NYC Flashback: Getting Jazzy with It

A month or so before I left NYC, my friend Leyla suggested that we go to a jazz show in Harlem. I was definitely game and she knew of a really neat place that was like nothing I'd ever heard of before. This woman (last photo, left side) lives in Harlem and has been a jazz enthusiast and pianist for years. Every Sunday, she opens up her home to the public and has different musicians come and play for a few hours. These people aren't getting paid for their time, they are simply there because of a mutual love for soul. It was such an incredible experience and probably the most organic musical experience I've ever had. You could feel the music in your bones. It truly was soul at its absolute best. My favorite was the bass player, no question. If the music alone wasn't good enough, there was an intermission in which she served apple juice and granola bars. Brilliant!

j.

Good Bye New York!

Goodbyes still suck. Today, I am saying goodbye to NYC. The place I have called home for a year and a half. NYC was a lot of things to me. I came here partly broken and pretty lost. This city ignited in me the creativity, passion and life that I had been missing for quite some time. I learned so much here, about fashion, what I want to do with my life but most importantly I learned about myself. I found myself again in NYC. In a word, this city saved me.
 
In my last goodbye post, I explained that Calgary has my heart because my family is there. I also said that Victoria has my soul. Victoria will always be a special place to me because I had so many great experiences there. I have very fond memories of my time there, but I also have painful ones. NYC has taught me that nowhere gets to keep your soul. That stays with you, wherever you go. I think that was an important distinction for me to make. The place doesn't make you, it certainly can shape you but it's not your identity.
 
I have made so many rewarding connections here. I have made friends for life. I have met mentors and people I could ask advice at any time. As amazing as NYC has been, I've gotten what I need out of it. I came here at the right time but it's now time to move on. This city can wear on you, chip away at your spirit. Before I had made the decision to leave, I felt it trying to do that to me but I wouldn't let it. I wanted to leave this place on my terms, with a positive memory sitting in my mind. I am excited for this next chapter in Calgary. I never in a million years thought I'd say that. But it feels right. As corny as it may be, I have realized that home truly is where your heart is. I don't expect it to be easy, at times I may question my decision but in my heart it's where I want to be. I've lived elsewhere for almost ten years. A whole decade. It's taken me that long to come back and that's okay. 

Although I leave today feeling completely at peace with my decision, I am going to miss this crazy beast of a city and all of my amazing, wonderful friends who came with it. I have a New York family and I know this is not goodbye but rather see you later. 

Good bye New York, it's been a slice!

j.

New York Warp Speed

Photo by the lovely Leyla.

With only 9 more days left in NYC, I find myself appreciating all of the little things that this city and my life here have to offer. I take an extra deep breath when walking past my favorite corner flower stand. I smile smugly to myself when I run for the train and jump through the doors right before they close on me. I'm even enjoying some of my final projects (well, really just one and it's only because I'm really nerdy). In my last social commerce class yesterday, our prof had us think of a mentor we have had and then on a piece of paper write down the qualities this person possesses. After a few minutes, she told us to flip the paper over and write down what this person has taught us. Now, I'm not going to lie, there was a lot of eye rolling going on in the room during this exercise, especially because it wasn't to be handed in and rather just for us to keep. But being the goody goody I am, I obliged and started jotting down what my mentor (who I met at Parsons) has taught me. There are only a few people I've met in my life that I felt the need to impress, and maybe that's not quite the right word. Perhaps more accurately, they have inspired me to do my best work and then some. From the moment I met this person, I had this feeling. He imparted a fraction of his knowledge and experience onto me and because of this allowed me to grow in ways I never thought imaginable. His confidence in my skills and collaborative critiques have given me the ability to think that much further outside the box and push that much harder against what I thought I could do or become.

