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Jack Bauer is my hero.

If you watch 24, you know exactly what I mean.

No matter what the sticky situation may be, Jack Bauer always finds a way out. Though he is supposed to follow protocol, he does what he feels is best even if it means breaking the rules a bit. He takes lives, he saves lives, and it’s all in a day’s work (or 24 episodes).

Though Jack Bauer is everyone’s hero, his life is dramatic. His crises usually mean life or death, but sometimes the rut I am in feels like it means life or death.

The rut I am referring to began when I was asked, “What are you going to do after you graduate?”

My response: A blank stare followed by, “Um…good question.”

Everything was so much easier when I was 5 years old and wanted nothing more than to be a veterinarian.  I stopped pursuing that after job shadowing a vet in a high school and almost fainting during a cat neutering surgery.

Since then, I haven’t had a clear direction. I have interests, but they are hard to narrow down and they don’t really relate. Now I am in some sort of melt down. I am two and a half semesters from graduation and full of questions. Is this really what I want to do? Should I go to grad school or get a job? And what about the economy? Will I even be able to get a job?

Luckily, most of those already in the “real world” (what does that even mean?) say that it will all fall into place, and I hope that is the truth. Though these decisions are important, I know they will not seem so critical in hindsight.

In the mean time, I plan to enjoy college while it lasts, and when it comes time to don the cap and gown again, I will be ready. I am not sure what I will do after a graduate, but I trust that it will all work out.

And I will be thankful that the decisions I have to make don’t compare to Jack Bauer’s.

-M

My turn: 25 Things.

I was tagged a few times on Facebook, so here are 25 random things about me.

1. I have kept a journal consistently since about 3rd grade. I try to write every day, but I make an entry at least a few times a week.

2. I try to read my Bible every night. My 6th grade Sunday school teacher got me in the habit.

3. I spend more time organizing things in order to be productive than actually being productive.

4. I keep my camera in my purse. Life happens everyday.

5. I have already designed my dream closet. I told you, I am an organizational freak, and my closet will be amazing someday.

6. I love New York City. I still have a MetroCard in my wallet from the summer.

7. I love recycling. Everyone should go green!

8. I worry about stupid things and over analyze everything.

9. I went to a clown camp when I was 7. Long story. Ask if you must.

10. I am a girly girl who loves makeup and heels, but I also love being outside.

11. Snakes don’t bother me, but spiders do.

12. I love chocolate. My newest favorite is Russel Stover’s Mississippi Mud Truffles. If you haven’t had one, I suggest you do so.

13. I hate matching socks. I buy weird colors and patterns so I don’t have to. Life is just too short.

14. I love fashion magazines. Glamour is my favorite.

15. I hate speed bumps.

16. I only sing in the car.

17. My closet is color coordinated, light to dark.

18.  I miss “Growning Pains.” I had a big crush on Mike.

19. I love my pets. My dog, Caramel, I have had since 1997. She is incredibly loyal and an amazing dog. My other dogs, Dallas and Louie, turn 3 this month (February). Dallas has a skin problem that makes him a little stinky but I still love him. Medicated shampoo helps! I also have three cats and a rabbit. In the past I have had birds, turtles, geckos, frogs, gerbils, hamsters, mice, nutes, guinea pigs, goats, ponies, chickens, ducks, chinchillas, and a sugar glider. I am also a complete dork for fish tanks.

20. I went to Jamaica on a mission trip in 2003 and it was one of the best experiences of my life.

21. I have never broken a bone, but I have had three oral surgeries-tooth extraction, wisdom teeth removal, and a tonsillectomy. Whoever said getting wisdom teeth removed is worse than a tonsillectomy, you are crazy.

22.  I can’t wait to travel around Europe next summer (if everything goes as planned).

23. I was born at 3:14 a.m. on a Friday. I swear I see the that number everywhere.

24.  My favorite stuffed animal when I was a kid was an elephant named Abbi.

25.  I can moonwalk (in socks on a slippery floor).

The overdue update

It’s been too long, and honestly, I have really missed my blog.

Since my last post, I have completed yet another semester (three more to go!). I had three classes that required lots of writing, which may explain my lack of journal writing and blogging.

Then my doctor said my tonsils had to go, so they went. It my first major surgery, and though it was a new experience, it’s one I don’t care to do again.  At least the tonsillectomy taught me something about myself- I really don’t like hospitals. They make my knees weak.

On another note, I was able to mark something off my “bucket list” this semester.  In August I entered NBC’s Saturday Night Live ticket lottery. I have tried to win tickets every year since I was old enough to attend (16), and this year I finally won. Not only did I pay a visit to my favorite city, but also saw one of my favorite shows in action.  (In case you watch SNL, it was the episode with Josh Brolin as host, Adele was the musical guest and Sarah Palin made a guest appearance.) It was amazing to see the show come together and to FEEL the Saturday Night Live Band play the intro. I feel like a dork to admit it, but I teared up.

