-Insert Clever Title Here-

I've only written like four blogs and yet I'm finding it increasingly difficult to name them..
Anyway, this will just be picture updates from the week! I have to pause for a moment though to walk down the street and change my laundry over to dryer! :)

This is one wall in my room!! My amazing best friend hung up tons of pictures of us, I love it so much!:

Last Saturday we went back to Central Park and the weather was PERFECT:

This is the famous part of Central Park called Sheep Meadow, whenever you see Central Park scenes in movies, this is most likely what you're looking at:

Panorama of Sheep Meadow in Central Park:

Us, being ridiculously good looking.. as usual:

THIS could quite possibly be the most exciting thing on earth to me right now.. We will be seeing Jay-Z LIVE IN BROOKLYN next weekend at the brand new Barclay's Center!!!! He will of course be the FIRST artist performing there. I.CANT.WAIT. eeeeee!!!!:

I can't remember if I already posted a picture of these.. but oh well. They are pepperoni rolls.. and they are AMAZING:

Part of NYC life is doing your laundry in a laundromat!! I got my first experience last weekend and it wasn't too bad!:

They sell Stubb's BBQ sauce at the local store!:

There is a place in Austin called Amy's Ice Cream, well we found this place called Ample Hills that was JUST like it! They even had Mexican Vanilla! All the ice cream was made locally in Brooklyn and it was delicious:

Me, Amanda and Jocelyn! Jocelyn was born and raised in Brooklyn here entire life and gave us an awesome tour with her super cool Brooklyn acccent!!:

We biked over to Brooklyn, so on the 10 mile return ride we stopped at the East River park and snapped a couple pics of the Manhattan Skyline:

Obviously, it was again gorgeous outside, from this shot you can see the Empire State Building and the Chrysler building:

Gorgeous sunset.. too bad the building was in the way haha:

So the next day we wanted to get out and ride our bikes again. Amanda's friend Marissa was kind enough to make us DELICIOUS home made pancakes.. so we put those down the hatch and then went on our ride through Manhattan. But of course, we spotted the RARE fountain soda machine so we stopped and got a big gulp:

Yes that's my bike with a soda in the bottle holder. Don't judge:

This is coming down in to Times Square:

The bike lanes are so huge that bikers have their own light signals:

This is the famous Flat Iron building:

This is the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge:

While we were biking through lower Manhattan, we happened upon a festival in Little Italy.. food as far as the eye can see:

Amanda went with Spinach and Mozzarella pizza and I went for the super-italian Corndog:

Since the Corndog wasn't very Italian, I polished it off with a Canoli.. then we rode up the West Side Highway and then home!

I bought some super soft pita bread and made myself a home made chicken and cheese wrap! Yum:

  That's about it for my week! Mostly biking, a little jogging and a lot of eating! Until next week!

Beeeaaccheess

There are so many songs about New York City.. 

obviously my favorite being Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z :) 

But another great one is "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel.. here are part of the lyrics:

"I don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside..

I don't have any reasons..

I left them all behind..

I'm in a New York state of mind.

It was so easy living day by day..

Out of touch with the rhythm and blues..

But now I need a little give and take..

The New York Times, the Daily News."

When I first flew out here last weekend, I didn't feel excitement. In all honesty I felt nearly overwhelming sadness. I wasn't necessarily scared of the city because I know I love it here and I knew before I made the decision to come. I was scared of leaving nearly everything familiar to me. I kept running through all the reasons what I did may have been a huge mistake. I was leaving an awesome job that I loved, I was leaving an amazing city, but most of all I was leaving my family and Jenny. For so long Jenny and I had done the back and forth, not being able to let go but knowing that our paths were going in separate directions. Knowing that I would lose her was the biggest cause of my sadness. I knew the incredible person I had spent the past four years of my life with was no longer going to be my security blanket and it left me feeling empty. But reading these lyrics, and being in this city makes me realize I WAS living day by day. I was existing and not LIVING. I originally made the decision to come here because I wanted a challenge and I wanted something completely different than I had before... now is the time. Now is my chance. To re-invent.. to change.. to be the person I want to be. If you can't do it in New York City.. where CAN you do it?

So from this day forth I am embracing my decision. I'm accepting my challenge. I'm going to strive to be a better me, not just a person existing in the day to day. It's probably not going to be easy. I will most likely shed tears, have an anxiety attack or scream in frustration, but I didn't move here to take the easy route and I'm certainly not going to let New York take me down with a fight. No more running from change, only embracing. It is time to be the person I know I can be and the person I came here to be.

With all of that said! Here are a few pictures from the last couple of days! Hope you enjoy!

Amanda and I at Brighton Beach in Brooklyn:

And again:

Waiting on the subway to go home:

 The next day I went to the New York Public Library to get a library card (panorama):

Then went over to Times Square (panorama):

Another view of Times Square:

Me sitting on the famous red stairs in Times Square:

NYC mixes at the M&M store:

Had the pleasure of seeing the Naked Cowboy!!:

Clearly, the Naked Cowboy works out:

I ate THE MOST DELICIOUS pepperoni and cheese rolls. SERIOUSLY AMAZING:

I would hate to be the unfortunate owner of this former bike:

Had dinner at a place called Hill Country BBQ, they had Texas flags, Sweet Tea and BBQ. Almost felt like Austin!! Except it was super expensive haha:

BBQ chicken, macaroni and bread:

I went for a bike ride through Queens and snapped a couple pics along the way:

Another beach pic that is out of order:

This seagull wanted my goldfish but was scared of Amanda:

Queens again:

That's it for today! Hope y'all have a great weekend! :):):)

9-11-2012

So, I wasn't planning on writing another blog this week but I did so much cool stuff to day I wanted to post the pictures! I spent the whole day in the Financial District which is the southern most part of Manhattan and the financial capital of the world. It is also the oldest and most historical part of Manhattan. These are a series of pictures from my day, to commemorate 9/11. 

This is the back of the New York Stock Exchange:

Map of lower Manhattan:

This is Federal Hall with a statue of George Washington. Those steps are the exact place he stood when taking the Oath of Office for the Presidency:

Side view of the Federal Hall steps:

Inside of the Trinity Church built originally in 1696:

I had the most delicious sandwich from a cafe called Cosi, yum!:

This is Fraunces Tavern.. said to be one of the oldest businesses in Manhattan:

This is the entrance to Battery Park:

These flags have the names of the victims listed on them:

A statue that was partially damaged in the 9/11 attacks in Battery Park:

Panorama of Battery Park:

Two new towers being built at the WTC site:

One World Trade Center:

Artwork on the ground:

Brooklyn Nets merchandise!!:

While I was waiting for Amanda I sat in the super historical Trinity Church graveyard:

Graveyard:

Graveyard:

Panorama of the graveyard:

This little birdy sat by me:

We had dinner with Laura and ate at a super cool place called Stone Street:

It was gorgeous weather and there were tons of people eating outside:

I got a cheeseburger and the fries came in a cute little basket :)

The Tribute of Lights:

Amanda and I in Brooklyn Heights park:

Me, Amanda and Laura!

Landscape of the Tribute of Lights:

That was my 9/11.. hope y'all enjoy the pictures! I'm having SO MUCH FUN hanging out with my amazing best friend.. I just love her to bits and pieces. Tomorrow.. we go to the beach!!! :)