He led me to my current internship at a PR agency where I have had the most rewarding experience. Even though I have only been at this agency for four months, I feel like I have learned more than most people learn after years at a job. It's like I've all of a sudden realized just how far I've come and how much I've grown over the past year and a half in this city. What could have taken years and years at a mediocre job (and maybe not even!) to achieve has happened to me here, in this short time. I feel confident in the direction I want my life to go and I have a much clearer picture of what I want my career to look like. I owe that to a lot of people, including myself for taking this chance, but I also owe it to this city and the warp speed that it runs at.

j.

Camo & Excuses

 striped tee {Jacob} - camo pants {Gap} - sneaks {Sanuk} - necklaces {American Eagle & F21} - bracelet {flea market}

I kind of have a lot going on right now so please forgive the radio silence that just happened and may continue to happen. Turns out finals and moving back to Canada give you a lot to do. This week is crazy busy for me but in fun ways. One of my really good friends from Uni is here and he's taking me to a hockey game tomorrow night. I am so excited! Obviously, I'm really sporty and because of this the first thing I did upon hearing he had bought the tickets was to go buy myself a NY Rangers t-shirt. Once a fashion girl, always a fashion girl...or something like that. I'm also volunteering at a fashion show and going to a dinner party requested by me thrown in my honor (thanks Ley!). Only two more weeks of school and interning and then shortly after that I am back to the homeland.

Until next time....

j.

I Have Nothing To Say, So Here Are Some Photos

touque {Steve Madden via Century 21} - jacket {Loft} - jeans {Old Navy} - booties {Dolce Vita via Century 21}

I really wasn't kidding about having nothing to say. Sorry to disappoint (or not). These photos were taken a while ago and due to my procrastinator tendencies, have not gone up until now. #Fail

I will tell you that the first photo was taken with a vintage Hasselblad camera which is pretty badass and that these lovely photos were taken by my lovely friend, Leyla, who has a website with more lovely photos. So, you should check it out because it will be a lot more interesting than what I have for you here. Which is absolutely nothing, in case you hadn't figured it out by now.

I'll come back when I have something remotely interesting to say. So I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you.

j.

Things They Don't Tell You or You Simply Don't Believe About Living in NYC

 Photo by Moey Hoque

1. At first the thought of paying anything more than $1000 to live with at least one roommate is simply unacceptable. Then you learn that paying less than $1000 anywhere for anything is pretty much a non-option. So you increase your budget to $1200 at the very least. But then you see a few places for $1200 and unless you feel good living on the corner of gang bang and drug dealer, suddenly the notion of living in a 2-bedroom with as many people as possible or sharing a master bedroom with your bestie, seem like the best ideas you've had since moving to NYC.

2. It rains. A lot. And when it's not raining its either sleeting or is so hot and humid that you are sweating in places you didn't know existed. NYC has approximately 2 seasons: bitter cold and disgusting hot. Spring is lovely, you can go outside without a wool jacket and not freeze to death yet you're not worrying about imminent pit stains and chafing thighs. Spring lasts about 10 days before the humidity sets in and starts to choke the life out of you. Then there's Fall. Rumored to be the most beautiful season of all in NYC. Fall lasts for less time than Spring before it starts raining and the wind gusts on the avenues conspire with the umbrella companies to ruin as many umbrellas as possible. So do yourself a favor and, as soon as the leaves start to turn color, get your butt to Central Park to take photos because tomorrow the leaves will be gone.

3. The bagels will change your life. Sure, we've all heard of the world renowned "New York bagels" but until you have one loaded with cream cheese (lox is my particular favorite), especially one that's fresh from the oven, well... simply put, you haven't lived. If you haven't had one you're probably thinking how good can a bagel really be? I know, I thought that too and I wasn't even a bagel person before moving here but then I tried one (from Ess-a-Bagel in the East Village) and the stars aligned, a rainbow appeared and a unicorn started prancing around me.

