the Rockefeller's Kykuit estate which overlooks the incredible Hudson River Valley, and gawked at more than 5,000 pumpkins at the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze.

November should be a little calmer, although I have a few things already on my calendar: a Cat Power solo acoustic show (!), a weekend visit from my friend Brianna and of course Thanksgiving-related festivities including the Macy's Parade and balloon inflation. I'm also excited for all of the Christmas festivities to begin, and my December is already starting to fill up with seasonal delights.

I'm totally grateful that October's weather has been so lovely (i.e. we're basically having a drought), but I'm actually hoping for a lot of snow this winter. Everyone I know seems to be dreading winter in the city but I say bring it on.

Gallery Wall

I mentioned last week that September was kind of rough, but things have definitely made a turn for the better. I'm feeling much more settled, and much less emotionally on edge — a big part of which I feel like I owe to that fact that I'm finally surrounded by my art. When I moved to New York, I couldn't take much with me, but keeping my art was always non-negotiable. I am a visual person by nature, and trade, and blank walls make me anxious.

After I finally unpacked everything, I hung a few pieces in the living room, and whatever I had left ended up in my bedroom. I've never really hung a "gallery wall" before, although I see them pretty much everywhere. I love the idea of an eclectic collection of pieces that speak to a variety of interests and tastes, and I had one large, blank wall in my bedroom that I knew would be a perfect exhibition space. I didn't start with a plan beyond "use everything with a wall hanger," but I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I started by hanging my American Gentleman print, and just sort of worked my way out from there. It's not perfect, but it's fun and a little weird, and I think it represents me perfectly.

Starting at the far left I have: (1) my beloved bunnies painting from Erin Mulligan, (2) two gorgeous Meryl prints (one is signed!), (3) a seasonal collection of paint-by-numbers collected from a thrift store, (4) the American Gentleman, (5) another thrift store find featuring the George Washington Bridge, (6) bad cat, (7) deli cat, (8) vintage stone, sequin, string and glitter cat wall art, (9) city snowglobe prints and (10) a cat that looks suspiciously like Mozart from my friend Rachael. It makes me so happy to just lay in bed and stare at all of my art, and I feel like most of my favorite things are well-represented. Furniture and clothes can be easily replaced, but it's nice to know that my modest collection of artwork will be with me, no matter where it is that I call home.

The Central Park Leaf Thief*

Even though it's not particularly unique or revolutionary to say so, I'm not going to hide the fact that fall is my favorite season. Jackets, scarves, falling leaves, pumpkin-flavored things, Halloween, cornstalks, the colors — I love it all.

On Monday, after work, I decided to walk home through the park, looking for early hints of fall. I work on 42nd, and live on 105th, so it's quite a haul but I took it slow. I hadn't been in Central Park for a few weeks and it's still a bit early, but there are definitely hints of the impending change if you look hard enough. I took my usual path from Wollman Rink, to the Literary Walk, through Bethesda Terrace and into the Ramble.

Somewhere along the way I found an amazingly bright-red leaf, and picked it up with the intent of pressing it. I've never really collected leaves before, but this one was so pretty and ahead of its time that I couldn't resist. As I was admiring it, I realized that it was basically the real-life equivalent of one of the leaf emoji characters I frequently use in my fall-themed Instagram and Twitter posts. Then, because I'm totally nerdy and self-entertaining, I started searching for other emoji dopplegangers, and recreated two more.

Shortly after posting the photos, I was sitting completely alone on a rock, marinating in my own cleverness. Suddenly, a three-year-old girl appeared from around the corner, spotted the carefully curated pile of choice leaves sitting beside me, yelled LEAVES! LEAVES!, grabbed my pile (that I was very nearly sitting on) and ran away. Her dad followed shortly after, not caring that his tiny monster had just robbed me of my very first, lovingly gathered leaf collection.

It all happened so fast, and I had no possible recourse. I certainly didn't want to be the horrible hag that yells at a child for stealing her pile of leaves. I didn't wonder why she wanted them — they were the best leaves in the park that day — but she no doubt lost interest, as children often do, and probably dropped them soon after. Yes, there will be other leaves, of course, and probably better leaves too. But I won't ever forget my first-ever leaf collection, however brief it was in my hands. And I certainly won't soon forget the time I was mugged by a blonde-haired, blue-eyed toddler in the middle of Central Park.