But enough about last year. I could only hope that 2009 is as special as 2008. I accomplished some goals, conquered some fears, and most importantly, I learned a lot about myself.

More to come,

-M

The End of the Chapter.

I have been putting off this entry because I don’t want to admit that the summer is over.

I am back in school for my third year at the University of Tennessee. Each school year brings new things to the UT and this year it’s a new Starbucks. Of course if you have one Starbucks, another Starbucks must around the block; it’s like an unwritten rule. UT has a Starbucks on the strip, in the library, and now in the University Center. Don’t get me wrong; sometimes my tall skinny iced vanilla latte is all that gets me through the morning, so it’s nice to know that one is always within reach. Plus, after spending my summer in a city where there is literally a Starbucks on every corner, having three on campus takes me right back to the Big Apple.

It’s great being back in Knoxville, but I think about New York often. I miss the friends I made, the macaroons from the French cafe, the piano man in Father Demo Square, and pretty much everything else that I love about the place. I guess this is where that phrase “all good things must come to an end” comes into play.

So here’s to another school year. I hope to keep the blog up to date.

-M

An update from the last few weeks.

I haven’t taken as much time to write lately because I realized the summer is almost over. For the past two weeks I have been rushing around to do the things I had planned to do all summer but hadn’t done yet. It’s been exhausting, but I am still having fun.

Two of the things on my to-do list were the art museums: The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met). At the MoMa, I loved Claude Monet’s Reflections of Clouds on the Water-Lily Pond. The painting is huge! I must admit, I had to sit in awe of it for a few minutes to take it all in. My favorite part of the Met was the roof with Jeff Koon’s The Coloring Book. The view was amazing too!

Next on the to-do list was to visit a comedy theater, particularly the Upright Citizen’s Brigade. I wanted to visit this one because every Sunday night there is an improv show where players from Saturday Night Live (one of my favorite shows) have been known to join the skits. The night I visited both Rachel Dratch and Horatio Sanz were there (both from SNL), so I was very excited. And of course, the show was hilarious.

I also visited St.Paul’s Chapel. There are lots of beautiful churches and cathedrals around Manhattan, but this one is my favorite because of it’s amazing history. For starters, St.Paul’s is the oldest public building in Manhattan, established in 1766. During the Great Fire of 1776, the chapel was saved by a bucket brigade from the Hudson River. The chapel also hosted George Washington on his Inauguration Day in 1789. However, it’s most amazing story occurred in recent years. The attacks on September 11 left most of the buildings around the World Trade Center severely damaged, but St. Paul’s (located next to the WTC site) did not suffer a single broken window. St.Paul’s became a relief center for rescuers cleaning through the debris after 9/11, and today the chapel serves as a memorial for those lost and for those who came to help. Walking through the church makes the unbelievable events of that day a reality all over again.

My internship ended Wednesday. The people at Business Journals are amazing and working there was an incredible experience. Typically, having the intern title means you do nothing but the work no one else wants to do, but I didn’t feel that way. I enjoyed the work I did and the people I met. I will definitely miss it.

I will be going back to Knoxville in a few days. I am sad to leave New York, but ready to go home. I have lots of packing to do, but hopefully this won’t be the last post.

-M

Person Rachel Dratch

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A few of my favorite things & my initiation.

I have exactly three weeks left in New York. The summer has gone by so fast but I have loved every bit! I wanted to write little blurbs about some of my favorite things around the Big Apple, so here they are.

• Jungle Planet-One of my favorite shops because the woman who owns it is incredibly nice and she has the cutest jewelry. She makes these rings that are little on the funky side, but very unique and very cute. I plan on visiting her a few more times before I leave.
• Broadway-Before coming to New York, I did not consider myself a fan of musicals, but my appreciation for the performing arts has awakened. I love seeing Broadway shows. I have seen several since I have been here, and I haven’t been disappointed yet.
• Sidewalk Cafes-I love having lunch on the sidewalk. Especially in Greenwich Village. It’s not as busy, but still great for people watching.
• The Brooklyn Bridge- You get a great view of the city while walking across a landmark.
• All the shopping!-Each neighborhood offers something different and I love it!

To switch subjects completely, I am an initiated New Yorker according to my friends at work. During my morning commute one day this week, I slipped and completely wiped out on the sidewalk. I had my umbrella in one hand and my cell phone in the other, so when my flip-flop met the slippery curb there was no chance of catching myself. To make a long story short, I went into work with two bloody knees. Although my knees were hurting a little, I enjoyed hearing my co-workers sidewalk wipe out stories.

I have two weeks left of work and three weeks left in the city. Hopefully the next post will be sooner than later.

-M

Paparazzi friends and such.

Believe it or not, I have had several run-ins with paparazzi this week while wandering the West Village.