4. Your feet, knees, back or some combination of the three will be shot within the first 3 months. The amount of walking you do in this city is staggering and underestimated. For a city that does have so many walkers you'd think that the sidewalks would be a priority but it's like a daily obstacle course to avoid potholes, uneven pavement and dog shit. If you don't develop chronic back pain or fluid in your knees than your feet will be the ugliest they have ever been in your life. And don't even bother with the $15 pedicures because those disgusting calluses are the only thing saving you from having bleeding feet each night.

5. This city smells about as good as Naples and Paris combined and if you've ever been to either city than you know this is not a selling feature for New York. The days leading up to garbage day and obviously any subway station are the worst. Get used to the smell of all bodily functions and prepare yourself for it to get 10x worse in the summer. There's nothing quite like the smell of baking garbage and urine when you're hungover, or ever really, but it's even worse when you've been drinking the previous night. The saving grace, however, are the pockets of paradise known as the corner bodegas that have flower stands outside. Breath that in real deep, relish every second of that floral high because it won't last for very long.

6. You will become desensitized to seeing the most bizarre things. A man with a bright green beard, dressed head to toe in rainbow colored costume who's carrying a small dog? That's Ms. Colombia. A taxi driver getting out of his car at a stop light to scream at a truck driver who cut him off? Daily occurrence. A pair of drag queens wearing the most elaborate get up with legs most girls would kill for walking down 9th Ave? That's my neighbor. Gazelles and giraffes, I mean models, popping up every which way you look? Welcome to Fashion Week. A young guy with a pet (I hope) rat/bird/snake on his shoulder. You're in the East Village. Ben Stiller walking briskly past you carrying two Starbucks', wearing sunnies on an overcast winter day and looking alarmingly like Zoolander? Only in NYC. 

7. You will learn to walk very, very fast. Usually as a matter of survival on a New York sidewalk but often times because your feet are already numb anyways, you're carrying a minimum of 2 bags that weigh no less than 10 pounds each and if you don't get to wherever it is you're going 5 minutes ago you will collapse in the middle of the street. You will then meet your untimely demise by being run over by a taxi, horse drawn carriage or kabuki cab, depending on the location of your collapse.

8. Since you are now the fastest walker on the planet, you will likely develop what I like to call 'sidewalk rage'. Anyone who is walking even slightly slower than you are, can't seem to pick a side of the sidewalk to stay on or just appears to have the inability to walk in a straight line will make you more mad than a toddler who's toy has been taken away. You will have the very strong and sudden urge to yell, swear or even shove this stranger out of the way. Umbrellas will be another cause for potential rage attacks and people's need to own one large enough to fit a small family underneath and keep it open when there is not even the hint of a rain drop falling will leave you feeling angry and anxious at the same time. As for tourist season or Times Square in general, it's best to avoid both at all costs if you want to remain an upstanding member of society and not be either institutionalized or imprisoned.
 

9. You will not meet any single, straight, available (literally and emotionally) men no matter how hard you try so you shouldn't because it's just depressing. You had been told that its hard to meet someone in this city but you believed that you'd be the exception. Plus, movies and shows like Friends made you believe that the people who told you that were bitter liars who were probably just unhappy in their lives. You will quickly learn that they were not lying and the only reason for their bitterness was because they probably tried dating in NYC. 

10. You will feel the most inspired and energized in your life by this city. You will forgive all of its faults because of the feeling you get when you're here. You will be a part of something that's hard to explain and can only be understood by the people who also live or have lived here. You'll have a sense of belonging and know that anything goes whenever, wherever. You will believe in magic again (or still if you're like me) and finally understand why everyone says there is no other city like it. 

j. 

It's Been Freezing, I Blinked and Then It Was Summer

sweater {Century 21} - skirt {Target} - shoes {thrifted, Zara} - jewelry {street vendors}

I just needed to forever document the momentous occasion that was bare legs today! I was literally wearing my wool, winter jacket on the weekend and then bam! Monday was in the mid-twenties. Today got to a high of 26 degrees (celsius) and honestly it tricked us into thinking it was June. Too bad this more than Spring-like weather is not planning on sticking around any longer than tomorrow. A girl could get used to this.