*The amazing title of "Leaf Thief" comes courtesy my brilliant friend Shannon.

My Third Month as a New Yorker

I try to maintain a sunny disposition on this blog (and in real life), but I have to admit that my third month here was a bit harder than the first two. I still had my share of amazing adventures, but emotionally it wasn't a super great month for me. I started off the month back in Ohio, celebrating my birthday and gathering the remainder of my possessions (including Mozart!). While I was glad to head back into the city with significantly more cat than I had before, it was an incredibly stressful and busy weekend.

Once I got back, there was a mountain of unpacking to attend to, out-of-town guests to entertain and somewhere around the middle of the month I came down with an annoying cold. I was sleeping on an air mattress, going out every day to buy supplies (only what I could carry, of course), and suddenly feeling homesick for Ohio, which I was not prepared for.

BUT, I'm happy to report that things are improving, as I knew they would, and I'm starting to feel more settled. I've got a brand new bed and I set up the living room area so it is actually starting to feel like home. Putting together IKEA furniture is a total pain (so. many. pieces.), but with a tiny apartment and low-cost delivery, it's a necessary evil. I definitely had my share of YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME moments during assembly, but none of it has spontaneously collapsed (yet). There is a certain satisfaction to knowing that I built put together the bed I'm sleeping on with my own two hands, but if I never need to do it again I'll be ok. This weekend I also hung up all of my art, which has gone a long way to making me feel at peace. Blank walls make me nervous and sad, so maybe that was part of the problem all along.

Some other highlights of my third month as a New Yorker:

After one (very stressful) 8-hour car ride, Mozart officially became a city cat, I went to IKEA three times in one month (that's too many times), discovered the delicious delight that is the Chipotle taco, cut and colored my own hair for the first time with surprisingly not-bad results, saw the 9/11 tribute lights from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and finally decorated my cubicle at work.

It may have taken me three hours to put together, but I finally have a new bed — and Mozart approves! I visited Woodlawn Cemetery, and spotted early hints of fall. I stumbled on the Feast of San Gennaro festival in Little Italy, but already had dinner plans in Chinatown, where I tried my first dim sum (pork buns ftw) and had the most amazing almond cookie ice cream from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.

I got irrationally excited to see pumpkins and fall delights start appearing around the city, waited for sunset so I could see the recreation of Nighthawks in the base of the Flatiron building, participated in the last yoga-by-the-Hudson session for the season, had a life-changing burger at Umami Burger, relived my childhood at a celebration of Nickelodeon's Golden Age at the 92nd Street Y, and finally hung up all of my art.

I'm definitely glad that September is over, and that I seem to be getting back into a good groove again. Turns out that it IS incredibly hard and sad to sell most of your possessions, move 500 miles away, start a new job and live a new life. But, I am incredibly lucky, as always, to have amazingly supportive friends and family (and Mozart!), to help me through the rough patches.

I knew moving to New York wasn't a magical fix, and I never thought it came with a 100% happiness guarantee. I gave up a lot, and I miss a lot (of people, places and things) that can never be replaced, but I've never regretted making the move. Everyone has tough times no matter where they are, and now I have the luxury of walking in Central Park or browsing books at the Strand when I get in a mood. Plus, I have a ton of amazing fall festivities planned for October, and I'm pretty sure it will be physically impossible to be in a bad mood as fall really starts to hit the city.

Mozart in Manhattan

As you might know if you follow me on Instagram, or know me in real life, I recently brought my cat, Mozart, back to the city with me. She had spent her entire life in Ohio (and all of that time minus four months, as my cat), but I missed her too much to ever leave her for good.

The longest car ride she had ever had was about ten minutes to the vet as a kitten, and in that short amount of time she managed to throw up all over herself. This was really the only indicator I had as to how she would do on the 8-hr car ride from OH > NY, so you can imagine that I was a bit nervous.

My dad packed up his truck with all of my belongings, leaving Mozart for last. We had her in a carrier right behind the seats, but that lasted about thirty seconds. She immediately began screaming, so I let her roam freely. She didn't have very far to go, and for the most part (thank god) the screaming stopped. I could tell she was stressed, but I was very vigilant about trying to make her feel safe and calm. I estimate that I probably petted her more in that car ride than I have this entire year. She's far from aloof, but she's also not what you'd call a lap cat. She generally does her own thing and will demand attention as needed, but I mostly held her the entire ride.