The first occurred two days ago while I was walking to Union Square. I was headed down one of the quiet streets of West Village admiring the townhouses and listening to my Ipod. About a block ahead of me, I saw a woman sitting on her stoop wearing a large hat and sunglasses. When I turned the corner, I noticed three men attempting to be discreet with large cameras. With this kind of scene, I knew it had to a celebrity. Since I did not recognize the woman, I decided to ask the paparrazi. They were very friendly and told me that it was Kara Young and that she was a popular model in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Before I walked away one of them said, “Smile” and snapped a picture of me. I smiled, laughed, and continued my walk.

The second occurred tonight. I took a long walk before dinner to Hudson River Park and around West Village. I came to a restaurant on the corner, but as I walked by something seemed different. First, I noticed two men behind a car with big cameras. I looked to the other corner and noticed six more men with big cameras, and then three more on another corner. Then I noticed a man standing in front of black Cadillac in a suit. They all seemed to be waiting for someone, and I must admit that with that many photographers and a bodyguard/driver, I was curious.

A few minutes later, one of the paparazzi walked by me and said, “Smile”, and I recognized him right away. “Didn’t I see you two days ago taking pictures of Kara Young?”, I asked. He remembered me, we talked for a minute, and he walked over to the other photographers. All the paparazzi began moving to the same corner and snapping pictures. I couldn’t see anyone, but my “friend” with the paparazzi motioned for me to cross the street so I went. The woman he pointed out to me was Heidi Klum, sitting in the restaurant with a group of friends. It was fun to see her (I love Project Runway), but I decided not to join the crowd and take pictures. I snapped a picture of the paparazzi instead and walked away.

I walked back to my apartment and laughed to myself about my paparazzi friend. He probably thinks I am some sort of weird celebrity stalker.

I actually had another celebrity sighting this week, but the paparazzi were not involved. I was walking back from the gym with my roommate and ran in Kristen Johnston walking her dog. I made eye contact with her and then glanced back because I recognized her. She just smiled at us and continued walking. We got back to our apartment and announced to our other roommates that we had just seen Fred Flinstone’s wife.

This week has been an exciting one already, but what I am most excited about is still to come. Macy’s is putting on a fireworks show for the 4th over the East River and I am SO excited! I’m sure I’ll have more stories later.

-M

Person Kristen Johnston

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A new decade.

My boss remembered my birthday. I forgot that he had asked months ago (before I was in New York), and he had apparently made a note of it. When word got around, Harvey (mentioned in a previous post) asked me how old I would be and when I answered he said, “Jesus kid! You are still in diapers!”

So I have the day off work tomorrow to celebrate “a new decade” as my boss so eloquently put it. I spent the afternoon wondering how I should spend my last day as a teenager, but I couldn’t come up with anything. Usually the night before my birthday I am in a nostalgic mood, but this time I decided to do something different.

I am going to look ahead to the next 20 years. Most importantly I should be making plans for the next five, but either way, I want to think about the future. Coming to New York was goal of mine and a major check on the “bucket list”. Now it’s time to plan the next chapter.

Sorry for such a quick post. I have some planning to do!

-M

The reason behind the t-shirt.

You don’t have to live in New York to have seen an “I love (heart) NY” t-shirt. But why do so many wear a shirt with such a meaning? It’s just a city; what makes it so special?

My roommate and I had a long talk about this over a scrumptious piece of chocolate cake. It was around 10 p.m. when we left to find a late night snack but the city was still alive with activity. We entered the bustling bakery and placed our order. After we got our cake, we decided to sit in the square where Bleecker meets 6th Avenue. It’s a very small square, but happens to be one of my favorites because of the beautiful fountain that sits in the center. Even at night, the square is full of people.

The thing that sparked our discussion of New York was a peculiar man in the square. This man had pushed his piano into the square and was serenading the crowd around the fountain with his beautiful music. It was at that moment that I realized why so many people adore this place.

New York is vibrant. It is nicknamed “the city that never sleeps” but it’s much more than that. It is vibrant in the sense that each day presents something new and totally unpredictable. I love the fact that no one can experience everything that New York has to offer.

I love the energy in the city. It’s always moving with people in the buildings above you, the sidewalks beside you, and the subways below you. And most people seem to have an ambitious reason for being here. I love that the city is full of dreamers. You have the aspiring actors and actresses on Broadway, the eager business people on Wall Street, journalists, fashion designers, musicians, etc. New York has a niche for everyone.

I don’t know if the piano man in the square was playing to add some harmony to the sounds of the city or in hopes of earning tips. Either way, I thought it was amazing. I have seen him since, pushing his piano down the sidewalk and each time that I do I am reminded of the energy that creates this crazy environment.

I have been asked many times since moving up here why I decided to come to New York. I don’t have a single simple answer, but I have always been enchanted by the place. I have been here for a month now, and I am still mesmerized daily. Some days “shocked” would be a better word to describe my feelings but nevertheless, I love New York. I have the t-shirt to prove it.

-M