In other news, today someone at the agency was celebrating his birthday. I ran out to order some fries from an upscale fast food restaurant (this is an oxymoron) because birthday fries make much more sense than birthday cake. After waiting briefly in line, I was called up, looked at the man straight faced and asked for twelve orders of fries. He looked at me with bewilderment and repeated my order to me as a question. I confirmed that yes, I really did want twelve orders of fries. He rang it in and then straight faced asked me, "to stay or to go"? Oh right, to stay please! Just bring my twelve pounds of french fries over to me in the corner booth of shame. And yes, we put two birthday candles into a mountain of fries and sang happy birthday like this was the most normal thing ever.

j.

A Big Life Decision and Some Words To Live By

Hi friends. I know there have been some radio silences on the blog lately. I couldn't quite put my finger on why I hadn't been posting lately until it hit me. Everything I thought to post about felt disingenuous because I have made a pretty big decision in my life and I guess I just wasn't ready for it to be blog public until now.

I have decided to move back to Calgary once I finish school. I have talked about this possibility a few times before on the blog. While this certainly wasn't an easy or quick decision to make, it is the right one for me. The thing I was struggling with the most was the notion that I should want to stay in NYC. After all, it is New York City, fashion capitol of the world and I have spent all this time and money to study at one of the best fashion schools. Everyone around me was telling me to stay. All of my friends and classmates are hoping for a job out of school in order to be able to stay, live and work in this vibrant city. Yet, with all that NYC has going for it, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was done here. My brain was telling me that it would be good for my career to stay but my heart was telling me I wanted to be home. I have gotten everything and more that I needed out of this experience. New York has been a lot of things to me. I came here partly broken and at a time in my life when I was very lost and this city rejuvenated my spirit, inspired me and put me back together. I will always have a soft spot for the city that never sleeps but I know, in my heart, that home is where I belong.

I'm excited for this new chapter in my life. I'm eager to start my career, and rediscover a city that I have not lived in as an adult. I anticipate this journey having its ups and downs, as all do. While it may not be as glamorous as the Big Apple, I hope you'll all keep following along as I seek out fashion, style and everything in between in a city who's nickname is Cow Town!

j. 

You Belong in 'X'

 

image via Pinterest

You know the feeling you get when you're reading a good book and it's nearing the end but you just don't know exactly how it's going to end? That's what my life feels like right now. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that my program will be over in May. I don't know what I want to do or maybe more importantly, where I want to do it once I graduate from Parsons.

I feel torn between two completely different options. I can stay in NYC and work for a year or I can move back home to Calgary. If you had told me a few years ago that I would be considering moving back to Calgary, I would've told you you were crazy. I don't know when exactly it happened but lately something has shifted in me, making moving back to the city I grew up in an appealing choice. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and realizing that I want to be near my family. I've been away for nearly ten years, but perhaps that was the amount of time I needed to feel ready to call that place my home again.When I think about moving to Calgary, it feels right in a sense. But I can't stop the little voice in the back of my head from planting seeds of doubt in my mind. What if I don't like living there? What if I can't find a job that allows me to use my schooling or at the very least, my creativity?

If I stay in NYC, I will get the chance to work in the fashion industry, which has always been the goal. Sometimes I feel like I should not even have to think twice about this and that I'm crazy for not jumping at the chance to work in my dream field in the city where it all happens. But I do have to think twice and I'm not jumping anywhere at the  moment. This city is inspiring and breath-taking and I've never felt more alive but a part of me feels unsettled, for lack of a better word. Maybe because I know in my heart that this is not the place I want to settle down, so in a way it feels counter-productive to start my career here. This city, with all of it's positives, has a dark side that can chip away at your soul if you're not careful. It's busy chaos can leave you feeling lonely and cold. And while the pace of NYC can be hard to keep up with at times, I worry that the pace of Calgary will leave me running circles with no finish line in sight.