She spent a good deal of time draped over my feet, which was kind of adorable. She even sat on my lap as I shared in some of the driving, which I'm sure is not exactly safe but she seemed to enjoy it. Thankfully, she never once tried to pull a Toonces and drive us over a cliff, and we were able to exit and enter the car without her trying to make a break for it. She never went back into the carrier until it was time to bring her up into her new home, and she hasn't given it a second thought since. She also didn't use the bathroom at all during the trip, which was sort of amazing. I wasn't really sure how to handle that so I guess I just hoped it would work itself out, and thankfully it did.

Once we got to our new home, there was another adjustment period but she came through that like a champ as well. She was generally terrified for the first few days, mostly of the noises (and the pigeons), but eventually she was brave enough to explore. She got really low to the ground and slinked (slunk?) around, investigating everything.

I know that she really started to get back to her old self when, after a few days, she started her nightly ritual of screaming in my face and dropping toy after toy by my bed. I had almost forgotten about that charming aspect of Mozart ownership, but she made sure I remembered. Our hallway is long enough for her to play fetch, and the litter box is residing in the walk-in closet (yes, the walk-in closet— it even has a window!) so that worked out pretty well.

She looooves being held.

I felt really bad taking her away from the only home she ever knew, but every time she cuddles with me, or we say our morning greetings, I know I've made the right decision. I think Mozart and Manhattan are going to be very happy together — just as long as I don't try to hold her too often.

My Second Month as a New Yorker

The longest continual time I've lived in New York before now is two months, in January/February of this year, after which I moved back to Ohio. Well, I've hit the two month mark again, and this time I find myself back in Ohio BUT IT'S TOTALLY TEMPORARY, don't freak out (I say, mostly to myself). I'm in Ohio right now celebrating my birthday with family, gathering the rest of my belongings, packing Mozart into some sort of carrying apparatus and hitting the return road to NY today with the generous help of my dad. It will always be sad (sort of) to leave Ohio, but by now it should be obvious to anyone that even vaguely knows me that I am having the time of my life as a New Yorker.

As predicted, my second month slowed down a bit, due in the most part to starting my full-time job, but I still managed to cram in more than seems possible. In addition to marking the beginning of my life as a New York working girl (not that kind), August will always be known as the month I signed the lease on my first-ever apartment. I spent last weekend cleaning it from top to bottom, so it's all sparkling and ready for us to move into when we get back to the city tonight. But in the meantime, I'd like to recap my second month as a New Yorker:

I became obsessed with everything sweet corn-flavored (ice cream, custard, cookies), watched a lot of breathtaking sunsets, attended my first-ever rooftop party, said goodbye to the unemployed life with a trip to Coney Island, re-joined the 9-5 working life and got approved for my very own apartment!

I settled into my commute to this amazing, landmarked building on Fifth Avenue everyday, took the worst photo in the history of corporate ID photos, frolicked in the car-free Summer Streets, had sensory overload in the Voice Tunnel, toured some of my favorite Upper West Side landmarks and bought two teeny-tiny tarts at the farmers market.

Had a Red Hook adventure day with my friend Alisha, including a visit to Fairway Market, silly posing and a Key Lime Swingle that changed our lives. I ate lunch most every day in beautiful Bryant Park, except when it rained and I had to move into that dump, Grand Central Terminal.

I became obsessed with yoga, saw Pitch Perfect on the pier and E.T. in Bryant Park, had a boozy picnic in Central Park, found the most delicious wine bar, snapped photos at the always-enchanting Conservatory Garden and fell into a relaxing Sunday routine.

I got the keys to my new place and celebrated with Gilmore Girls and pizza, found the most delicious margaritas living across the street, creeped out HR by ordering books about bodies and the funeral industry, enjoyed the last of Summer Fridays, caught up with an old friend over tea and scones and walked the Queensboro Bridge.

Once again, it's exhausting to review everything that I've managed to cram into just one month. Hopefully when I get old and cranky about city life I can look back on these recaps and realize just how much fun there is to be had if you just know where to look. I'll probably also wonder how I ate so many pies, scones and scoops of ice cream without gaining a thousand pounds. Maybe there are just some things in this world that won't ever be explained.