I literally flip-flop on this decision every other day. Some days I'm leaning towards staying in NYC and giving it a try for at least the next year but then something happens and I'm back to mentally preparing the moving checklist I'll need should I decide to leave. Most people are on New York's side (besides maybe the few friends I have in Calgary), and tell me I should definitely stay and get a job. Even with all the support and obvious benefits of staying in the city, I find myself defending Calgary and talking it up more times than not. Is this a sign or is this me trying to convince myself of something? I don't know and although I don't need to know right now, I will need to know soon. I'm just waiting for that moment of clarity to come smack me in the face and yell at the top of its lungs,  

"YOU BELONG IN 'X'". 

Please tell me that's going to happen.

j.

"Presidents/Family/Some Other Word" Day Long Weekend

floral blazer {Target} - grey top {Loft} - polka-dot jeans {Gap} - boots {J. Crew} - necklace {Kauai}

Some call it Presidents' Day (Americans), while others call it Family Day (Canucks...well those living in Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan and Ontario...so the only ones that matter anyways). Whatever you call it, I call it a holiday and that's good enough for me. Good fortune had me because I got to spend the day and all weekend with my Mom (and Dad for a couple of days). 

Friends will ask me what I did and where I took my parents while they were here and I'm going to have to come up with a better answer than the truth. Because the truth is that we did a lot of eating...and shopping. Even my Dad wanted to shop! For himself anyways, in one store only and he didn't want us tagging along. That man has a thing or two to learn about shopping, mainly that it requires going to more than one store. My Mom and I tried to get my Dad up the Empire State Building or to see a show but he was quite happy walking Central Park, shopping at Brooks Brothers and eating way too much Italian food for a 48 hour time period. Ces't la vie! I did get my Mom to Brooklyn today and we saw the play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, with Scarlett Johansson, which was really good. Never really cared much for her in movies, but after this play I will say I am a ScarJo (is that a thing?!?) fan all the way.

I hope you all whooped it up real good for old Georgie's bday or at the very least gave your Mom a hug today!

j.

That Time I Was Backstage at a Fashion Show

At an hour that was way too early for a Saturday morning, my phone started buzzing. Usually I would sleep through something like that, but for whatever reason, on this morning I heard it. It was my supervisor at the PR agency sending a somewhat panicked text, asking if I could come help out at the Rebecca Taylor show. There had been a snowstorm (hardly, says the Canadian) and I imagined that some people they were expecting to help out had been waylayed due to the inclement weather. As much as I had been looking forward to sleeping in, it didn't take any convincing for me to agree to help out. I arrived a little while later and was assigned to backstage check-in with another person. For the hour and a half leading up to the show, press and photographers arrived to take photos backstage and conduct interviews with Rebecca Taylor herself. My job was to escort them up a flight of stairs to the hair and makeup area and connect them with one of the account execs who I work with. From there they would get their chance to ask the designer their interview questions. It was fast-paced and at times hectic, especially once things got a bit behind schedule. I learned that you have to be firm and authoritative but always polite, even when people are losing their patience and sound like they might pass out if they continue to sigh so heavily. The majority of people were understanding and very nice, as being behind schedule tends to be the nature of the beast (the beast that is a fashion show). I also had my first Aha! moment when I realized the Power of the Clipboard. Holding onto this little plastic board makes you look important people. And people then think you know things and know who everyone is and where they are at that given moment. I won't lie and say I didn't like the power the clipboard gave me because I did, but unfortunately it did not give me ESP so I usually couldn't answer the questions I was being asked.

The real fun came right before the show started though. I was a few minutes too late trying to get to the front of house to watch the show so instead I stood to the side of where the models line up before strutting their stuff down the runway. I have to say, any disappointment I may have felt about not getting to watch the show subsided quickly as I stood there and watched magic happen. It was different than anything I've experienced in this world so far. I still got to see all of the clothes, and probably in more detail than you can see on the runway because I was literally right next to the models. The moments before a show starts are extraordinary. Most of the models are stone faced and in the zone. A few were dancing and cracking jokes. It literally takes an army of people to get a model ready for her 15 seconds of fame. At one point, I looked over and there were FIVE people surrounding one model. One crouched down, zipping up her shoes, another rubbing lotion (maybe shimmer?) into her legs, one dresser wiggling leather gloves onto her hands, a hair stylist pinning and spraying her do into place and finally, my favorite, the person with the lint brush giving her sweater the final once over.

The show starts and finishes within a few minutes and my favorite moment was after the final walk. The energy that could be felt backstage as the models walked off the runway for the last time was infectious. The dressers and stylists all starting clapping and cheering and it was impossible not to join in. Many models wore ear to ear grins (maybe happy they didn't bail on the runway...oh wait that would probably just be me!). Others ran over to their stylist for a celebratory hug. Last fashion week, I talked about my favorite moment of watching a runway show as being when the designer comes out at the end of the show. Well, this time I got to see the moment right after that, when Rebecca Taylor came backstage after taking her bow. Her happiness was palpable as she posed for photos, returned excited hugs from models and received congratulations from every direction. It was an incredible moment to witness and be a part of.

Thanks to my internship for giving me this amazing opportunity, these are going to be moments that I'll remember forever!

j.

#IFBcon

gif courtesy of Alex and Ani jewelry

 On Thursday, I went to the IFB Conference (Independent Fashion Bloggers). I was lucky enough to be given tickets from my social commerce professor. I'm struggling a bit to write this post, because I don't want to be negative or ungrateful, but if I'm being totally honest...I was a little disappointed. To be fair, I was only able to go one day and the first day (which I didn't attend) sounded more interesting to me. I also had to leave in the early afternoon, so I was only able to see a handful of speakers. Let me tell you why I left feeling less than excited.

I think I was expecting too much. Or perhaps just more than I got. The thing is, I went to this conference a year ago (remember?!?), when I was all shiny and new in NYC. It was only a one day event then, and since then it has grown to be much more (more days, more bloggers, more sponsors, more everything!). I loved my experience a year ago, I learned many valuable things about fashion blogging and social media, in general. I also loved the panel style, where several bloggers or industry professionals answered questions or commented on certain topics. Unfortunately for me, the panels were on the first day this year. The second day was made up of "workshops", as they were called, with just one or two speakers on a given topic. To me, workshop implies something creative or at the very least, interactive. The speakers had a presentation to give and some seemed more prepared than others. The sessions were all very much geared to bloggers who want to be doing this as their sole career (which is fine, it's just that I don't). I just didn't find myself feeling inspired by a lot of the speakers (or maybe just the topics that were being presented on). On a positive note, and in an effort to draw learning moments out of every situation, I did walk away with a few things. I learned some tips on improving your blog's photography, I have a halfway understanding of what affiliate marketing is and I learned more about the eyewear company, Warby Parker (the highlight for me).

Neil Blumenthal, the CEO and co-founder of Warby Parker gave a short (too short!) talk on how he started the company, the process of market research (use your friends), how he decided on the name (a mash-up of characters' names in a Jack Kerouak novel) and how their first fashion presentation was a "hush mob" in the New York Public Library. For those that have not heard of the online eyewear retailer, you need to check it out! For only $95, you get a complete pair of stylish prescription glasses. AND they donate a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair sold! It's the TOMS of the eyewear world. Anyways, I'm sold and I plan on visiting their showroom in SOHO this weekend to try on frames before I make my order online.

For this presentation alone, the conference was still worth it for me. Maybe if I had been able to attend the full two days, I would have left feeling more inspired. I hope I haven't sounded too negative about the whole thing, but with all of the growth this conference has seen in only a year (including a price tag that is TWICE as much!), I was expecting a little bit more.