The Happiest of Birthdays

Detail from a mural at 5 Pointz

I'm so glad that I made it to 28. Not that I'm famous enough to have joined the "27 Club," but 27 was a rough year for me. I certainly ended the first year of my late-twenties on a high note, however, one I hope to keep going well into this next year of my life.

28 will be the first year of my life lived entirely (I hope) in New York. I will officially move into my first apartment three days after my birthday — a fresh start in so many ways. I've never been freaked out or saddened by birthdays, and luckily I've always had wonderful friends and family to make sure I feel special on or around the big day.

I am lucky in so many ways.

I'm even thankful for things that have happened to me that others would definitely not classify as "lucky" — they have made me who I am, and I'm kind of fond of me lately. I've dreamed of living in New York for as long as I can remember, and now I'm actually doing it. It's strange to be living the very life I have wanted for so long. Not everyone gets to do that in their lifetimes and I am thankful for every single day that I have or have had in this one.

I've done a few lists on birthday's past, and it was always fun, so this year I thought it would be nice to list the things I'm particularly thankful for, in no discerning order — 28 of them, but of course:

1. New York City - Because really, if there's a better place to live than I haven't been there yet.
2. My cat, Mozart - We're going to be reunited tomorrow and Monday she'll be riding back with me to the city to become a city girl just like her mom.
3. Cheese - Everything is better with cheese.
4. My family - They're continually outdoing themselves in generosity, selflessness and unconditional love.
5. My friends - They're a crazy group of weirdos and I love them more and more each day.
6. Books - I'm reading more now than I have in a long time and it's wonderful.
7. Parks - Central Park, Riverside Park, Gantry Plaza State Park, I love them all.
8. Yoga - I can't believe I waited so long to try it out, but now I'm obsessed.
9. My legs - They take me so many amazing places.
10. The subway - It takes me all the places my legs can't, or are too lazy to take me.
11. The frozen margarita - You know what I'm talking about.
12. Fall - I might lose my mind with delight in these upcoming months.
13. Jackets - I look so much better in layers.
14. Peanut Butter Panda Puffs - Try them and you'll understand.
15. My new job - I am surrounded by books and the friendliest, most helpful coworkers.
16. Eating lunch in Bryant Park - It's a dream.
17. Fans - The noise, the breeze, I couldn't live without one.
18. Bobby pins - A short-haired girl's best friend in the summer heat.
19. Fruit - Vegetables can suck it, fruit is my lifeline.
20. Summer nights - The air, the smell, the warmth.
21. Adventures! - I hope I never stop having them.
22. Taking photos - Maybe one day I'll get a real camera, but it's still fun to document my adventures.
23. Sunsets - I've never appreciated a sunset like a New York City sunset. They actually make me tear up.
24. My iPhone 5 - What a lame thing to put on this list, but let's be honest: it's a pretty remarkable thing.
25. Gluten-free options - Especially ones that don't taste awful.
26. Lemon or Sweet Corn-flavored anything - Give it all to me.
27. My new apartment - I can't wait to make it a home.
28. My life - Special thanks to my parents for giving it to me in the first place — I hope I'm doing it right!

After tomorrow, I'll have had four different birthday celebrations, in four different cities and two different states, with four very different groups of people. If 28 is half as good as the cheese plate we shared at Murray's Cheese Bar on Thursday, than I'm a very lucky girl, indeed.

Free: Yoga

So I guess I'm a yoga person now? I've been wanting to try yoga basically my whole life (is that how long it's been, like, a thing?) but I didn't take my first official class until last Wednesday. I am the least flexible, coordinated and athletic person you will ever meet, so I was understandably hesitant. But it's also because of those things that I always felt that yoga might actually be the perfect thing for me, and even after only three classes I can say that I think it is.

Starting something like yoga can be intimidating (and expensive, and confusing etc.) —this post is actually really good at explaining why, and then encouraging you to just do it even if you're scared. I'm so glad I finally just went for it, and now of course I'm wondering what exactly took me so long. But better late than never, right? Yoga is the exact combination of things I need in my life right now: it's relaxing, challenging but not impossible and free! That last one is the biggest reason I tried it, actually, because I wasn't really ready to hand over a bunch of money to a gym or studio without knowing if I even liked yoga first. 