Props to the jewelry company, Alex and Ani, however, for having a free photo booth that not only printed out instant photos, but also emailed you a "gif" of the photos you took!

j.

Chambray + Polka Dots

polka-dot chambray shirt {Macy's} - belt {Old Navy} - black maxi skirt {Joe Fresh} - 

tan boots {The Bay} - photo cred {Kiki, as always!}

I finished my first week of classes and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. There were a few classes that, based solely on their titles and heresay, I was not looking forward to. After attending them myself, I am feeling a bit better about them. There are two classes, in particular, that I am most excited about: social commerce and merchandising workshop. In social commerce, we get to learn all about social media and how it applies to businesses. In merch workshop, we basically get to create a brand and take it through all of the steps from inception to right before creation. 

This is a big week for fashion folk in NYC. Of course, it's the start of NYFW and it's also the IFBCon (Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference). I was lucky enough to be given tickets from my social commerce prof, so expect a little recap later on in the week...or next week if we're being realistic.

On a quick note about the above outfit I'm wearing. Is it possible to be wearing too many trends at one time? The answer is probably yes and I am probably guilty. Chambray, polka-dots AND a maxi skirt. Although I don't think I consider maxi skirts as much of a trend as the other two, so maybe I'm safe. What's definitely not safe, however, is wearing a maxi skirt sans leggings in the middle of winter in NYC. Just sayin.

j.   

Life as an Intern

I have been very lucky so far when it comes to internships. As you may recall, I spent 8 months interning at Bloomingdale's and I could not have had a better experience there. Now I have moved on to a public relations agency that specializes in fashion. PR is a very different environment than a corporate retail one and I am starting to adjust to the faster, more urgent nature of this particular area of the industry. I do a lot of things in a given day. From the less glamorous jobs of stuffing invitations, running errands (I was box shopping today) and generating lists to the more exciting projects of writing pitches and working a runway show, PR covers a lot of ground. To be perfectly honest, I don't mind doing the little things that most interns roll their eyes at. I appreciate when we're told why we're doing what we're doing, so that I can understand the bigger picture and really start to see how this industry works. With all of the "big" projects, come ten times more "small" projects. It seems that for every ten "small" projects I do, one "big" one comes along, and that is definitely worth it.

I have heard horror stories from friends and classmates. An intern at a well known designer was required to exit the elevator if said designer entered. A friend of a friend was asked to go to her boss' house and walk their dog! I heard one tonight in class that is arguably my favorite so far, one of my classmate's responsibilities as an intern is to make sure that her boss is properly hydrated at all times. I kid you not! She has to periodically check and make sure there is a full water bottle on her boss' desk at all times.

Hearing all these dreaded tales of interns makes me realize how good I've had and got it. The agency I work in is busy, loud, sometimes chaotic but always creative. There is an open communication between everyone on the team which allows for a very genuine, almost organic way of working together. I had a moment today that made me smile. I was out looking for magazines at the corner store that I've been to almost everyday for the last two weeks. The man working there surely recognizes me by now. I couldn't find what I was looking for and like always, he said "come back later". He told me he had six boxes he had to go through but he was sure what I was searching for was in there. He hesitated only slightly before saying he would go through the boxes right now if I could wait. So I did and he did, all six of them (Murphy's Law, it's always in the last box you open!). I took my eight magazines up to the counter and began to pay for them when he asked what kind of company I work for. I explained to him it was a PR agency and that I bought magazines because our clients were featured in them. He asked me what PR was so I explained that our job is to get our client's names out and keep track of when they get out. He looked at me thoughtfully and asked, "it's like marketing?". I took away all the fancy definitions and jargon and simplified what it is PR does and, while it's so much more than "just marketing", he got it and that made me smile. It's moments like these that only an intern who is out buying magazines for the umpteenth time can experience, and while some may consider this one of the "small" things, these are the moments I will remember.

j.