Luckily, it's summer in New York and I've already found two great parks offering yoga for free: every Wednesday in Riverside Park South from 6:30 - 7:30pm, and every Saturday (9:30 - 10:30am + 11am - noon) and Sunday (10 - 11am) in Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens. Both sessions run until the end of September, and began in May. I'm sad I am just now getting into it, but grateful that I have more than a month of classes to go.

I've gone to both, and enjoyed them equally. They're both in wonderful parks, right by the water, with excellent views and a great breeze. Both teachers have been really helpful and kind, and while the routines were different (I liked the variety), they seemed to be the same level of intensity.

I feel so amazing after doing yoga, which is a huge change from the tight muscles, hunchback, and general feeling of awfulness that I've grown accustomed to. Sitting at a computer all day wreaks havoc on my neck and back, but stretching and increasing my flexibility will definitely help. If you've been on the fence, I urge you to just go! Do yoga! Don't worry about how you look, or about not being able to do some of the poses — no one is judging you and it's totally ok to go at your own pace. I'm wobbly and probably won't be able to touch my toes for a very long time (if ever) but I haven't felt embarrassed for one second.

Also don't worry about going alone — my first time I went with my friend Alisha and while it was nice to have company, you don't talk or interact during the session so it's perfectly cool to go alone. I'm already thinking about finding a studio for the winter, but I'll definitely be taking advantage of the free sessions as long as I can. I think I'm already spoiled by taking classes in such beautiful settings — no indoor space could possibly compare. I'm also already thinking of buying a new mat because the only one Target had left that wasn't insanely expensive was bright fuschia and I kind of hate it. Anyone know where I can get a gray (Mozart-colored!) one? Anyone in the market for a thrice-used pink one? I  know a guy.

Floor Pizza

So, I mentioned that I had signed a lease on an amazing apartment a few weeks ago, and last night I picked up the keys! I was a little nervous that it had somehow all been a scam (hey thanks for the thousands of dollars, you naive midwesterner) or that the apartment would be different than I remembered it. Luckily, neither of those nightmares came true, and I'm happy to report that it is just as I remember, if not better.

First, I took a minute to check all of the fixtures, drawers and appliances to make sure nothing major was broken (it wasn't). I flushed the toilet, opened the windows, looked in crevices, turned on the burners — everything checked out, thankfully. I was terrified that I would find thousands of cockroaches or a rat in the toilet, but aside from some dust it was surprisingly clean. Then, I spent a few minutes just walking around, picturing where all the stuff is going to go and imagining living there for the next year.

I decided that the occasion called for a bit of a celebration, so I headed across the street to Mama's Pizzeria and ordered an individual pizza to go. I had Mama's a few time when I was here in the winter, and I had been pleasantly surprised to find out that it was literally across the street from the apartment. While I was waiting for my pizza, I actually heard the employees talking about how Johnny Depp had just eaten there LAST Sunday. Like, the Johnny Depp. Right across the street from my apartment. There are no more words.

I took my pizza and my Snapple back to my new Johnny-Depp-adjacent apartment, and sat on the floor watching Gilmore Girls on my laptop. I won't have furniture until after Labor Day (and I'll be staying in my sublet until then), but it's already starting to feel like home. It's incredible to finally have a place to call my own, especially since I've spent the first half of this year bouncing from place to place. I've moved five times to four different places since January. I can't tell you what a relief it is to finally start to feel settled again after a rough few months.

I decided to walk back to my sublet, because it was a beautiful night and also because there is no great way to get from one to the other. I walked around the neighborhood for a bit, familiarizing myself and making a mental note of restaurants to try and happy hour times.

I couldn't resist stopping at Pinkberry on Broadway and 112th  — finding an apartment was stressful, hard, and confusing — I wasn't ready to stop celebrating. Once I get settled (and actually have some furniture), I plan on throwing a more proper house-warming, which I'm looking forward to immensely. I love putting together parties and cooking for friends. I'm so happy to have a space for that once again, even if it's a tiny one.

But there was also something wonderful about being there alone, just me, my pizza and my new keys — I think we're all going to be very happy together.