An NYC Bucket List

At the beginning of the month, I was thinking about those little things we call "New Years Resolutions". In an effort to set myself up for success and have some fun in the process, I decided to take a different approach to the whole thing. In addition to the usual "go to the gym more" and "eat more vegetables" (which I am TOTALLY doing, by the way), I wanted to come up with a resolution to enjoy living in NYC more. So from that, the idea of an "NYC Bucket List" was born.

I immediately thought of many things I had been wanting to do here in the city that I hadn't yet found the time to do. Some of them are bigger in scale than others but I think that's kind of the point when it comes to a bucket list. In the same way a life bucket list doesn't have a definite time frame (you don't know exactly when you're going to kick the bucket...haha see what I did there), neither does this one. I don't know when I will be leaving NYC, it could be four months from now, or four years. So, with that in mind, I better get cracking.

I'm sure I'll find time to document each momentous occasion of crossing something off the list, so I'll be sure to let you all know how my progress is coming along. If any of you think of another item that should be on my list, let me know. If I agree that the item belongs on my bucket list, I shall find a way to squeeze it on there!

j.

Musings from a single twenty-something

I read an article in the NY Times the other day (I'll give you a moment to recover from the shock of learning I read the NY Times...) that has been stuck in my head ever since. It was called "The End of Courtship", and it basically surmised that romance is quickly dying among people my age. Traditional dating - you know, dinners, movies and walks on the beach - is being replaced by the "group hang" (is this really a thing?!). Several factors were to blame, social media and the popularity obsession people in their twenties have with technology (ahem, iPhones!) being at the top of the hit list. Guys (or girls, I'm a liberated woman living in the 21st century here!) no longer have to pluck up their courage, risk bruising their precious ego and pick up the phone to ask someone out on a date. In this day and age, all we have to do is type a few words and hit send with our thumb. No risk of fumbled words, painstakingly embarrassing stutters or the dreaded radio silence after you've asked the BIG question. On the other hand, however, the connection is not as real or genuine. The article went on to say that the increasing social acceptance of online dating sites is also a factor that is contributing to the watering down of real human interaction and that many "relationships" begin as a string of text or inbox messages. A twenty-something guy was quoted in the article saying that he didn't like to take girls on dates, he would rather just have them tag along with whatever he was doing. 

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?

Is this what dating has become? An after-thought. A last minute text sent before heading out to the pub to meet your boys in the hopes that the girl is desperate enough to tag along. Where is the planning or effort in this? Let me tell you: there is none. Call me old fashioned, but I want and expect to be wooed a little bit here. The same goes for us gals too, I think both parties need to be putting forth their best effort. It all just sounds quite lazy, if you ask me. I'll be honest and say that I have been on a few dates courtesy of an online dating site here in the city. To be fair and give the guys I met credit, they took me on real dates. But it all started via inbox messages and texting back and forth and surprise, surprise it was a lack of connection that caused our relationships to go nowhere fast. 

It has surprised me, really, how difficult it is to date and meet guys in more traditional ways in this city. The mentality of the opposite sex here is very different than anywhere else I've been. They stick to themselves or their people when out in prime "pick-up" locations, not even so much as glancing at, let alone striking up a conversation with the fairer gender. The few that do then fail to follow-through. Why bother then if you don't plan on doing anything more than ask for a girl's number. Are guys in NYC busier/more reserved/over stimulated/more ego-centric than guys who live elsewhere in the world? I don't know the answer to that. I have just been stewing about this article and concept for days now and I am no closer to figuring it out than I was before. I can't won't accept the notion that romance and dating is a thing of the past. After reading this article and seeing how guys in this city behave, I couldn't help but have a Carrie Bradshaw moment and ask:

Have technology and social media platforms caused our generation to become so out of practice with traditional ways of connecting with people that we really don't know how to forge genuine relationships with one another?

I certainly don't have the answer to this question, but what do you all think?

j.